Study finds that sexsomnia is common in sleep center patients

WESTCHESTER, IL — Sexsomnia was reported by almost eight percent of patients at a sleep disorders center and was more common in men than women, according to a research abstract that will be presented Monday, June 7, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010, the 24th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

Results indicate that 7.6 percent of patients (63 of 832) at a sleep disorders center reported that they had initiated or engaged in sexual activity with a bed partner while asleep. The prevalence of reported sexsomnia was nearly three times higher in men (11 percent) than in women (four percent).

“There have been no previous studies of how frequently sexsomnia occurs,” said co-investigator Sharon A. Chung, PhD, Sleep Research Laboratory staff scientist in the department of psychiatry at the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada. “While our finding of eight percent of people reporting sexsomnia seems really a high number, it should be stressed that we only studied patients referred to a sleep clinic. So, we would expect the numbers to be much lower in the general population.”

The study involved a retrospective chart review of 832 consecutive patients who were evaluated for a suspected sleep disorder; the sample consisted of 428 men and 404 women. Patients completed a questionnaire about sleep disorders symptoms, behaviors during sleep, sleepiness, fatigue and mood.

Symptoms of insomnia, fatigue and depressed mood were similar between people reporting sexsomnia and other patients at the sleep disorders center. Both groups also had similar rates of smoking and caffeine consumption. However, people who reported sexsomnia were twice as likely as other sleep center patients to admit using illicit drugs (15.9 percent vs. 7.7 percent).

Although sexsomnia was common, patients rarely mentioned the problem to their doctor. Chung noted that only four of 832 patients expressed a complaint about sexsomnia during a consultation with a sleep specialist.

“It seems that patients generally don’t discuss this with their doctors,” she said.

The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition, published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2005, notes that sexsomnia appears to occur predominantly during confusional arousals and may occur during an episode of sleepwalking. These are two of the disorders that are classified as “parasomnias,” which involve undesirable behaviors that occur while falling asleep, during sleep or while waking up.

A literature review in the June 2007 issue of the journal Sleep concluded that a broad range of sleep-related disorders are associated with abnormal sexual behaviors and experiences.


The SLEEP 2010 abstract supplement is available for download on the website of the journal Sleep at http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstractSupplement.aspx.

A joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, the annual SLEEP meeting brings together an international body of more than 5,000 leading clinicians and scientists in the fields of sleep medicine and sleep research. At SLEEP 2010 more than 1,100 research abstract presentations will showcase new findings that contribute to the understanding of sleep and the effective diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

Subliminal Messages Busted

Overtime 'raises heart risk by 60%': Fatal link to just three hours' extra work a day

NUGGET : Overworked: Regular extra hours in the office can lead to angina or heart attacks, according to a study.

Working long hours dramatically increases the risk of suffering a fatal heart attack by up to 60 per cent, a study has found.
People who regularly do overtime – shifts longer than a seven-hour day – are more prone to heart disease, angina and heart attacks.
Those who work between three and four hours extra a day are most at risk – just one or two hours more had no effect.
The study tracked 6,000 British civil servants aged between 39 and 61 for an average of 11 years.
Overall, there were 369 cases of people suffering heart disease that caused death, had a heart attack or developed angina, says a report published online in the European Heart Journal.
Working overtime was linked to a 56 per cent to 60 per cent increased risk.
Study leader Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki and University College London, said factors such as smoking, being overweight or having high cholesterol could not explain the extra risk.
‘More research is needed before we can be confident overtime work would cause heart disease,’ she added.
She said possible reasons for the raised risk include undiagnosed high blood pressure, stress, anxiety or depression and being a ‘Type A’ personality who is highly driven, aggressive or irritable.
Employees who work overtime may also be likely to work while ill, the experts said.
Similarly, those who get too little sleep or have ‘insufficient time’ for winding down after work may also be at higher risk.
Professor Gordon McInnes, of Glasgow University’s Western Infirmary, said the findings had significant implications.
He added: ‘If the effect is truly causal, the importance is much greater than commonly recognised.
‘Overtime-induced work stress might contribute to a substantial proportion of cardiovascular disease.
‘Doctors should pay attention to the hours worked by patients who have symptoms such as chest pain and they may need closer monitoring.’
Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the study, said: ‘Although the researchers showed a link, the reasons weren’t clear.
‘The researchers suggest a number of reasons – these may affect the mechanisms that cause heart disease.
‘But it could simply be that working long hours means we’ve less time to look after ourselves.
‘If we’re stuck in the office we’ve less time to relax, get a good night’s sleep, and take enough physical activity, all of which have been found to help reduce stress levels and protect against heart disease.’
She added: ‘Until researchers understand how our working lives can affect the risk to our heart health, there are simple ways to look after your heart health at work.
‘These include taking a brisk walk at lunch, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or by swapping that biscuit for a piece of fruit.’

source