Methods of testing for sleeplessness

Author(s): Miller, J. C.

Journal/Book: Behav Med. 1996; 21: 1319 Eighteenth St NW, Washington, DC 20036-1802. Heldref Publications. 171-183.

Abstract: Normal nonrandom fluctuations in daily human performance have been documented for years. Published research reports have shown patterns of workers' errors in reading gas meters, operators' delays in answering calls, drivers' drowsiness, sleepy locomotive engineers' automatic breaking, vehicle crashes, deaths resulting from disease, brief periods of sleep, and sleep latency in structured naps. The authors summarized these data sets and fitted them with a two-peak-per-day cosine curve derived from the population growth function used in chaos theory. Median parameters extracted from the curve fits predicted a sharp peak of sleepiness at 2:30 AM and a secondary peak at 2:30 PM. The shape of the curve was modified by a nonlinear sleep-deprivation factor The model appeared to be biological rather than behavioral or social because it applied well to disease-related deaths. The authors also review measurement of sleepiness through electroencephalographic monitoring, self-reports, pupillography, and the Multiple Sleep Latency and the Maintenance of Wakefulness Tests.

Note: Article MM Mitler, Scripps Clin & Res Fdn, Div Sleep Disorders, 10666 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA

Keyword(s): circadian rhythm; electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring; fatigue; public safety; sleep deprivation; sleepiness; testing; SLEEP LATENCY TEST; DAYTIME SLEEPINESS; WAKEFULNESS TEST; WAKING SCHEDULE; WAKE CYCLE; MULTIPLE; MAINTENANCE; DISORDERS; SLEEPABILITY; PATIENT

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