The Impact of Perceived Sleep, Mood and Alcohol Use on Verbal, Physical and Sexual Assault Experiences among Student Athletes and Student Non-Athletes

Previous research has shown that student athletes are more likely to be involved in a physical altercation or be a victim of verbal, physical and/or sexual abuse than student non-athletes, which can have long-lasting negative effects on mood, behavior and quality of life. In addition, among college students, sleep difficulties are ubiquitous and may deteriorate the unique life experience that university represents. The influences of poor sleep quality, mood and alcohol consumption related to these events are examined here between student athletes and student non-athletes. A series of hierarchical logistic regressions explored the relationship between verbal, physical and sexual assault risk factors. Results suggest that poor sleep, alcohol consumption and mood are all associated with exposure to a physical altercation or episode of abuse, irrespective of athlete status. Results also show that variables targeting self-reported difficulty sleeping and experiences of verbal, physical and sexual assault were positively associated. However, given the cross-sectional nature of the study, it is impossible to establish the direction of these relationships

Sleep Health, Individual Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors, and Marathon Completion Time in Marathon Runners: A Retrospective Investigation of the 2016 London Marathon

Despite sleep health being critically important for athlete performance and well-being, sleep health in marathoners is understudied. This foundational study explored relations between sleep health, individual characteristics, lifestyle factors, and marathon completion time. Data were obtained from the 2016 London Marathon participants. Participants completed the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) along with a brief survey capturing individual characteristics and lifestyle factors. Sleep health focused on the ASSQ sleep difficulty score (SDS) and its components. Linear regression computed relations among sleep, individual, lifestyle, and marathon variables. The analytic sample (N = 943) was mostly male (64.5%) and young adults (66.5%). A total of 23.5% of the sample reported sleep difficulties (SDS ≥ 8) at a severity warranting follow-up with a trained sleep provider. Middle-aged adults generally reported significantly worse sleep health characteristics, relative to young adults, except young adults reported significantly longer sleep onset latency (SOL). Sleep tracker users reported worse sleep satisfaction. Pre-bedtime electronic device use was associated with longer SOL and longer marathon completion time, while increasing SOL was also associated with longer marathon completion. Our results suggest a deleterious influence of pre-bedtime electronic device use and sleep tracker use on sleep health in marathoners. Orthosomnia may be a relevant factor in the relationship between sleep tracking and sleep health for marathoners

The European Insomnia Guideline : An update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia 2023

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society.Progress in the field of insomnia since 2017 necessitated this update of the European Insomnia Guideline. Recommendations for the diagnostic procedure for insomnia and its comorbidities are: clinical interview (encompassing sleep and medical history); the use of sleep questionnaires and diaries (and physical examination and additional measures where indicated) (A). Actigraphy is not recommended for the routine evaluation of insomnia (C), but may be useful for differential-diagnostic purposes (A). Polysomnography should be used to evaluate other sleep disorders if suspected (i.e. periodic limb movement disorder, sleep-related breathing disorders, etc.), treatment-resistant insomnia (A) and for other indications (B). Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia is recommended as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults of any age (including patients with comorbidities), either applied in-person or digitally (A). When cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia is not sufficiently effective, a pharmacological intervention can be offered (A). Benzodiazepines (A), benzodiazepine receptor agonists (A), daridorexant (A) and low-dose sedating antidepressants (B) can be used for the short-term treatment of insomnia (≤ 4 weeks). Longer-term treatment with these substances may be initiated in some cases, considering advantages and disadvantages (B). Orexin receptor antagonists can be used for periods of up to 3 months or longer in some cases (A). Prolonged-release melatonin can be used for up to 3 months in patients ≥ 55 years (B). Antihistaminergic drugs, antipsychotics, fast-release melatonin, ramelteon and phytotherapeutics are not recommended for insomnia treatment (A). Light therapy and exercise interventions may be useful as adjunct therapies to cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (B).Peer reviewe

CBT-I and the short sleep duration insomnia phenotype: a comment on Bathgate, Edinger and Krystal

