Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders: Noda A

Friedman L, Benson K, Noda A, Zarcone V, Wicks DA, O'Connell K, Brooks JO, Bliwise DL, Yesavage JA. · Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5548, USA. · J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. · Pubmed #10753003 No free full text.

Abstract: We compared the efficacy of sleep restriction therapy combined with sleep hygiene, nap modification of sleep restriction therapy combined with sleep hygiene, and sleep hygiene alone as treatments for insomnia in 39 community-dwelling men and women 55 years and older. We used the wrist actigraph as an objective outcome measure for all subjects at baseline, end of treatment, and 3-month follow-up; polysomnography (PSG) was conducted in a subgroup of subjects. Although subjects appeared to follow restriction instructions through follow-up, we found few between-group differences in treatment efficacy. Lack of treatment effect might be explained by the efficacy of HYG as a treatment in itself and the relatively low symptom level in these healthy older poor sleepers. At baseline, actigraphic results were found to correlate more highly than sleep log data with PSG in our sample. Actigraphic total sleep time, in particular, was highly correlated with PSG.

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.

Noda A, Nakai S, Soga T, Sugiura T, Iwayama N, Maeda K, Atarashi M, Yasuma F, Ozaki N, Yokota M, Koike Y. · Nagoya University School of Health Sciences, 1-1-20 Daiko, Minami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8673, Japan. · Intern Med. · Pubmed #17170500 links to  free full text

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Sleep disturbance and the use of hypnotic medications are common in patients on hemodialysis. Factors that contribute to sleep disturbance and the use of hypnotic medications in hemodialysis patients were investigated. METHODS: With the use of a questionnaire-based survey, we examined the prevalence of symptoms that reflect sleep disorders such as insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and snoring and use of hypnotic medications in 252 hemodialysis patients. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of insomnia was 59.1%, with the prevalence of difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS), and early morning awakening (EMA) being 47.6, 24.2, and 28.2%, respectively. Daytime sleepiness and habitual snoring were reported by 42.5 and 33.7%, respectively. The prevalence of routine use of hypnotic drugs was 25.8%. Both RLS and age were significantly associated with insomnia [odds ratio (OR), 3.75; p 0.001, OR, 1.03; p < 0.01]. RLS was a significant factor for DIS, DMS, and EMA (OR, 2.26; p < 0.05, OR, 3.44; p < 0.0005, OR, 4.25; p < 0.0005) and age was a significant factor for DMS and EMA (OR, 1.03; p = 0.053, OR, 1.05; p < 0.005). Both insomnia and snoring were associated with the use of hypnotic drugs (OR, 2.97; p < 0.001, 1.59; p=0.13). CONCLUSION: Both RLS and sleep-disordered breathing may contribute to sleep disturbance in hemodialysis patients. RLS in particular may be an important factor in insomnia, which in turn is likely responsible for the high prevalence of hypnotic drug use in hemodialysis patients.