Regulationsvorgänge beim Schlaf und Schmerz

Ohne ZusammenfassungVortrag, gehalten am 12. Dezember 1937 auf der Tagung der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Internistengesellschaft in Köln.Die Untersuchungen über Schmerz wurden angestellt mit Unterstützung der Johann Hamspohn-Stiftung, für deren Überlassung ich dem Kuratorium der Universität zu Dank verpflichtet bin.     

Schlaf und seine St?rungen im Alter

Restorative sleep is an important factor for preservation of health and quality of life. Sleep quality is associated with age, i.e., sleep disorders occur more frequently particularly after the age of 75?years. Furthermore, sleep shows an association with female gender, inactivity, dissatisfaction with social life, depressive symptoms, pain, intake of sedatives, genetic predisposition, and increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Strategies for improving sleep should include (1) effective treatment of organic diseases and mental disorders, (2) elimination of social life factors that impair sleep quality, (3) light therapy and other nonpharmacological treatment options for longer periods, and (4) short-term use of sleep medication as required. For the latter, it should be kept in mind that lower doses are needed in the elderly.     

Auswirkungen passiver Änderungen des Bettklimas auf den Schlaf

Background

During sleep, a number of thermoregulatory processes that are important for the quality of sleep take place. In the literature, the endogenous reduction of the core body temperature during sleep has been described as a precondition for restful sleep. Most of the investigations on thermoregulatory aspects involve changes in the external temperature.

Methods

This investigation examined the effects of passive changes in the climate of the bed (temperature/humidity) on the quality of sleep in healthy subjects. With constant external conditions, two different blankets with different heat transfer and moisture dissipation characteristics were used to create different microclimates in the space between the mattress and the blanket. The effects of this passive change in climate on the quality of sleep were investigated on a polysomnographic basis in this pilot study under standardized, randomized, and double-blind conditions with 12 healthy subjects who each slept in the sleep laboratory for three consecutive nights. Measurements of the temperature and humidity of the room and the space between the mattress and the blanket were performed in six of the subjects. The subjects slept under one of the two bed covers in each case.

Results

The study blanket was better at dissipating temperature and humidity to the surroundings. The climate under the study blanket was drier and cooler. Total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and arousal tended to improve under the study blanket. None of the differences reached significance.

Conclusion

This pilot study indicated a tendency towards improvement (p<0.10) of sleep quality associated with a drier climate in the area of the bed between the mattress and the blanket. However, further investigations involving a larger number of test subjects are required to confirm these preliminary findings.     

Schlaf und Lebenszufriedenheit in Abhängigkeit vom Arbeitszeitmodell

Background

The negative effects of shiftwork on sleep and health have been well demonstrated. However, little is known about how less extreme working time models affect sleep and well-being. The present study investigated sleep and life satisfaction depending on different working time models.

Materials and methods

Data were part of the 26th survey of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP v26). We analyzed a representative sample of 2423 individuals. Groups with fixed, flexible, and varying working times were compared regarding workload, sleep, contentment with health, and life satisfaction.

Results

Individuals with flexible working times worked longest during the week, but all groups slept equally long on workdays and weekends. Individuals with flexible and varying working times worked more frequently in the evenings, at nights, or on weekends. Individuals with varying working times reported lowest satisfaction with sleep, health and life satisfaction, while groups with fixed and flexible working times did not differ.

Conclusion

Irregular working times and high workload did not necessarily result in impaired sleep and reduced life satisfaction. An individual’s free decision to work outside normal working hours seems to counteract negative consequences. Self-determination and synchronicity with the person’s circadian rhythm may have contributed to this finding.     

Schlaf, Plastizität und Gedächtnis

A compelling line of evidence – from the molecular to the behavioural level – indicates that healthy sleep facilitates neural plasticity and related declarative and procedural memory consolidation. This review provides an overview of the current basic research and clinical findings. Emerging insights into the interplay between sleep and memory have the potential to be informative for fundamental processes of brain plasticity. From a clinical perspective, new findings of disrupted sleep-related memory under conditions of disturbed sleep, such as in primary insomnia or many mental illnesses, may contribute to a more complete understanding of the disorders. The long-term goal of this research includes recommendations on healthy behavioural patterns and the development of novel interventional strategies for patients with disturbed sleep or reduced memory function.     

Die Durchblutung der Hirnrinde im natürlichen Schlaf der Katze

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Glücklich als Paar – glücklicher Schlaf?

Background

Millions of people share a bed with their partner. Sleep und relationship could possibly influence each other.

Objectives

To identify and discuss connections between relationship and sleep quality.

Methods

Review of the literature in electronic databases.

Results

Conflict and violence in relationships lead to decreases in both partners’ sleep quality. Constructive approaches to resolving conflicts is necessary for good sleep, and vice versa. Women prefer partners with sleep-wake rhythms matching their own and report higher relationship satisfactions when the couple’s chronotypes are compatible.

Conclusions

Sleep and circadian rhythms play important roles in relationships. When treating insomnia, the relationship and the partner’s sleep should be taken into account.

     

Die Auswirkungen einer Alkoholinfusion auf den Schlaf,die Cortisolsekretion und die Gedächtniskonsolidierung

Background

Sleep enhances memory consolidation. Chronic consumption of 0.4 g alcohol/kg bodyweight has a negative impact on cognitive function. An artificial increase of cortisol during the first half of the night impairs declarative memory consolidation. Alcohol can stimulate cortisol secretion.

Objectives

Does the acute consumption of this amount of alcohol have a negative impact on sleep, memory, and secretion of cortisol?

Material and methods

In a double-blind randomized cross-over design, 34 healthy young males received 0.4 g alcohol/kg bodyweight or an isotonic transfusion of sodium chloride during early NonREM sleep. Before sleep, they had learned a declarative and a procedural memory task that had to be recalled the next morning when alcohol had levelled off.

Results and Conclusions

Alcohol increased cortisol secretion in the early night and resulted in an attenuated cortisol awakening response. In addition, latencies for REM and sleep stage 4 and the time spent in sleep stage 1 and wake states were increased. Subjects felt less refreshed in the morning after alcohol transfusion, but memory recall was unchanged. Alcohol at a moderate dose thus had a negative impact on cortisol rhythm and some sleep parameters, but this effect was not strong enough to influence overnight memory consolidation.

     

Sp?tabendlicher Sport, Schlaf, Schlafhygiene und psychisches Wohlbefinden bei adoleszenten Fu?ballern

Objectives

Recent studies have demonstrated different effects of physical activity on sleep and the results ranged from positive over negative effects to no influence at all. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the sleep behavior of adolescent footballers, sleep hygiene and other psychological parameters compared to a less sportive control group. According to the literature it was to be expected that late night football would be negatively associated with sleep behavior.

Method

A total of 11 adolescents took part in this study, the 6 footballers and 5 controls kept a sleep diary and answered further questionnaires about anxiety, depressiveness and sleep hygiene.

Results

Analysis of the sleep diaries showed no differences between the groups although the footballers were physically active more often and later in the evening. Furthermore, the results of the subjective perception of normal routine performance and anxiety were equal for both groups. However, a tendency to better sleep hygiene and less depressiveness was found in the sport group.

Conclusions

The results of this pilot study showed no negative effects of late night football on sleep in adolescents; however, it has to be taken into account that not only different mediator variables might control the effect of physical activity on sport, e.g. time, intensity, duration and regularity but also aspects of the mental well-being and should be considered in future experiments.     

Die Vasomotorik der Hirnrinde in den Phasen desynchronisierter EEG-Aktivität im natürlichen Schlaf der Katze

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 4 TextabbildungenMit Unterstützung durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.Ein Teil der Ergebnisse wurde auf der 27. Tagung der Deutschen Physiologen-Gesellschaft in Zürich (1961) vorgetragen.