Although the DSM-5 and the ICSD-3 do not discriminate among insomnia types or subtypes anymore, it appears that some specific insomnia phenotypes remain important to study. One of them is the object of the present paper: insomnia with short sleep duration. Since Vgontzas and colleagues (1) put forward a heuristic model of two insomnia phenotypes based on objective sleep duration, they have suggested that insomnia with short sleep duration is the most severe biological phenotype of insomnia, and research in this area has been blooming. The Penn State group has studied the impact of this phenotype on adolescents and its association with depression risks and inflammation (2-4). A recent review by Fernandez-Mandoza (5) also suggested that besides increased physiological hyperarousal and cardiometabolic and neuropsychiatric risks, insomnia with short sleep duration may even respond differently to treatment compared to other insomnia phenotypes

Is it time to get some SHUT-i? [Editorial]

There are four central things that are well known about insomnia which together highlight it as a serious public health concern: (I) it is a significant issue - over a third of the population will experience an acute episode (less than three months in duration) of insomnia every year (1) and between 10–20% of the population will report chronic insomnia (Insomnia Disorder) at any point in time (2); (II) once chronic, it is a persistent disorder with low natural remission rates and high recurrence rates (3,4), (III) it is costly both directly (in terms of healthcare costs) and indirectly (e.g., lost productivity and performance, accidents) (5) and (IV) it is a significant risk factor for the development and/or worsening of many physical or psychiatric disorders (6). Fortunately, as our understanding of insomnia has increased so has our armoury of management strategies. Most notably, at least from a non-pharmacological perspective, has been the introduction of a series of techniques aimed to increase the biological drive to sleep, stabilise the circadian rhythm and break negative, whilst reinforcing positive, associations between the bed/bedroom and sleep (addressing the behavioural aspects of insomnia) and help manage sleep related preoccupation, worry and anxiety, and address dysfunctional attitudes and beliefs about sleep and unwanted nocturnal ruminations (addressing the cognitive aspects of insomnia). Over time these techniques have been packaged together, under an umbrella term, of what is now considered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

J Sleep Res

Although much is known now about behavioural, cognitive and physiological consequences of insomnia, little is known about changes after cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on these particular factors. We here report baseline findings on each of these factors in insomnia, after which we address findings on their changes after cognitive behavioural therapy. Sleep restriction remains the strongest determinant of insomnia treatment success. Cognitive interventions addressing dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, sleep-related selective attention, worry and rumination further drive effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. Future studies should focus on physiological changes after cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, such as changes in hyperarousal and brain activity, as literature on these changes is sparse. We introduce a detailed clinical research agenda on how to address this topic

Driving After Drinking Alcohol Associated with Insufficient Sleep and Insomnia among Student Athletes and Non-Athletes

The proportion of university/college students (UCS) consuming alcohol is similar to the number of those reporting poor sleep, at approximately 30%, the proportion being greater in student athletes (SA). What remains to be understood is if poor sleep potentiates risky behaviors. Objective: Our aim was to examine the association among sleep difficulties, insomnia symptoms, and insufficient sleep on the risk of driving under the influence of alcohol in a sample of UCS and whether these associations were more pertinent in SA. Methods: Data from the National University/College Health Assessment was used from the years 2011–2014. Questions on number of drinks consumed and behaviors such as driving after drinking alcohol were related to answers to questions pertaining to sleep difficulties, insufficient sleep, and insomnia symptoms. Results: Mean alcohol intake was of about 3 drinks; SA consumed significantly more than student non-athletes (SNA). Binge-drinking episodes were significantly higher among SA than SNA. Difficulty sleeping was associated with an increased likelihood of driving after any drinks and after 5 or more drinks in both groups, effects being stronger among SA. Insomnia was associated with an increased likelihood of driving after any drinks and after 5 or more drinks in SA and after 5 or more drinks in SNA. These effects were stronger among athletes. Conclusion: The present study found that self-reported difficulties sleeping, insomnia symptoms, and insufficient sleep are associated with driving after drinking alcohol. This relationship applied to driving after drinking any alcohol or binge drinking and was again stronger among SA than SNA

Disassembling insomnia symptoms and their associations with depressive symptoms in a community sample: the differential role of sleep symptoms, daytime symptoms, and perception symptoms of insomnia

