Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders: Lee T

Friedman L, Zeitzer JM, Kushida C, Zhdanova I, Noda A, Lee T, Schneider B, Guilleminault C, Sheikh J, Yesavage JA. · Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA. · J Am Geriatr Soc. · Pubmed #19187411 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To determine whether bright light can improve sleep in older individuals with insomnia. DESIGN: Single-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week, parallel-group randomized design comparing four treatment groups representing a factorial combination of two lighting conditions and two times of light administration. SETTING: At-home light treatment; eight office therapy sessions. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six women and fifteen men (aged 63.6+/-7.1) meeting primary insomnia criteria recruited from the community. INTERVENTION: A 12-week program of sleep hygiene and exposure to bright ( approximately 4,000 lux) or dim light ( approximately 65 lux) scheduled daily in the morning or evening for 45 minutes. MEASUREMENTS: Within-group changes were observed for subjective (sleep logs, questionnaires) and objective (actigraphy, polysomnography) sleep measures after morning or evening bright light. RESULTS: Within-group changes for subjective sleep measures after morning or evening bright light were not significantly different from those observed after exposure to scheduled dim light. Objective sleep changes (actigraphy, polysomnography) after treatment were not significantly different between the bright and dim light groups. Scheduled light exposure was able to shift the circadian phase predictably but was unrelated to changes in objective or subjective sleep measures. A polymorphism in CLOCK predicted morningness but did not moderate the effects of light on sleep. The phase angle between the circadian system (melatonin midpoint) and sleep (darkness) predicted the magnitude of phase delays, but not phase advances, engendered by bright light. CONCLUSION: Except for one subjective measure, scheduled morning or evening bright light effects were not different from those of scheduled dim light. Thus, support was not found for bright light treatment of older individuals with primary insomnia.

Spira AP, Friedman L, Aulakh JS, Lee T, Sheikh JI, Yesavage JA. · University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, San Francisco, CA, USA. · J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. · Pubmed #18287171 No free full text.

Abstract: "Both Insomnia complaints and anxiety-related distress are common in older adults, and are associated with poor daytime functioning. We investigated whether subclinical levels of anxiety were associated with sleep disturbance and daytime functioning in older adults who met diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia, and therefore but did not meet criteria for depression or an anxiety disorder. After adjustment for depressive symptoms, elevated state anxiety was associated with higher levels of wake after sleep onset (measured by both actigraphy and sleep log) and shorter sleep sleep onset latency (measured by sleep log). Higher levels of trait anxiety were associated with greater wake after sleep onset (measured by sleep log). Elevated state and trait anxiety were associated with worse and social functioning, and higher levels of trait anxiety were associated with worse role functioning. Thus, subclinical anxiety symptoms may be an important target for clinical intervention to improve sleep and functioning in older adults with primary insomnia."

Shin C, Lee S, Lee T, Shin K, Yi H, Kimm K, Cho N. · Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea. · Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. · Pubmed #16048444 No free full text.

Abstract: Although the prevalence of insomnia and the association of insomnia with menopause have been well reported, not much work has been conducted in population-based research on insomnia and menopause in Korea. The purpose of the present report was to determine overall and different prevalence of insomnia by menopausal status, and the relationship between insomnia and menopause in a population-based sample of middle-aged Korean women. A total of 96.1% of 2497 randomly selected middle-aged Korean women participated. Insomnia was defined as occurring three times a week or more in the previous month. Subjects were categorized into three groups: premenopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause. The overall prevalence of insomnia in middle-aged Korean women was 14.3%. The most common symptom of insomnia was difficulty maintaining sleep (9.7%), followed by difficulty initiating sleep (7.9%), and early morning awakening (7.5%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that menopause was independently associated with insomnia after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, income, and depression. Perimenopause was significantly associated with a dramatic increase in the risk of insomnia, but there was no significant association for postmenopause. The major finding is that insomnia is significantly associated with the menopausal transition. The prevalence of insomnia increases significantly by the transition from premenopause to perimenopause, but not to postmenopause. A further prospective study is needed to investigate the influence of menopause on insomnia.