Abstract
The gold standards for measurement of sleep and wake are polysomnography (PSG) and the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and will remain so. Actigraphy is cheap, less labor intensive for the sleep laboratory and gives no burden for the patient. Major features of sleep (time in bed, total sleep time, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset and naps during the day) are easily quantified. If done over at least five days the results are in a reasonable way comparable to those of PSG. Obviously, actigraphy provides less details of sleep and the way it is disturbed. From the combination of PSG and one week actigraphy, one gets all details of sleep and wake and their fluctuations over time. As “stand alone” technique, actigraphy is indicated in young children, mentally handicapped patients and in the assessment of therapy for sleep disorders. In our opinion assessment of sleep disorders in children should include actigraphy over at least 5-7 24 hour days, if possible combined with one or two nights PSG. As there are no strict rules and normal values for MSLT in children, actigraphy is also helpful as tool for global assessment of hypersomnia in young patients.
Highlights
The gold standards for measurement of sleep and wake are polysomnography (PSG) and the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and will remain so
The actigraph looks like a small wristwatch and contains a device, which is sensitive to movements, a memory chip, and a battery
The advantages when compared to the gold standards are obvious: easy to do for the laboratory, low cost, no restrictions for the patient, and overview of a long period in one glance at the plot and quantification of important parameters of sleep and wake over the same period
Summary
The gold standards for measurement of sleep and wake are polysomnography (PSG) and the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and will remain so. With a bin width that can be chosen dependent on the indication and the period of measurement, movements are detected and recorded by the memory chip. The advantages when compared to the gold standards are obvious: easy to do for the laboratory, low cost (estimated at 5% of one PSG), no restrictions for the patient, and overview of a long period in one glance at the plot and quantification of important parameters of sleep and wake over the same period.
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