Objective: Insomnia and depression are closely related. However, few studies have investigated whether certain insomnia symptoms differentially relate to certain depressive symptoms. The present study aimed to examine relationship between specific types of insomnia symptoms (sleep symptoms, daytime symptoms, and perception symptoms) and specific symptoms of depression. Design: Cross-sectional, observational study data from the Sleep, Health, Activity, Diet and Environment and Social Factors (SHADES) Survey. Setting: Community-level population. Participants: A total of 1003 community-based adults aged 22–60 from the Philadelphia area. Measurements: Insomnia symptoms were represented by scores of sleep symptoms, daytime symptoms and perception symptoms, derived from the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Depression symptoms were assessed with the items of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). Results: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor model based on ISI data. Binary logistic regressions examined independent associations between the three insomnia symptom types and individual depression symptoms. Sleep symptoms were more strongly associated with physiological aspects of depressive symptoms (appetite symptoms, psychomotor symptoms, and suicidal ideation). The daytime symptoms, on the other hand, were significantly associated with almost all depressive symptoms, except for appetite. Moreover, daytime symptoms were exclusively related to cognitive symptoms of depression (eg, trouble concentrating). The perception symptoms were independently associated with mood symptoms, tiredness, appetite, and judgment of oneself as a failure, but not with psychomotor, cognitive and suicidal ideation symptoms. Conclusion: Daytime symptoms and perception symptoms of insomnia were more strongly associated with a full range of depressive symptoms than sleep symptoms. The sleep symptoms were mainly associated with more physiological symptoms of depression, implicating more biological mechanisms. Further research is needed regarding how these types of insomnia symptoms differentially related to multiple health consequences

Topography of age-related changes in sleep spindles

Aging induces multiple changes to sleep spindles, which may hinder their alleged functional role in memory and sleep protection mechanisms. Brain aging in specific cortical regions could affect the neural networks underlying spindle generation, yet the topography of these age-related changes is currently unknown. In the present study, we analyzed spindle characteristics in 114 healthy volunteers aged between 20 and 73 years over 5 anteroposterior electroencephalography scalp derivations. Spindle density, amplitude, and duration were higher in young subjects than in middle-aged and elderly subjects in all derivations, but the topography of age effects differed drastically. Age-related decline in density and amplitude was more prominent in anterior derivations, whereas duration showed a posterior prominence. Age groups did not differ in all-night spindle frequency for any derivation. These results show that age-related changes in sleep spindles follow distinct topographical patterns that are specific to each spindle characteristic. This topographical specificity may provide a useful biomarker to localize age-sensitive changes in underlying neural systems during normal and pathological aging. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Sleep spindles and rapid eye movement sleep as predictors of next morning cognitive performance in healthy middle-aged and older participants

Spindles and slow waves are hallmarks of non-rapid eye movement sleep. Both these oscillations are markers of neuronal plasticity, and play a role in memory and cognition. Normal ageing is associated with spindle and slow wave decline and cognitive changes. The present study aimed to assess whether spindle and slow wave characteristics during a baseline night predict cognitive performance in healthy older adults the next morning. Specifically, we examined performance on tasks measuring selective and sustained visual attention, declarative verbal memory, working memory and verbal fluency. Fifty-eight healthy middle-aged and older adults (aged 50-91years) without sleep disorders underwent baseline polysomnographic sleep recording followed by neuropsychological assessment the next morning. Spindles and slow waves were detected automatically on artefact-free non-rapid eye movement sleep electroencephalogram. All-night stage N2 spindle density (no./min) and mean frequency (Hz) and all-night non-rapid eye movement sleep slow wave density (no./min) and mean slope (V/s) were analysed. Pearson's correlations were performed between spindles, slow waves, polysomnography and cognitive performance. Higher spindle density predicted better performance on verbal learning, visual attention and verbal fluency, whereas spindle frequency and slow wave density or slope predicted fewer cognitive performance variables. In addition, rapid eye movement sleep duration was associated with better verbal learning potential. These results suggest that spindle density is a marker of cognitive functioning in older adults and may reflect neuroanatomic integrity. Rapid eye movement sleep may be a marker of age-related changes in acetylcholine transmission, which plays a role in new information encoding