'Night Owls' Report More Pathological Symptoms Related To Insomnia
According to a study published in the issue of the Journal Of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM), those persons who are labeled a "night owl" report more pathological symptoms related to insomnia, despite many having the chance to compensate for their nocturnal sleeplessness by extending their time in bed and being able to gain more total sleep time.
The study, authored by Jason C. Ong, PhD, at Standford University, consisted of 312 patients, who were categorized as morning, intermediate and evening chronotypes based upon scores on the Morningness-Eveningness composite scale. Group comparisons were made on self-report measures of nocturnal sleep, sleep period variability and waking correlates and consequences of insomnia. Compared to the morning and intermediate types, people with insomnia who prefer evening activities, night owls for example, reported the most sleep/wake irregularities and waking distress, even after adjusting for severity of sleep disturbance.
Insomnia, a classification of sleep disorders defined by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, waking up too early, or poor quality sleep, is the most common sleep complaint at any age. A count 30 per cent of adults have symptoms of insomnia. The amount of sleep a person gets affects his or her physical health, emotional well-being, mental abilities, productivity and performance. Recent studies associate lack of sleep with serious health problems such as an increased risk of depression, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Experts suggest that adults get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night to maintain good health and optimum performance. Those who think they might have insomnia, or another sleep disorder, are urged to discuss their sleep problem with their doctor, who will issue a referral to a sleep specialist.
