Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
The incidence and temporal patterning of insomnia: a pilot study
Michael L Perlis1, Cindy M Swinkels, Philip R Gehrman
1Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. mperlis@exchange.upenn.edu
Individuals with primary insomnia (PI) experience good sleep on 29-55% of nights. This better-than-average sleep typically follows one to three nights of poor sleep, suggesting homeostatic dysregulation.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Science
- Neuroscience
- Medical Research
Background:
- Limited research exists on night-to-night variability in insomnia incidence.
- Prior studies have not clarified if primary insomnia (PI) patients experience periodic good sleep.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of 'good sleep' nights in PI subjects.
- To determine if these good sleep events occur randomly or follow a pattern.
Main Methods:
- Ten PI subjects completed daily sleep diaries for at least 20 days without treatment.
- Sleep efficiency was analyzed using a >=85% threshold and an idiographic (individual's mean) cut-off.
- Temporal patterning identified nights of poor sleep preceding good sleep nights.
Main Results:
- PI subjects experienced good sleep between 29% (>=85% criteria) and 55% (idiographic criteria) of nights.
- Idiographic analysis showed good sleep most frequently occurred after 1-3 nights of poor sleep (>89% of instances).
Conclusions:
- Insomnia severity may be influenced by sleep homeostasis.
- Abnormalities in the homeostatic sleep regulation system might be present in PI patients.
More Related Videos
04:33Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
06:23A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice
Published on: September 22, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...
Management of Insomnia
Cause and Effect
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Blind Procedures
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...