Colin M. Shapiro

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

The STAI is a 40-item questionnaire designed to measure two aspects of anxiety: the temporary and episodic form of anxiety that fluctuates across situations and circumstances, and the stable personality traits that predispose individuals to anxiety in general [1]. Though the scale has been widely used in research, it is also a valuable clinical tool. The STAI’s two subscales make it ideal for sleep specialists hoping to identify both current recurring anxiety problems in order to address their influence on sleep quality.

Fatigue and shift work

Shift work is a ubiquitous phenomenon and its adverse effects on workers’ physical and mental health have been documented. In the sleep literature, differentiating between the symptoms of fatigue and sleepiness, and developing appropriate objective and subjective measures, have become very important endeavors. From such research, fatigue and sleepiness have been shown to be distinct and independent phenomena. However, it is not known whether shift work differentially affects fatigue and sleepiness. In an attempt to answer this question, 489 workers from a major Ontario employer completed a series of subjective, self‐report questionnaires, including the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Workers were separated into four groups based on the frequency with which they are engaged in shift work (never, fewer than four times per month, 1–2u2003days per week, 3u2003days or more per week). The frequency of shift work was found to have a significant effect on subjective fatigue, but not on subjective sleepiness. Compared with the subjects who never had a shift schedule, those who worked in a shift for 3u2003days or more had significantly higher mean score of the FSS. In agreement with previous results, a low correlation was found between workers’ subjective fatigue and sleepiness scores, providing further support for the concept of fatigue and sleepiness as distinct and independent phenomena. Future research should address the possibility of using the FSS as an indicator when the frequency of shift work has become high enough to adversely affect work performance or cause health problems.

Sleep and the athlete.

Sleep is generally considered to be restorative and the notion of exercise being associated with the changes in subsequent sleep is popular but has only recently been demonstrated. There are several facets of exercise performed that have an influence on sleep. These include the intensity and duration of the exercise, and the interval between the cessation of exercise and sleep onset. Other factors that may alter sleep after exercise are the age and fitness of the subject, and his lean body mass. Most studies on the effect of exercise on sleep can be interpreted as being partially or totally supportive of the restorative theory of sleep function.

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

As psychiatric disorders are often associated with sleep disturbances, the PSQI was designed to evaluate overall sleep quality in these clinical populations. Each of the questionnaire’s 19 self-reported items belongs to one of seven subcategories: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. Five additional questions rated by the respondent’s roommate or bed partner are included for clinical purposes and are not scored.

Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)

This scale [1] measures the subjective level of sleepiness at a particular time during the day. On this scale subjects indicate which level best reflects the psycho-physical sate experienced in the last 10 min. The KSS is a measure of situational sleepiness. It is sensitive to fluctuations.

Body composition and human sleep

Abstract It has been reported that fit atheletes have more slow wave sleep (SWS), sleep longer and have shorter sleep onset latencies than unfit individuals. However, we have shown that these differences are not a direct consequence of physical fitness. This suggests that the effect is due to more enduring characteristics of individuals. We report two experiments designed to test the hypothesis that individual differences in sleep are related to differences in body composition. The hypothesis was tested in two different experiments, each comparing independent groups of fit athletes with unfit non-athletes. In each experiment both sleep and a number of anthropometric variables were measured. Twenty-five fit and 22 unfit subjects were run in Experiment 1 and 17 fit and 17 unfit in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1 percentage fat was estimated from a skin fold method, while in Experiment 2 lean body mass (LBM) was estimated from 24 h. urinary creatinine. The results showed that percentage LBM was negatively rela...

School Sleep Habits Survey

The School Sleep Habits Survey is an eight-page, 63-item questionnaire designed to assess the sleep/wake habits and typical daytime functioning of high school students. As a thorough method for data collection, the survey allows researchers and clinicians alike to gather valuable demographic and behavioral information, including: sleep schedule regularity, school performance, daytime sleepiness, behavior problems, depressive mood, and bed times, rise times, and total sleep times for both weeknights and weekends [1].

Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)

Designed to evaluate overall daytime sleepiness, the questionnaire asks respondents to rate how likely they are to fall asleep in eight different situations. Each circumstance represents a moment of relative inactivity, from lying down for a nap in the afternoon to sitting in a car stopped in traffic. The scale may be indicated for use in research as well as for clinicians requiring an efficient screening devise for daytime sleepiness.

Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire

Consisting of 19 items, the scale was developed to assess individual differences in morningness and eveningness – the degree to which respondents are active and alert at certain times of day. Scale items query preferences in sleep and waking times, and subjective “peak” times at which respondents feel their best.

Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS)

The SSS is a subjective measure of sleepiness, frequently used for both research and clinical purposes. Whereas an instrument like the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Chap. 29) examines general experiences of sleepiness over the course of an entire day, the SSS evaluates sleepiness at specific moments in time. Consisting of only one item, the scale requires respondents to select one of seven statements best representing their level of perceived sleepiness [1]. As a single-item measure, the scale is best suited for repeated use over the course of a research study or treatment intervention.