https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3583-5812
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Kelly Glazer Baron, Sleep reactivity and variability: further evidence why it makes “cents” to look beyond the means, Sleep, Volume 48, Issue 2, February 2025, zsae268, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsae268
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Chronic insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling asleep, maintaining sleep, or experiencing early morning awakenings, significantly impacts individuals’ daily lives and has economic consequences for society as a whole. Studies show that approximately 9%–12% of the population suffers from chronic insomnia disorder, while up to 30% experience insomnia symptoms, affecting mental and physical health, quality of life, productivity, and safety [1]. Therefore, understanding the sleep characteristics that predispose individuals to insomnia and its downstream effects is of utmost importance.
Most research on sleep has focused on quantifying sleep parameters at the mean level, rather than exploring the richness of daily sleep diaries or actigraphy data. However, clinicians treating patients with insomnia (or individuals who have experienced it firsthand) understand that one of the most frustrating aspects is often the irregularity and unpredictability of sleep, especially during stressful times. In a study we conducted among older adults with insomnia and actigraphy-defined short sleep duration, we found that variability in actigraphy measures was a strong predictor of self-rated sleep quality, whereas mean levels were not [2]. This suggests that beyond chronic sleep disturbance, day-to-day variability may be the more distressing component. Despite the growing attention to sleep variability and stress reactivity, these factors remain underrepresented in mainstream discussions on sleep and sleep disorders.
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