What effect do corticosteroids have on sleep?

Corticosteroids are known to have various effects on the body, including significant impacts on sleep architecture. Research indicates that corticosteroid use can lead to a decrease in both N3 sleep (also known as deep sleep) and REM sleep. N3 sleep is crucial for restorative processes in the body, including tissue growth and repair, while REM sleep is associated with memory consolidation and emotional regulation.

When corticosteroids are administered, they can influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to alterations in cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol, particularly in the evening or at night, can disrupt normal sleep patterns. This disruption tends to result in a reduction of the deeper stages of sleep, namely N3 and REM, which are essential for high-quality, restorative sleep.

Other options such as an increase in REM sleep or having no effect on sleep stages are not supported by current clinical findings regarding corticosteroids. Similarly, an increase in total sleep time does not align with the known effects of corticosteroids, as they generally lead to fragmented sleep and reduced sleep quality, ultimately resulting in shorter sleep durations and less time spent in the essential sleep stages. Thus, the correct understanding of the impact of corticosteroids on sleep is that they decrease both N