Acute dissociation after 1 night of sleep loss.
Recent research has shown that dissociative symptoms are related to self-reports of deviant sleep experiences. The present study is the 1st to explore whether sleep loss can fuel dissociative symptoms. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were deprived of sleep for 1 night. Sleepiness and dissociative symptoms were assessed every 6 hr. The authors measured both spontaneous dissociative symptoms and dissociative symptoms induced by dot-staring during sensory deprivation. Sleepiness as well as spontaneous and induced dissociative symptoms were stable throughout the day but increased during the night. These findings provide further evidence for a robust relationship between disruptions in sleep patterns and dissociative symptoms.
Giesbrecht
Timo
T
Department of Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands. t.giesbrecht@psychology.unimaas.nl
Smeets
Tom
T
Leppink
Jimmie
J
Jelicic
Marko
M
Merckelbach
Harald
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires