THE EFFECTS OF PAROXETINE AND NEFAZODONE ON SLEEP - A PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL

We studied the effect of acute (1 day) and subacute (16 days) administ ration of the new antidepressant, nefazodone (400 mg daily), and the s elective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), paroxetine (30 mg daily ), on the sleep polysomnogram of 37 healthy volunteers using a random allocation, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Compared to place bo, paroxetine lowered rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and increased RE M latency. In addition, paroxetine increased awakenings and reduced Ac tual Sleep Time and Sleep Efficiency. In contrast, nefazodone did not alter REM sleep and had little effect on measures of sleep continuity. We conclude that in contrast to typical SSRIs, nefazodone administrat ion has little effect on sleep architecture in healthy volunteers.