title: Assessment of physical activity and sleep by actigraphy: examination of gender differences.
abstract: Research evidence suggests that actigraphy is a very important instrument in documenting sleep/wake patterns of people with a variety of sleep disorders or motor dysfunctions. The present actigraphic investigation examined physical activity and sleep profiles as a function of gender in volunteers monitored in their natural environment. Irrespective of age, women exhibited better sleep quality than did men. This was demonstrated by higher sleep efficiency index and lower frequency of transitions between sleep and wakefulness. Additionally, women slept more than men and had shorter sleep onset latency. However, no significant gender effect on daytime activity level and circadian activity amplitude was observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0667, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jean-Louis
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mendlowicz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Von Gizycki
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zizi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nunes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology