Nato Darchia

The journey through the world of adolescent sleep.

Abstract Sleep-wake patterns and the electroencephalogram (EEG) during sleep undergo fundamental changes during adolescence. Scientific evidence indicates that these changes represent components of an extensive maturational brain remodeling process. Sleep during periods of brain maturation appears to be particularly important for health and behavior. Adolescents’ sleep problems affect their cognitive and psychobehavioral functioning, making insufficient sleep during this developmental stage a significant international health concern. In this review, we summarize some key data concerning developmental changes in sleep behavior and regulation, and the association between sleep EEG changes and brain maturation. This review extends our understanding of adolescent sleep and highlights its significance for healthy development. We discuss the possibility to follow brain maturation and to detect errors in this maturational process by monitoring the developmental sleep EEG changes.

Sleep-wake patterns and sleep quality in urban Georgia

Abstract Objectives Sleep problems represent a worldwide health concern but their prevalence and impacts are unknown in most non-European/North American countries. This study aimed to evaluate sleep-wake patterns, sleep quality and potential correlates of poor sleep in a sample of the urban Georgian population. Methods Analyses are based on 395 volunteers (267 females, 128 males, aged 20-60 years) of the Georgia Somnus Study. Subjects completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form. Sociodemographic information and self-reported height and weight were collected. Results 43% of subjects had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5). Further, 41% had low sleep efficiency, 27.6% slept 6 hours or less, 32.4% went to bed after midnight, 27.6% snored, 10.6% were taking sleep medication, and 26.8% had sleep maintenance problems as occurring three or more times a week. The latest bedtime, rise time, and gender effect on these variables were found in the age group 20-29 years. PSQI global score showed a significant age but not gender difference. The economic status and the depression score were two significant predictors of sleep quality. Conclusions Poor sleep quality has a high prevalence and is strongly linked to the economic status. Study findings call for a global assessment of sleep problems in countries where sleep disturbances represent an insufficiently recognized public health issue.

Sleep quality among internally displaced Georgian adolescents and population-based controls.

Sleep problems in children and adolescents are a significant public health concern and may be linked to a variety of psychoemotional difficulties. This study aimed to evaluate sleep quality and associated factors in conflict-affected Georgian adolescents after 9 months of forced displacement. Thirty-three internally displaced adolescents (mean age 11.4 years) and 33 adolescents (mean age 10.8 years) from the general population completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Parents completed the Children’s Sleep–Wake Scale and provided information on their socioeconomic status (SES) and the adolescents’ sleep behavior, academic performance, and peer social relationships. The groups differed significantly in sleep quality, peer relationships, SES, and CDI scores. In the internally displaced group, the only significant predictor of sleep quality was SES, which increased the predictive capacity of the model (demographic and psychosocial variables) by 20% in the hierarchical analyses. The most significant predictor in the non-internally displaced group was CDI. This research indicates that displacement may affect sleep quality and psychosocial functioning. The importance of family SES as a contributing factor to displaced adolescents’ poor sleep quality is highlighted. An integrated approach designed to improve the psychosocial environment of internally displaced adolescents is needed for their protection.

Relationship between Sleep Disorders and Health Related Quality of Life—Results from the Georgia SOMNUS Study

The extent to which sleep disorders are associated with impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is poorly described in the developing world. We investigated the prevalence and severity of various sleep disorders and their associations with HRQoL in an urban Georgian population. 395 volunteers (20–60 years) completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, STOP-Bang questionnaire, Insomnia Severity Index, Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form, and Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Socio-demographic data and body mass index (BMI) were obtained. The prevalence of sleep disorders and their association with HRQoL was considerable. All SF-12 components and physical and mental component summaries (PCS, MCS) were significantly lower in poor sleepers, subjects with daytime sleepiness, apnea risk, or insomnia. Insomnia and apnea severity were also associated with lower scores on most SF-12 dimensions. The effect of insomnia severity was more pronounced on MCS, while apnea severity—on PCS. Hierarchical analyses showed that after controlling for potential confounding factors (demographics, depression, BMI), sleep quality significantly increased model’s predictive power with an R2 change (ΔR2) by 3.5% for PCS (adjusted R2 = 0.27) and by 2.9% for MCS (adjusted R2 = 0.48); for the other SF-12 components ΔR2 ranged between 1.4% and 4.6%. ESS, STOP-Bang, ISI scores, all exerted clear effects on PCS and MCS in an individual regression models. Our results confirm and extend the findings of studies from Western societies and strongly support the importance of sleep for HRQoL. Elaboration of intervention programs designed to strengthen sleep-related health care and thereof HRQoL is especially important in the developing world.