Kathy Sexton-Radek

A "Sleep 101" Program for College Students Improves Sleep Hygiene Knowledge and Reduces Maladaptive Beliefs about Sleep.

Sensitizing young adults about sleep hygiene knowledge and helpful sleep attitudes may have the potential to instill long-lasting healthy sleep practices. Towards these ends, evaluation of psychoeducational program “Sleep 101” tailored to college students was undertaken. Following two weeks of sleep-log recordings, participants were randomly assigned to a Sleep 101 (experimental) condition or a sleep monitoring (control) condition. The Sleep 101 condition was comprised of two 90-minute workshops aimed to educate students about healthy sleep practices, helpful thoughts about sleep, and ways to improve sleep. The sleep monitoring group received a sleep hygiene handout and completed sleep logs for the study duration. Sleep 101 participants endorsed fewer maladaptive beliefs and attitudes about sleep, increased sleep hygiene knowledge, and reduced sleep onset latency compared to the sleep monitoring participants. Brief psychoeducational courses may be a cost-effective way to alleviate current, and/or prevent future, sleep problems in young adults.

An Epidemiological Perspective on College Student Health and Sleep

It is estimated that some 40% of all young adults aged 18 to 25 years are enrolled in either a twoor four-year college [1]. A figure of approximately twelve million young adults, as college students, attend predominantly 4-year colleges with a recent surge in the overall total number of students coming from a peak in 2-year college enrollments [1]. Estimates of 50% of all 18-25 year olds are labor market participants [1] and an additional some 500,000 students were attending nondegree institutions of higher education.

Are Actiwatch Recordings Useful in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been investigated in numerous research studies ranging from incidence levels to the identification of the pervasiveness of the hyperactivity. However, the comorbidity of ADHD and sleep disturbance has been under investigated. Additionally, in some clinics, the data from the actigraphic monitoring is used to inform decisions about treatment. This study focused on the examination of actigraphic data from clinical cases, collectively in statistical analyses and individually in graphical analysis. Measure of sleep minutes, sleep start times, wake minutes, and activity levels were gathered from actigraphic recordings in five participants aged 10 to 18 years; data from two or the five participants that was complete was used in the study. Each participant was a patient of the clinic and informed consent was obtained. The results indicated elevated activity scores during the daytime and at night, comparatively, to same aged peers norms with sleep and psychological disorder diagnoses. There was considerable variability in sleep time and sleep efficiency scores in the three adolescent actigraphic recordings. All aggregated summary data and individual graphical analyses will be presented within the context of the sleep and child psychiatric literature.

A Look at Worldwide Sleep Disturbance

A perspective from the United States on sleep reports that twenty-five percent of adults report not getting sufficient sleep. Sleep in America Polls by the National Sleep Foundation findings indicate that adolescents reported getting, on average, six and a half of the nine hours sleep they need each night. With regard to work in America, it is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control National Institute for occupational Safety and Health reported that 41 million workers get less than six hours of sleep a night (i.e., 7 to 8 hours is recommended). Metabolic changes in the body (e.g., heart rate, insulin resistance, systolic blood pressure) occur with poor sleep quality. This phenomenon is referred to as cardio metabolic health vulnerability to restricted sleep. Health professionals (particularly Sleep Specialists) are able to identify the impact of sleep disturbances on their patients. This and other poor sleep conditions need to be detected and treated by a health care specialist.

Utility of Personality Measurement of Clinic Patients with Insomnia

An assessment study examining the relationship between sleep quality and personality style in individuals presenting to a sleep clinic with symptoms of insomnia was conducted. The protocol entailed standard clinical interviews conducted by a board certified sleep physician and licensed clinical psychologist. Participants were then assessed using a standard interview and the Millon Clinical Multi-axial Inventory III (MCMI-III) A follow-up appointment was conducted to provide interpretation and treatment recommendations from the interview and testing data. The results from a review of 210 cases are presented in terms of their sleep quality and dominant MCMI-III patterns. Preliminary multivariate analyses indicated two common profiles that correspond to the presentation of insomnia symptomology. These clusters were termed “avoidant” and “anxious” profiles, accordingly. Item content analyses were conducted via the Noteworthy Item classification in the MCMI-III manual to determine the viability of a category determined by the authors called Sleep Behavior Preoccupation. Of this sample 17% fit into the category.

Presleep Autonomic Arousal as a Distinguishing Factor in Type of Sleep Pattern

A subsample of 33 subjects classified by interview as unusual sleepers were asked to record their sleep in the morning and stress and heart rate at bedtime (index of physiological arousal). Increased physiological activity was expected in long sleepers because they had been identified as worriers, i.e., show activated physiological arousal. These data were recorded for a month, but no statistically significant differences for the long sleepers were noted.

Alternative Medicine/Supplement Use to Induce Sleep: A Global Perspective

Sleep medicine has considered a worldwide perspective to investigate and treat sleep disturbances and disorders. Large scale epidemiological studies along with World Health Organization sponsored studies using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health system, have categorized patient complaints about their sleep. The current study was designed as a qualitative investigation of an aspect of a common patient sleep complaint—difficulty falling asleep. The aim of the study was to identify some of the sleep onset practices which may or may not include a treatment for sleep onset. A social media approach was used to capture the qualitative comments about sleep from individuals responding to a Facebook questionnaire. The questionnaire was in English and Portuguese (per the second author). The individual responses were from 12 countries/6 continents. Modal responses in terms of alternative medicine use and day time practices to promote sleep are represented.

Single case designs in psychology practice

A brief overview highlighting key elements of single case design is presented. Four types of single case design are identified. Central elements and the value of the use of single case designs are underscored.

Advances in the Field and Advancing the Field

Since the 1958 publication on the measurement of REM sleep the practice and research of sleep medicine has advanced. From the teaming reels of polygraph paper flow from an all-night study to today’s digital record, both practioners and scientists have contributed to the understanding of sleep. In the laboratory, locations corresponding to the initiation of sleep, start and stop of dream sleep and correspondence of the sleep cycle to the other systems of the body have been identified. The applied behavioral laboratory studies have revealed descriptions of the function of sleep and impact on behaviors of consciousness, memory and learning [1]. Clearly the demarcation of the science of sleep medicine and the clinical practice has yielded answers to larger questions such as, “What happens when we sleep; what is the role of sleep?”

Sleep Quality in College Athletes

Athlete sleep has been studied in controlled laboratory conditions. Investigations using all-night measurement of sleep (all-night polysomnograph), cortisol levels, and behavioral variables (mood, performance level) have identified some factors about athlete sleep. Afternoon training and sufficient time to recover after an event have been found to be significantly related to sleep quality. In an effort to understand the relationship between sleep and athletic performance, a case control study of athletes was conducted with college level athletes during the season and nonseason intervals. Findings indicated factors of tiredness, variable sleep times and the value of sleep timing during recovery.