Shallow Sleep Research Articles

Evaluation of Autonomic Nervous System Function During Sleep by Mindful Breathing Using a Tablet Device: Randomized Controlled Trial.

One issue to be considered in universities is the need for interventions to improve sleep quality and educational systems for university students. However, sleep problems remain unresolved. As a clinical practice technique, a mindfulness-based stress reduction method can help students develop mindfulness skills to cope with stress, self-healing skills, and sleep. We aim to verify the effectiveness of mindful breathing exercises using a tablet device. In total, 18 nursing students, aged 18-22 years, were randomly assigned and divided equally into mindfulness (Mi) and nonmindfulness (nMi) implementation groups using tablet devices. During the 9-day experimental period, cardiac potentials were measured on days 1, 5, and 9. In each sleep stage (sleep with sympathetic nerve dominance, shallow sleep with parasympathetic nerve dominance, and deep sleep with parasympathetic nerve dominance), low frequency (LF) value, high frequency (HF) value, and LF/HF ratios obtained from the cardiac potentials were evaluated. On day 5, a significant correlation was observed between sleep duration and each sleep stage in both groups. In comparison to each experimental day, the LF and LF/HF ratios of the Mi group were significantly higher on day 1 than on days 5 and 10. LF and HF values in the nMi group were significantly higher on day 1 than on day 5. The correlation between sleep duration and each sleep stage on day 5 suggested that sleep homeostasis in both groups was activated on day 5, resulting in similar changes in sleep stages. During the experimental period, the cardiac potentials in the nMi group showed a wide range of fluctuations, whereas the LF values and LF/HF ratio in the Mi group showed a decreasing trend over time. This finding suggests that implementing mindful breathing exercises using a tablet device may suppress sympathetic activity during sleep. UMIN-CTR Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000054639; https://tinyurl.com/mu2vdrks.

Sleep disturbance in clinical and preclinical scrapie-infected sheep measured by polysomnography

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by neuronal loss and abnormal deposition of pathological proteins in the nervous system. Among the most common neurodegenerative diseases are Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are one of the most common symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, one of the main objectives in the study of TSEs is to try to establish an early diagnosis, as clinical signs do not appear until the damage to the central nervous system is very advanced, which prevents any therapeutic approach. In this paper, we provide the first description of sleep disturbance caused by classical scrapie in clinical and preclinical sheep using polysomnography compared to healthy controls. Fifteen sheep classified into three groups, clinical, preclinical and negative control, were analysed. The results show a decrease in total sleep time as the disease progresses, with significant changes between control, clinical and pre-clinical animals. The results also show an increase in sleep fragmentation in clinical animals compared to preclinical and control animals. In addition, sheep with clinical scrapie show a total loss of Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM) and alterations in Non Rapid Eyes Movement sleep (NREM) compared to control sheep, demonstrating more shallow sleep. Although further research is needed, these results suggest that prion diseases also produce sleep disturbances in animals and that polysomnography could be a diagnostic tool of interest in clinical and preclinical cases of prion diseases.

Sleep disturbance exacerbates atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are important risk factors for atherosclerosis. The use of smart bracelets that measure sleep parameters, such as sleep stage, can help determine the effect of sleep quality on lower-extremity atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes. To investigate the correlation between sleep disorders and lower-extremity atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes. After admission, all patients were treated with lower-extremity arterial ultrasound and graded as having diabetic lower-extremity vascular lesions according to the results. A smart bracelet was used to obtain the patient sleep data. The correlation between sleep patterns and diabetic lower-extremity atherosclerosis, diabetic foot, and various metabolic indices was verified. Between August 2021 and April 2022, we screened 100 patients with type 2 diabetes, with 80 completing sleep monitoring. Univariate ordered logistic regression analysis indicated that patients with a sleep score below 76 (OR = 2.707, 95%CI: 1.127-6.488), shallow sleep duration of 5.3 h or more (OR=3.040, 95 CI: 1.005-9.202), wakefulness at night of 2.6 times or more (OR = 4.112, 95%CI: 1.513-11.174), and a deep sleep continuity score below 70 (OR = 4.141, 95%CI: 2.460-615.674) had greater risk of high-grade lower limb atherosclerosis. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of high-grade lower limb atherosclerosis was higher in patients with 2.6 or more instances of nighttime wakefulness (OR = 3.975, 95%CI: 1.297-12.182) compared with those with fewer occurrences. The sleep duration curve of patients with different grades of diabetic lower-extremity atherosclerosis was U-shaped. According to the results of the one-way analysis of variance, the higher the deep sleep continuity score, the lower the Wagner scale score for diabetic foot (P < 0.05). Sleep disorders (long, shallow sleep duration, frequent wakefulness at night, and poor continuity of deep sleep) can worsen lower limb atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes. This finding can provide a new method for medical professionals to prevent and treat diabetic lower-extremity vascular lesions.

Comprehensive evaluation of machine learning algorithms for predicting sleep-wake conditions and differentiating between the wake conditions before and after sleep during pregnancy based on heart rate variability.

Perinatal women tend to have difficulties with sleep along with autonomic characteristics. This study aimed to identify a machine learning algorithm capable of achieving high accuracy in predicting sleep-wake conditions and differentiating between the wake conditions before and after sleep during pregnancy based on heart rate variability (HRV). Nine HRV indicators (features) and sleep-wake conditions of 154 pregnant women were measured for 1 week, from the 23rd to the 32nd weeks of pregnancy. Ten machine learning and three deep learning methods were applied to predict three types of sleep-wake conditions (wake, shallow sleep, and deep sleep). In addition, the prediction of four conditions, in which the wake conditions before and after sleep were differentiated-shallow sleep, deep sleep, and the two types of wake conditions-was also tested. In the test for predicting three types of sleep-wake conditions, most of the algorithms, except for Naïve Bayes, showed higher areas under the curve (AUCs; 0.82-0.88) and accuracy (0.78-0.81). The test using four types of sleep-wake conditions with differentiation between the wake conditions before and after sleep also resulted in successful prediction by the gated recurrent unit with the highest AUC (0.86) and accuracy (0.79). Among the nine features, seven made major contributions to predicting sleep-wake conditions. Among the seven features, "the number of interval differences of successive RR intervals greater than 50 ms (NN50)" and "the proportion dividing NN50 by the total number of RR intervals (pNN50)" were useful to predict sleep-wake conditions unique to pregnancy. These findings suggest alterations in the vagal tone system specific to pregnancy.

Measuring Sleep Stages and Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea with a Wearable Multi-Sensor System in Comparison to Polysomnography.

To assess the performance of a wearable multi-sensor system (SensEcho) in comparison to polysomnography (PSG) in measuring sleep stages and searching for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Participants underwent overnight simultaneous monitoring using SensEcho and PSG in a sleep laboratory. SensEcho analyzed the recordings spontaneously, and PSG was assessed as per standard guidelines. The degree of snoring was evaluated according to the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of OSA hypopnea syndrome (2011 revision). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to assess general daytime sleepiness. This study included 103 Han Chinese, 91 of whom (age 39.02 ± 13.84 years, body mass index 27.28 ± 5.12 kg/m2, 61.54% male) completed the assessments. The measures of total sleep time (P = 0.198); total wake time (P = 0.182); shallow sleep (P = 0.297), deep sleep (P = 0.422), rapid eye movement sleep (P = 0.570), and awake (P = 0.336) proportions were similar between SensEcho and PSG. Using an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) cutoff of ≥ 5 events/h, the SensEcho had 82.69% sensitivity and 89.74% specificity. Almost the same results were obtained at an AHI threshold of ≥ 15 events/h. Although the specificity increased to 94.67%, it decreased to 43.75% at an AHI cutoff of ≥ 30 events/h. This study demonstrated that SensEcho can be used to evaluate sleep status and screen for OSA. Nevertheless, improving the accuracy of its assessment of severe OSA and further testing its effectiveness in community and home environments is necessary.

Management of a Female Patient with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Somatoform Disorder

Aim: to demonstrate the management of a patient with somatization disorder and irritable bowel syndrome.Key points. A 41-yo female patient was admitted with complains of spastic lower abdomen pain, hard stool once every 1–2 days under laxative treatment (macrogol), bloating, anxiety, waiting for confirmation of a life threatening illness, internal stress, difficulty in falling asleep, shallow sleep. Has a long history of disease, characterized by the appearance of a variety of somatic symptoms (headache, tachycardia, joint pain, stool disorders, abdominal pain, etc.) during periods of emotional tension, lack of data suggesting organic disease. No abnormal changes were detected in examination at the clinic (complete blood count, serum chemistry tests, urinalysis or fecal tests, hydrogen and methane breath tests with lactulose, abdominal ultrasound, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy). With the prior agreement of patient, she was consulted by a psychiatrist and diagnosed with somatization disorder and mild anxiety disorder. On discharge from hospital recommended cognitive-behavioral therapy, continue taking macrogol, as well as treatment with Kolofort. After 3 months of complex treatment, there was a significant decrease in the severity of both the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety disorder.Conclusion. For patients whose complaints meet the diagnostic criteria for IBS, a two-stage differential diagnosis may be justified: at the first stage, differentiation of IBS and organic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is carried out; at the second stage - IBS and somatization disorder. Kolofort can be the drug of choice both in patients with IBS and the pharmacological part of therapy in patients with somatization disorder.

Effect of Forest-Based Health and Wellness on Sleep Quality of Middle-Aged People

To explore the effect of forest-based health and wellness experiences on sleep quality for middle-aged people, we observed 12 healthy volunteers, aged 35–39 years, for three days and two nights during “forest bathing.” Huawei honor-4 bracelets were used to continuously monitor their exercise and sleep patterns. After the forest-based health and wellness experience, the average sleep score of the volunteers increased by 6 points, and the length of night sleep increased by 1.6 hours. The proportion of deep sleep increased by 3%, the proportion of rapid eye movement increased by 1%, and the proportion of shallow sleep decreased by 4%. Overall, sleep quality was improved; however, this was not sustained. The effects of forest-based health and wellness experience on the sleep indicators showed both individual and gender differences; sleep quality generally improved better for females than males.

Alterations in intestinal microbiota in ultramarathon runners

To date, only one study has reported changes in the gut microbiome of an ultramarathon runner before and after competing in the race. Herein we aimed to investigate changes in intestinal microbiota in nine ultramarathon runners. Eight of the nine participants ran 96.102 km (up 8062 m, down 6983 km) and one ran 99.12 km (up 8448 m, down 7369 m) within 38–44 h. Intestinal microbiota alterations were examined at three timepoints: before (Pre), after (Post), and 10 days after (Recovery) the race. The α- and β-diversity of intestinal microbiota were unaffected by the race. Six of the nine participants showed the B-type enterotype, while the remaining three showed the P-type enterotype; however, significant difference between enterotypes was not observed in the influence of the ultramarathon on intestinal microbiota. The abundance of mean Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, was significantly decreased from 2.9% (Pre) to 1.6% (Post), as well as other three butyrate producing bacteria. One participant with the largest decrease in F. prausnitzii abundance (− 85.7%) reported sluggishness and shallow sleep from Post to Recovery. Our findings revealed that the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria is decreased in ultramarathon runners, which consequently decreases butyrate levels in the intestine and affects host immune function.

Evaluation of changes in skin characteristics due to the poor quality of sleep caused by smartphone usage.

Blue wavelengths are thought to have an effect on circadian rhythms. Using a smartphone, which emits a 453nm blue light, can worsen the quality of sleep. To study the skin changes caused by poor sleep quality induced by smartphone usage. The participants were 22 Korean women aged 20-39years, with no sleep problems and a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score of <5. The participants used a smartphone for 2h before normal sleep hours. The measurement points were as follows: after a good sleep (D0), after bad sleep day 1 (D1), after bad sleep day 3 (D3), and after bad sleep day 7 (D7). The sleep time, wake-up time, shallow sleep rate, and sleeping time duration were recorded using a smartwatch. The quality of their sleep deteriorated. The average time of falling asleep extended to 2 a.m., which was about 34min later. Additionally, their skin moisture content decreased, and sebum content increased. Skin desquamation was increased, and skin gloss, transparency, and elasticity decreased mainly on the skin surface. Sleep quality decreases with smartphone usage among people who do not usually use their smartphones before going to sleep and do not have any sleep problems. The results showed significant changes in skin optics and surface properties when the quality of sleep was degraded for 7days.

Инсомнические расстройства у пациентов с черепно-мозговой травмой, осложненной субдуральной гематомой

The objective: to determine the frequency of insomniac disorders in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) complicated with subdural hematoma, for early detection and prevention of sleep disorders in recovery periods. Materials and methods. A survey was conducted in 102 patients with TBI complicated with acute subdural hematoma who were operated on in the Neurosurgical Department of the M.A. Tverye State medical center in Perm in the period from 2018 to 2019. The study included patients with the most frequent localization of subdural hematoma. Group I consisted of 31 patients (30%) with a hematoma localized in the frontotemporal region, group II - 28 patients (27%) with a hematoma localized in the parietal - temporal region, group III - 18 patients (18%) with a hematoma localized in the frontotemporal - occipital region, group IV - 25 patients (25%) with a hematoma localized in the parietal-occipital region. On day 13-14 after surgical intervention to remove the subdural hematoma, the patients were interviewed using the ISI scale to determine the presence and severity of insomnia. Results. The severity of condition on admission was assessed as 13-12 points on the Glasgow scale in the largest number of patients. The most severe general condition on admission was noted in patients with subdural hematoma localized in the frontal-parietal-occipital area. Out of 102 patients, only one patient was found to have moderate sleep disturbances when assessing the insomnia severity index and 13 patients were found to have mild sleep disturbances. The most common complaints of the patients when interviewed were a feeling of heaviness in the head after sleep, intermittent, shallow sleep. Conclusion. Interrupted sleep and heaviness in the head afterwards, as well as the need for daytime sleep, are the most frequent complaints about the sleep process in patients with a traumatic brain injury complicated with a subdural hematoma on the 13th-14th day after injury.

Medical students' relative immunity, or lack thereof, against COVID-19 emotional distress and psychological challenges; a descriptive study from Jordan.

Background: Emotional distress is a major impact of COVID-19 among not only the general public but also healthcare workers including medical students. This study aimed at describing self-reported changes in emotional reactions associated with COVID-19 among medical students in Jordan and to assessing the potential effect of social media utilization on emotional distress among this group. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to collect data early on during the outbreak in Jordan. All medical students in Jordan were eligible to complete an online questionnaire assessing self-reported emotional reactions to COVID-19 that covered four main domains: negative emotion (anxiety, worry, depression, panic, loneliness, and nervousness), positive emotion (happiness, joy, and excitement), sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, nightmares, and insufficient sleep), and aggression (verbal argument and physical fighting). The frequency of social media utilization as a main source of COVID-19 information was also assessed. Results: 59.9% of participants were females, 64.9% were enrolled at the two major medical schools in Jordan, and 59.6% were in the pre-clinical stage (years). A significant proportion of participants self-reported increased negative emotional levels of anxiety (49.2%), worry (72.4%), depression (23.1%), panic (22.6%), and nervousness (38.2%) and decreased positive emotional levels of happiness (44.8%), joy (47.3%), and feelings of excitement (45.1%). Self-reported sleep disorders were not as common (less than 15% for any of the four items), while arguing with others was at 26.7%. Significant differences by gender and academic year were detected. Almost half of participants reported using social media as a main source of COVID-19 information "most/all-the-times" with a significant effect of such on reducing emotional distress. Conclusion: The results suggest a potential effect of COVID-19 on the emotional distress of medical students. Addressing and mitigating such effects is crucial. The potential buffering effect of social media should be further investigated.

Medical students’ relative immunity, or lack thereof, against COVID-19 emotional distress and psychological challenges; a descriptive study from Jordan

Background: Emotional distress is a major impact of COVID-19 among not only the general public but also healthcare workers including medical students. This study aimed at describing self-reported changes in emotional reactions associated with COVID-19 among medical students in Jordan and to assessing the potential effect of social media utilization on emotional distress among this group. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to collect data early on during the outbreak in Jordan. All medical students in Jordan were eligible to complete an online questionnaire assessing self-reported emotional reactions to COVID-19 that covered four main domains: negative emotion (anxiety, worry, depression, panic, loneliness, and nervousness), positive emotion (happiness, joy, and excitement), sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, nightmares, and insufficient sleep), and aggression (verbal argument and physical fighting). The frequency of social media utilization as a main source of COVID-19 information was also assessed. Results: 59.9% of participants were females, 64.9% were enrolled at the two major medical schools in Jordan, and 59.6% were in the pre-clinical stage (years). A significant proportion of participants self-reported increased negative emotional levels of anxiety (49.2%), worry (72.4%), depression (23.1%), panic (22.6%), and nervousness (38.2%) and decreased positive emotional levels of happiness (44.8%), joy (47.3%), and feelings of excitement (45.1%). Self-reported sleep disorders were not as common (less than 15% for any of the four items), while arguing with others was at 26.7%. Significant differences by gender and academic year were detected. Almost half of participants reported using social media as a main source of COVID-19 information “most/all-the-times” with a significant effect of such on reducing emotional distress. Conclusion: The results suggest a potential effect of COVID-19 on the emotional distress of medical students. Addressing and mitigating such effects is crucial. The potential buffering effect of social media should be further investigated.

Medical students' relative immunity, or lack thereof, against COVID-19 emotional distress and psychological challenges; a descriptive study from Jordan.

Background: Emotional distress is a major impact of COVID-19 among not only the general public but also healthcare workers including medical students. This study aimed at describing self-reported changes in emotional reactions associated with COVID-19 among medical students in Jordan and to assessing the potential effect of social media utilization on emotional distress among this group. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to collect data early on during the outbreak in Jordan. All medical students in Jordan were eligible to complete an online questionnaire assessing self-reported emotional reactions to COVID-19 that covered four main domains: negative emotion (anxiety, worry, depression, panic, loneliness, and nervousness), positive emotion (happiness, joy, and excitement), sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, nightmares, and insufficient sleep), and aggression (verbal argument and physical fighting). The frequency of social media utilization as a main source of COVID-19 information was also assessed. Results: 59.9% of participants were females, 64.9% were enrolled at the two major medical schools in Jordan, and 59.6% were in the pre-clinical stage (years). A significant proportion of participants self-reported increased negative emotional levels of anxiety (49.2%), worry (72.4%), depression (23.1%), panic (22.6%), and nervousness (38.2%) and decreased positive emotional levels of happiness (44.8%), joy (47.3%), and feelings of excitement (45.1%). Self-reported sleep disorders were not as common (less than 15% for any of the four items), while arguing with others was at 26.7%. Significant differences by gender and academic year were detected. Almost half of participants reported using social media as a main source of COVID-19 information "most/all-the-times" with a significant effect of such on reducing emotional distress. Conclusion: The results suggest a potential effect of COVID-19 on the emotional distress of medical students. Addressing and mitigating such effects is crucial. The buffering effect of social media should be further investigated.

Simultaneous fMRI-EEG-Based Characterisation of NREM Parasomnia Disease: Methods and Limitations.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques and electroencephalography (EEG) were used to investigate sleep with a focus on impaired arousal mechanisms in disorders of arousal (DOAs). With a prevalence of 2–4% in adults, DOAs are significant disorders that are currently gaining attention among physicians. The paper describes a simultaneous EEG and fMRI experiment conducted in adult individuals with DOAs (). Both EEG and fMRI data were validated by reproducing well established EEG and fMRI associations. A method for identification of both brain functional areas and EEG rhythms associated with DOAs in shallow sleep was designed. Significant differences between patients and controls were found in delta, theta, and alpha bands during awakening epochs. General linear models of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal have shown the secondary visual cortex and dorsal posterior cingulate cortex to be associated with alpha spectral power fluctuations, and the precuneus with delta spectral power fluctuations, specifically in patients and not in controls. Future EEG–fMRI sleep studies should also consider subject comfort as an important aspect in the experimental design.

