Slow-wave sleep

About: Slow-wave sleep is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6543 publications have been published within this topic receiving 320663 citations. The topic is also known as: deep sleep.

Women sleep objectively better than men and the sleep of young women is more resilient to external stressors: effects of age and menopause

Abstract: The aims of this study were to: (i) assess gender differences of objective sleep patterns in a general population sample; (ii) evaluate the effects of menopause and hormone treatment (HT) on the sleep of the same cohort; and (iii) examine gender differences in sleep resilience towards external stressors. The participants were (i) 1324 subjects without sleep complaints, recruited from the general population of Central Pennsylvania that spent one night in the sleep laboratory and (ii) 66 young, healthy volunteers whose sleep was disturbed during night four by an external stressor, i.e. 24-h blood drawing (average of nights 2 and 3 versus night 4). Women compared with men in the general population sample had significantly higher percentage of sleep time, lower percentage of stage 1, and higher percentage of slow wave sleep. Also, menopause, in the absence of HT, was associated with prolonged sleep latency and decreased deep sleep. Finally, young, healthy women compared with men experienced less sleep disturbance because of blood draws as indicated by a significantly smaller change in per cent sleep time, and percentage of stage 1 sleep. These findings suggest that women without sleep complaints sleep objectively better across age than men and the sleep of young women is more resistant to external stressors. Also, gonadal hormones exert a beneficial effect on women's sleep. This gender dimorphism in sleep regulation may have been to protect women from the demands of infant and child care, and in part, might contribute to women's lower cardiovascular risks and greater longevity.

Sleep disturbance in heavy marijuana users.

Abstract: PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE-RELATED DISORDERS OFTEN EXPERIENCE SLEEP PROBLEMS THAT PERSIST FOR MONTHS AFTER CESSATION OF DRUG USE.1,2 These sleep disturbances could precipitate relapse in recently abstinent substance users as they attempt to improve their sleep quality. Eleven million Americans use marijuana (MJ) either alone, or in conjunction with other illicit drugs, and this number is increasing. Increases in the numbers of MJ users, coupled with increases in potency over recent years have resulted in a higher prevalence of MJ use disorders.3 Except for alcohol, MJ use accounted for the largest percent of drug abuse treatment admissions (15.9%) in 2004. A major problem in the treatment of MJ users is that up to 76% of those who abruptly stop using MJ report disturbed sleep (strange dreams, insomnia, poor sleep quality), possibly increasing the risk of relapse.4 Aside from self-reports of sleep disturbance by recently abstinent MJ users, there are only a handful of studies that have recorded polysomnography (PSG) in MJ users in the past 20 years.5–8 After oral administration of a high dose of MJ extract, REM sleep decreased and slow wave sleep (SWS) increased.5,6 Following one day of no MJ use, REM sleep increased and SWS decreased. In another study, 3 MJ-dependent men (mean age 40 yr) were studied during 3 days of abstinence.7 Over the 3 days, sleep efficiency (total sleep time [TST]/time in bed [TIB] and initial REM latency decreased, while percent REM of TST, SWS (% TST), ratings of MJ craving, and irritability increased. These 2 studies showed contradictory results with respect to SWS, which could be related to differences in the demographic characteristics of the MJ users (e.g., amount of MJ use) or the timing of the PSG in relationship to the number of days of abstinence. Although the numbers of studies are few, these results show robust sleep abnormalities after MJ discontinuation and underscore the need to further investigate sleep disturbance in recently abstinent MJ users. Sleep disturbance in MJ users has important basic science and clinical implications. Furthering our understanding of how sleep is affected in MJ users could provide insights not only into the process of addiction but also into the functioning of the endogenous cannabinoid system, since this system plays a role in sleep promotion.9 In addition, a better understanding of sleep disturbance in recently abstinent MJ users has potential implications for understanding relapse and guiding treatment interventions. The aim of this study was to determine if MJ users self-reporting sleep disturbance when discontinuing MJ use in the past show objective PSG findings that are different from a drug-free control group. Based on previous subjective reports of sleep disturbance and limited objective PSG findings, we hypothesized that abstinent MJ users would show longer time to sleep onset and more difficulty with sleep maintenance than a drug-free control group. Since we have repeatedly found dose-related associations between the amount and duration of MJ drug use and measures of brain function,10,11 we explored also whether there was an association between the amount and duration of MJ use and the severity of sleep disturbance.