An Olfactory Stimulus Modifies Nighttime Sleep in Young Men and Women

Aromatherapy is an anecdotal method for modifying sleep and mood. However, whether olfactory exposure to essential oils affects night‐time objective sleep remains untested. Previous studies also demonstrate superior olfactory abilities in women. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of an olfactory stimulus on subsequent sleep and assessed gender differences in such effects. Thirty‐one young healthy sleepers (16 men and 15 women, aged 18 to 30 yr, mean±SD, 20.5±2.4 yr) completed 3 consecutive overnight sessions in a sleep laboratory: one adaptation, one stimulus, and one control night (the latter 2 nights in counterbalanced order). Subjects received an intermittent presentation (first 2 min of each 10 min interval) of an olfactory (lavender oil) or a control (distilled water) stimulus between 23:10 and 23:40 h. Standard polysomnographic sleep and self‐rated sleepiness and mood data were collected. Lavender increased the percentage of deep or slow‐wave sleep (SWS) in men and women. All subjects reported higher vigor the morning after lavender exposure, corroborating the restorative SWS increase. Lavender also increased stage 2 (light) sleep, and decreased rapid‐eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of time to reach wake after first falling asleep (wake after sleep onset latency) in women, with opposite effects in men. Thus, lavender serves as a mild sedative and has practical applications as a novel, nonphotic method for promoting deep sleep in young men and women and for producing gender‐dependent sleep effects.     

Comparison of Two Different Actigraphs with Polysomnography in Healthy Young Subjects

The present study aimed to compare two commercially available actigraphs, with a concurrent polysomnographic (PSG) recording. Twelve healthy volunteers (six women; age range 19–28 yrs) simultaneously wore the Basic Mini‐Motionlogger® and Actiwatch® for seven overnight polysomnographic recordings. Comparisons of the following sleep measures were focused on: sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency. Both devices underestimated SOL in comparison to PSG, but they had similar performance compared to PSG for the other sleep measures. A limit of the study is that the results can be only generalized to healthy young subjects.     

Neurophysiologic measurement of continuity in the sleep of fetuses during the last week of pregnancy and in newborns

Our aim was to measure the correlation between fetal electrocardiographic (FECG) recordings of low-risk pregnancies and polysomnographic (PSG) study parameters in low-risk infants born at term as a measurement of perinatal sleep-development continuity.We designed a short, prospective, observational follow-up of physiologic parameters between fetuses and newborns. We studied 10 fetuses from low-risk pregnant female out-patients and the same subjects as low-risk newborns delivered at term. Fetal state (FS) was defined in FECG recordings reassembling the following: fetal state I (quiet sleep or QS); fetal state II (active sleep or AS); fetal state III (quiet waking), and fetal state IV (active waking). Percentages of AS, QS, and wakefulness in PSG studies of newborns were also determined.Comparisons of FS I with QS showed a significant reduction in QS, while comparison of FS II with AS showed significant reduction in AS. Negative correlations were found between FS I with QS, and FS II with AS. Number of cycles in FECG recordings and PSG sleep cycles also demonstrated significant correlation.In conclusion our data showed partial but significant sleep function continuity from fetal to neonatal period.     

Comparison of two different actigraphs with polysomnography in healthy young subjects

The present study aimed to compare two commercially available actigraphs, with a concurrent polysomnographic (PSG) recording. Twelve healthy volunteers (six women; age range 19-28 yrs) simultaneously wore the Basic Mini-Motionlogger^® and Actiwatch^® for seven overnight polysomnographic recordings. Comparisons of the following sleep measures were focused on: sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency. Both devices underestimated SOL in comparison to PSG, but they had similar performance compared to PSG for the other sleep measures. A limit of the study is that the results can be only generalized to healthy young subjects.     

多导睡眠记录在新生儿脑电图监测中的应用

新生儿期的脑电图（electroencephalogram EEG）不易看出睡眠、觉醒的变化,临床需要用脑电图监测眼球运动并应用肌电图、心电图、呼吸等多导描记综合判断。     

Altered Circadian Rhythm of Melatonin Concentrations in Hypocretin-Deficient Men

Hypocretin deficiency causes narcolepsy. It is unknown whether melatonin secretion is affected in this sleep disorder. Therefore, in both narcolepsy patients and matched controls, the authors measured plasma melatonin levels hourly for 24?h before and after 5 days of sodium oxybate (SXB) administration. Although mean melatonin concentrations were similar between patients and controls, in narcoleptics the percentage of 24-h melatonin secreted during the daytime was significantly higher, and melatonin secretion exhibited a weaker coupling to sleep. SXB did not affect melatonin secretion. These findings suggest that hypocretin deficiency might disturb both the circadian control of melatonin release and its temporal association with sleep. (Author correspondence: c.e.h.m.donjacour@lumc.nl)     

Sleep and Rhythm Changes at the Time of Trypanosoma brucei Invasion of the Brain Parenchyma in the Rat

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a severe disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.). The disease hallmark is sleep alterations. Brain involvement in HAT is a crucial pathogenetic step for disease diagnosis and therapy. In this study, a rat model of African trypanosomiasis was used to assess changes of sleep-wake, rest-activity, and body temperature rhythms in the time window previously shown as crucial for brain parenchyma invasion by T.b. to determine potential biomarkers of this event. Chronic radiotelemetric monitoring in Sprague-Dawley rats was used to continuously record electroencephalogram, electromyogram, rest-activity, and body temperature in the same animals before (baseline recording) and after infection. Rats were infected with T.b. brucei. Data were acquired from 1 to 20 d after infection (parasite neuroinvasion initiates at 11–13 d post-infection in this model), and were compared to baseline values. Sleep parameters were manually scored from electroencephalographic-electromyographic tracings. Circadian rhythms of sleep time, slow-wave activity, rest-activity, and body temperature were studied using cosinor rhythmometry. Results revealed alterations of most of the analyzed parameters. In particular, sleep pattern and sleep-wake organization plus rest-activity and body temperature rhythms exhibited early quantitative and qualitative alterations, which became marked around the time interval crucial for parasite neuroinvasion or shortly after. Data derived from actigrams showed close correspondence with those from hypnograms, suggesting that rest-activity could be useful to monitor sleep-wake alterations in African trypanosomiasis. (Author correspondence: giuseppe.bertini@univr.it)     

阿戈美拉汀联合舍曲林治疗抑郁症伴失眠的疗效及对睡眠质量评分、多导睡眠监测参数和血清神经递质的影响

摘要 目的：观察阿戈美拉汀联合舍曲林治疗抑郁症伴失眠的疗效及对睡眠质量评分、多导睡眠（PSG）监测参数和血清神经递质的影响。方法：选取2020年4月~2021年12月期间来贵州省第二人民医院就诊的80例抑郁症伴失眠患者作为观察对象,采用随机数字表法分为实验组和对照组各40例,对照组患者接受舍曲林治疗,实验组患者接受阿戈美拉汀联合舍曲林治疗,对比两组疗效、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数（PQSI）评分、PSG相关指标参数、汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD）评分、血清神经递质水平变化,记录两组治疗期间不良反应发生情况。结果：实验组的临床总有效率为90.00%（36/40）,高于对照组的67.50%（27/40）,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两组治疗8周后PSQI、HAMD评分均下降,且实验组的变化程度大于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗8周后睡眠总时间（TST）、睡眠效率（SE）、非快速眼动睡眠阶段3+4的百分比（SWS）、快速眼动睡眠阶段睡眠时间（RT）增加,非快速眼动睡眠阶段1的百分比（S1）、非快速眼动睡眠阶段2的百分比（S2）减少,且实验组的变化程度大于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗8周后去甲肾上腺素（NE）、5-羟色胺（5-HT）水平均升高,且实验组的升高程度大于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率组间对比未见差异（P>0.05）。结论：阿戈美拉汀联合舍曲林治疗抑郁症伴失眠,可有效改善抑郁和失眠症状,同时还可调节血清神经递质水平,是一个较为安全可靠的治疗方案。     

Athletes underestimate sleep quantity during daytime nap opportunities

ABSTRACT

This study examined the difference between athletes’ self-reported and objective sleep durations during two nap opportunities. Twelve well-trained male soccer players’ sleep durations were assessed using polysomnography and a self-report question during a 60- and 120-min nap opportunity. Participants underestimated sleep compared to objective sleep assessments for both the 60-min nap opportunity (p = 0.004) and 120-min nap opportunity (p = 0.001). Soccer players underestimated their sleep duration by approximately 10 min per hour of nap opportunity. It is yet to be determined if athletes are likely to underestimate sleep duration during their main nighttime sleep period.     

An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women

Aromatherapy is an anecdotal method for modifying sleep and mood. However, whether olfactory exposure to essential oils affects night-time objective sleep remains untested. Previous studies also demonstrate superior olfactory abilities in women. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of an olfactory stimulus on subsequent sleep and assessed gender differences in such effects. Thirty-one young healthy sleepers (16 men and 15 women, aged 18 to 30 yr, mean±SD, 20.5±2.4 yr) completed 3 consecutive overnight sessions in a sleep laboratory: one adaptation, one stimulus, and one control night (the latter 2 nights in counterbalanced order). Subjects received an intermittent presentation (first 2 min of each 10 min interval) of an olfactory (lavender oil) or a control (distilled water) stimulus between 23:10 and 23:40 h. Standard polysomnographic sleep and self-rated sleepiness and mood data were collected. Lavender increased the percentage of deep or slow-wave sleep (SWS) in men and women. All subjects reported higher vigor the morning after lavender exposure, corroborating the restorative SWS increase. Lavender also increased stage 2 (light) sleep, and decreased rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of time to reach wake after first falling asleep (wake after sleep onset latency) in women, with opposite effects in men. Thus, lavender serves as a mild sedative and has practical applications as a novel, nonphotic method for promoting deep sleep in young men and women and for producing gender-dependent sleep effects.