title: Sleep disturbances in torture survivors.
abstract: One of the main complaints in torture survivors is sleep disturbance with nightmares, too little sleep and daytime fatigue. Seven subjects, who had been exposed to torture from 6 months to seven years previously, were examined by polysomnography. All had abnormal sleep patterns compared with normal age- and sex-matched controls. The subjects woke frequently from REM sleep, had reduced REM sleep duration, absent Stage 4 sleep, short total sleep time and low sleep efficiency. This study revealed that previously healthy young persons subjected to extreme stress may develop an abnormal sleep pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Astrøm
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lunde
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortmann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boysen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Trojaborg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004325:Dreams; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D014104:Torture