Actigraphy in the assessment of insomnia

Abstract

Objective: The present study explores the clinical utility and sensitivity of actigraphy as an outcome measure in the treatment of chronic insomnia.

Design: Following a screening-adaptation night, polysomnography, actigraphy, and sleep-diary data were collected in the sleep laboratory for 2 baseline nights and 2 posttreatment nights.

Setting: A university-affiliated sleep disorders center.

Participants: Seventeen participants with chronic primary insomnia. Mean age was 41.6 years.

Interventions: Participants took part in a treatment protocol investigating different sequential treatments for insomnia (these results are reported elsewhere).

Measurements and results: Compared to polysomnography, both actigraphy and sleep-diary instruments underestimated total sleep time and sleep efficiency and overestimated total wake time. Also, actigraphy underestimated sleep-onset latency while the sleep diary overestimated it as compared to polysomnography. Actigraphy data were more accurate than sleep-diary data when compared to polysomnography. Finally, actigraphy was sensitive in detecting the effects of treatment on several sleep parameters.

Conclusions: These results suggest that actigraphy is a useful device for measuring treatment response and that it should be used as a complement to sleep-diary evaluation.