Evaluation of a sleep switch device

To evaluate the performance of a sleep switch device (held between finger and thumb) in normal sleepers and in insomniacs by comparing its performance to PSG data, wrist actigraphy, and subjective estimates.

19 insomniacs and 6 normal sleepers each spent one night in the sleep laboratory. Sleep latency and total sleep time were evaluated by the sleep switch device, polysomnography, wrist actigraphy, and subjective estimates.

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The sleep switch device correlated .98 with PSG sleep latency (to the onset of the first 10 minutes of solid sleep, stage 1 or deeper). Mean and standard deviations were almost identical between the two measures. The sleep switch was somewhat less accurate than the wrist actigraph in assessing total sleep time.

The sleep switch device is a very accurate and inexpensive tool when trying to assess sleep latency in insomniacs and in normals.