The daytime alertness and its correlation with sleep parameters in patients with paradoxical insomnia

Abstract

Objective To explore the daytime alertness and its correlation with sleep parameters in patients with paradoxical insomnias(PI). Method A total of 129 patients meeting DSM-Ⅳ primary insomnia criteria were divided into paradoxical insomnia group (PI, n=55) and non-paradoxical insomnia group (NPI, n=74). The one night polysomnography (PSG), daytime multiple sleep latency test (MSLT),and the subjective sleep perception measured by a morning self-rated questionnaire were reviewed and compared between two groups. Result Compared to NPI group, PI group had lower sleep perception((49.37±22.55) % vs.(60.86±37.13)%; t=3.91, P<0.01) , longer total sleep time (t=-8.25, P<0.01) , shorter rapid eye movement sleep latency(t=3.19, P<0.01) and shorter daytime mean sleep latency ((10.97±5.22) min vs. (12.72±4.52) min; t=2.04, P=0.04). In the PI group, daytime mean sleep latency negatively correlated with sleep perception (r=-0.30, P<0.05) and positively correlated with rapid eye movement sleep latency (r=0.36, P<0.01) . Conclusion PI patients may have better objective sleep quality than NPI patients. Daytime hyperarrousal is absent in PI patients. The alertness level of PI patients negatively correlates with sleep perception. Key words: Sleep initiation and maintenance disorders; Sleep arousal disorders; Perception