A three-phase epidemiological study of short and long sleepers in a middle-aged Chinese population: prevalence and characteristics

Epidemiological studies of short and long sleepers have not been conducted previously. We collected socioeconomic, psychological, and polysomnographic characteristics of 6501 parents (3252 men and 3249 women) of 4036 primary school children in Guangzhou city. The study data were collected in three phases. The overall prevalence of short (5 h or less) and long (10 h or more) sleep duration was 0.52 and 0.64%, respectively. Long sleepers had higher Eysenck Personality Questionnaire neuroticism scores [odds ratio (OR)=1.224, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.047-1.409] and lower education levels (OR=0.740, 95%CI=0.631-0.849) than short sleepers. In the polysomnographic assessment, short, long, and normal sleepers (7-8 h) shared similar durations of Stage 3 sleep (short=25.7±10.7, long=20.3±7.9, and normal=28.0±12.8 min, F=1.402, P=0.181). In daytime multiple sleep latency tests, short sleepers (10/19, 52.6%) were more prone to have a short sleep latency (≤8 min) than long sleepers (2/23, 8.7%). In addition to different sleep durations, neuroticism might also contribute to differences between short and long sleepers in social achievements. Stage 3 sleep might be essential for humans. The short sleep latency (≤8 min) of short sleepers in multiple sleep latency tests should be interpreted cautiously, since it was of the same severity as required for a diagnosis of narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia.

Difference of Sleep Condition and Mental Activity between Short Sleeper and Insomniacs / 中国心理卫生杂志

Objective: To compare sleep condition and mental ac tivity among short sleeper, insomniacs and normal sleeper Method: Subjects were grouped as normal sleeper, short sleeper (according to ICSD cri teria) and insomniacs All of them were measured with MMPI, self-made questionn a ire on emotion at bedtime Psychophysiological arousal and polysomnogram over n i ght were also recorded Results: Sleep latency was longer in sh o rt sleeper than normal The total spent asleep and sleep efficiency of short sl e eper had no different from those of insomniacs The awake time, A/TSA and funct i on of daytime of short sleeper were as good as normal The result of MMPI showe d , short sleeper had lower scores in Hypochondria, Depression, Conversion Hysteri a and Psychasthenia than insomniacs, higher scores in Hypomania than insomniacs or normal control They were also less anxious than insomniacs at bedtime, had s maller correlation coefficient between daytime psychophysiological arousal and s leep condition than insomniacs had Conclusion: Short sleeper h a s longer sleep latency, but quality of their sleep, their personality and emotio n at bedtime are more close to normal sleeper