Sleep Med. 2002 Jan;3(1):15-20. doi: 10.1016/s1389-9457(01)00112-5.
Sleep medicine
Peter J Hauri
PMID: 14592248 DOI: 10.1016/s1389-9457(01)00112-5
OBJECTIVES: This study reports on the sleep evaluation and follow-up of a professional woman who, in her 30s and 40s, had a decade of severe episodic fluctuations in the length of her sleep (12 vs. 4 h).
BACKGROUND: Severe psychogenic fluctuations in the duration of sleep have not previously been described except in bipolar disorders.
METHODS: Psychological and medical history and a total of 29 polysomnogram nights are presented, as well as a 30-year follow-up interview.
RESULTS: Long sleep episodes (>10 h) were characterized by excessive stage 1 sleep and a stage we called 'very light sleep' (over 50% alpha waves mixed with 5-10% delta waves). Long sleeps were also associated with hyperphagia and hypersexuality. Short sleeps (<4 h) emphasized delta and REM sleep. Sleep normalized spontaneously after about a decade of severe fluctuations.
CONCLUSIONS: In this patient, the recurrent hypersomnia/hyposomnia episodes may have been based mainly on psychiatric factors.