Transitions between Sleep Stages in Healthy Humans

We report here an analysis of the durations of segments of sleep stages and interstage transitions with the aim of identifying patterns of sleep development in healthy people. A segment of a stage is a period of sleep from the moment of onset of the stage of interest to the moment at which it is replaced by another stage. The analysis included segments of sleep stages noted on the hypnograms of 70 polysomnography traces from the sleep of six healthy people in the experimental conditions of the Mars 500 project. It has been suggested that the appearance of one or another sleep stage may be linked with the duration of the preceding stage. The studies reported here showed that the durations of segments of all sleep stages overall, with the exception of stage 3, were random, where interruption of segments was independent of their preceding duration. Stage 3 had low stability in the fi rst 2.5 min of occurrence, which increased the probability of its termination; when it lasted longer, the process of interruption started to be random. The interstage transitions studied here established that the occurrence of waking or shallow sleep (stage 1) from stage 3 or REM sleep had a high probability after prolonged periods in these states. Other interstage transitions were random. We suggest that increases in the durations of δ-sleep segments and the stage with rapid eye movements could lead to the development of arousal processes. Further analysis of the longest δ-sleep and REM sleep segments may have potential for constructing mathematical models of sleep and studies of arousal processes during sleep and the mechanisms of their impairments.

Validity, potential clinical utility, and comparison of consumer and research-grade activity trackers in Insomnia Disorder I: In-lab validation against polysomnography.

Consumer activity trackers claiming to measure sleep/wake patterns are ubiquitous within clinical and consumer settings. However, validation of these devices in sleep disorder populations are lacking. We examined 1 night of sleep in 42 individuals with insomnia (mean=49.14±17.54years) using polysomnography, a wrist actigraph (Actiwatch Spectrum Pro: AWS) and a consumer activity tracker (Fitbit Alta HR: FBA). Epoch-by-epoch analysis and Bland-Altman methods evaluated each device against polysomnography for sleep/wake detection, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset and sleep latency. FBA sleep stage classification of light sleep (N1+N2), deep sleep (N3) and rapid eye movement was also compared with polysomnography. Compared with polysomnography, both activity trackers displayed high accuracy (81.12% versus 82.80%, AWS and FBA respectively; ns) and sensitivity (sleep detection; 96.66% versus 96.04%, respectively; ns) but low specificity (wake detection; 39.09% versus 44.76%, respectively; p=.037). Both trackers overestimated total sleep time and sleep efficiency, and underestimated sleep latency and wake after sleep onset. FBA demonstrated sleep stage sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 79.39% and 58.77% (light), 49.04% and 95.54% (deep), 65.97% and 91.53% (rapid eye movement). Both devices were more accurate in detecting sleep than wake, with equivalent sensitivity, but statistically different specificity. FBA provided equivalent estimates as AWS for all traditional actigraphy sleep parameters. FBA also showed high specificity when identifying N3, and rapid eye movement, though sensitivity was modest. Thus, it underestimates these sleep stages and overestimates light sleep, demonstrating more shallow sleep than actually obtained. Whether FBA could serve as a low-cost substitute for actigraphy in insomnia requires further investigation.

DECREASED NOCTURNAL MEAN OXYGEN SATURATION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA

Objective: To observe the relationship between plasma Homocysteine (Hcy) level and nocturnal sleep parameters in patients with hypertension. Design and method: A total of 1,663 patients admitted to the department of hypertension of xinjiang uygur autonomous region people's hospital from 2005 to 2010 were selected as observation objects, observation objects was divided into three groups according to the tri-sectional quantiles of plasma Hcy level.(Group A:Hcy<=10.74umol/L, Group B:10.74umol/L<Hcy<=16.24umol/L, Group C:Hcy>16.24umol/L). All subjects underwent polysomnography (PSG) to analyze and compare the general characteristics and nighttime sleep parameters (AHI, AI, SaO2 min, SaO2 mean, N1, N2, N3, N4, REM, ODI3, ODI4, TS90%) of patients in different groups. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between nocturnal sleep parameters and plasma Hcy. Results: Plasma Hcy increased gradually in patients with non, mild, moderate and severe OSA(12.23umol/L,12.6umol/L,13.14umol/L,13.66umol/L, P = 0.023). The differences of AHI, SaO2 min (%), SaO2 mean (%), N3 (%), shallow sleep stage (%), deep sleep stage (%), OD3 (times /h), OD4 (times /h), and ts90% were statistically significant in the three groups. Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, smoking and drinking history, the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia increased gradually with the decrease of mean blood oxygen saturation(OR1 = 1.039, P1 = 0.813. OR2 = 1.418, P2 = 0.011) Conclusions: With the aggravation of OSA, the plasma Hcy level increases in the patients with hypertension. The lower the average blood oxygen saturation at night, the higher the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia..

Sleep during naturally occurring respiratory infections: A pilot study

There is strong experimental support that infections increase the drive for sleep in animals, and it is widely believed that more sleep is part of an adaptive immune response. While respiratory infections (RI) are very prevalent in humans, there is a striking lack of systematic knowledge on how it affects sleep. We recruited 100 people, among whom 28 became sick with an RI during the study period (fulfilling criteria for influenza-like illness, ILI, or acute respiratory infection, ARI). We measured sick participants’ sleep at home, both objectively (actigraphy) and subjectively (diary ratings), for one week as well as four weeks later when healthy. During the week with RI, people spent objectively longer time in bed and had a longer total sleep time compared to the healthy week. During the infection, participants also had more awakenings, but no significant differences in sleep latency or sleep efficiency. While sick, people also reported increased difficulties falling asleep, worse sleep quality, more restless sleep and more shallow sleep, while they did not report sleep to be less sufficient. Most problems occurred at the beginning of the sickness week, when symptoms were strong, and showed signs of recovery thereafter (as indicated by interactions between condition and day/night of data collection for all the 10 sleep outcomes). The degree of symptoms of RI was related to a worse sleep quality and more restless sleep, but not to any of the objective sleep outcomes or the other subjective sleep variables. Having a higher body temperature was not significantly related to any of the sleep variables. This study suggests that having a respiratory infection is associated with spending more time in bed and sleeping longer, but also with more disturbed sleep, both objectively and subjectively. This novel study should be seen as being of pilot character. There is a need for larger studies which classify pathogen type and include baseline predictors, or that manipulate sleep, in order to understand whether the sleep alterations seen during infections are adaptive and whether sleep interventions could be used to improve recovery from respiratory infections.

The Effects of High-Temperature Weather on Human Sleep Quality and Appetite.

High-temperature weather appears in high frequency, big strength, and long duration in the summer. It is therefore important to study the effects of high-temperature weather on sleep quality and appetite. Ten healthy college students were selected as subjects. The experiment conditions were divided by the daily maximum temperature into 28 °C, 32 °C, 36 °C, and 38 °C. The objective sleep quality was measured by an intelligent sleep monitoring belt, and the subjective sleep quality was measured by a questionnaire survey. The subjective appetites were assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS), and the objective appetites were assessed by the meal weight and the meal time. For sleep quality, the objective results indicated that the sleep quality at 32 °C was the best, followed by 28 °C, while the sleep quality at 36 °C and 38 °C was the worst. Significant effects were mainly reflected in sleep duration and shallow sleep. The subjective results showed that temperature had significant effects on sleep calmness, difficulty in falling asleep, sleep satisfaction, and sleep adequateness. For appetite, the VAS results indicated that high temperatures mainly led to a reduction of appetite at lunch time. The meal weights of lunch were larger than those of supper except for 28 °C, and the meal time of lunch and supper was longer than that of breakfast. The meal time of lunch was longer than that of supper except for 36 °C. This paper can provide a study method and reference data for the sleep quality and appetite of human in high-temperature weather.

Nocturnal enuresis and poor sleep quality.

Sleep disorders are strongly associated with childhood nocturnal enuresis (NE). In this study, we examined whether sleep disorders are present in children with NE, and whether NE is caused by sleeping disorders, or is simply comorbid. We examined 14 children with monosymptomatic NE and 15 age-matched controls. Sleep disorders were assessed for ≥5days using contactless biomotion sensors to detect breathing and body movements during at-home sleep. To assess sleep quality, we compared median sleep efficiency and the number of shallow sleep episodes between the groups. We also investigated the change in sleep quality after successful NE treatment in five children. Median sleep efficiency was significantly lower in the NE group (87.3%) than in the control group (93.4%; P < 0.001). The number of shallow sleep episodes per night was significantly higher in the NE group (5.11) than in the control group (1.50; P < 0.001). Neither sleep efficiency nor the number of shallow sleep episodes improved in the five children whose NE was successfully stopped after bedwetting-alarm therapy (P = 0.50 and 0.22, respectively). Sleep disorders are present in children with NE. Although there are insufficient data to conclude that sleep disorders are not the cause of NE, we suggest that they are comorbid because sleep disorders persisted even after NE was halted.