The emotional component of insomnia disorder: A focus on emotion regulation and affect dynamics in relation to sleep quality and insomnia

Reductions in World Health Organization risk drinking level are associated with improvements in sleep problems among individuals with alcohol use disorder

AIMS

Among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), sleep disturbances are pervasive and contribute to the etiology and maintenance of AUD. However, despite increased attention toward the relationship between alcohol use and sleep, limited empirical research has systematically examined whether reductions in drinking during treatment for AUD are associated with improvements in sleep problems.

METHODS

We used data from a multisite, randomized, controlled trial that compared 6 months of treatment with gabapentin enacarbil extended-release with placebo for adults with moderate-to-severe AUD (N = 346). The Timeline Follow-back was used to assess WHO risk drinking level reductions and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality over the prior month at baseline and the end of treatment.

RESULTS

Sleep problem scores in the active medication and placebo groups improved equally. Fewer sleep problems were noted among individuals who achieved at least a 1-level reduction (B = -0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-1.77, -0.20], P = .014) or at least a 2-level reduction (B = -0.80, 95% CI [-1.47, -0.14], P = .018) in WHO risk drinking levels at the end of treatment. Reductions in drinking, with abstainers excluded from the analysis, also predicted fewer sleep problems at the end of treatment (1-level: B = -1.01, 95% CI [-1.83, -0.20], P = .015; 2-level: B = -0.90, 95% CI [-1.59, -0.22], P = .010).

CONCLUSIONS

Drinking reductions, including those short of abstinence, are associated with improvements in sleep problems during treatment for AUD. Additional assessment of the causal relationships between harm-reduction approaches to AUD and improvements in sleep is warranted.

Association between personality characteristics and sleep quality among Chinese middle-aged and older adults: evidence from China family panel studies

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep quality will have adverse effects on physical and mental health, quality of life and other aspects of middle-aged and older adults. Sleep quality is affected by many factors. Whether the sleep quality measures of the participants had changed in the previous or subsequent time period is not easily taken into account. Moreover, there have been no studies on this topic in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. The objective of this study was to mitigate the bias of sleep quality assessment, and analyze the association between personality traits and sleep quality in Chinese middle-aged and older adults.

METHODS

The data came from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). A total of 6031 participants aged ≥ 45 years were included in this study. Personality characteristics were evaluated based on the scores of each dimension of Big Five personality traits. Sleep duration and sleep perception were used as indicators to measure sleep quality. Logistic models were used to analyze the relationship between personality traits and sleep duration or sleep perception, respectively.

RESULTS

4.5% of the participants had abnormal sleep duration, and 14.4% had a pessimistic sleep perception. Conscientiousness was rated the highest among the personality traits (3.97 ± 0.6). Participants with higher scores for extraversion personality traits had more normal sleep duration (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.93) and more optimistic sleep perception (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96). Using the Internet and feeling unwell in the past week have a moderating effect on the impact of conscientiousness personality characteristics on sleep duration or sleep perception, respectively (but not overall sleep quality). In addition, participants with a spouse or no recent physical discomfort tended to have a normal sleep duration and a more optimistic sleep perception.

CONCLUSIONS

The higher the score of extraversion personality traits, the better the overall sleep quality of middle-aged and older adults. Having a spouse and feeling unwell were the important factors affecting their sleep quality. Specific personality traits intervention should be carried out for middle-aged and older adults with poor sleep quality to make their personality traits are closer to extraversion. In addition, middle-aged and older adults without spouses should be encouraged to marry or remarry. We will strengthen health management and medical expenditures for middle-aged and older adults.