The relationship between sleep and interoception.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Sleep Science
• Interoception Research

Background:

• The relationship between sleep and interoception is theoretically supported by subjective-objective sleep discrepancies, sleep-pain covariance, and visceral system regulation.
• Linguistic connections, such as 'feeling' tired, suggest an intuitive link between bodily sensations and sleep states.
• Understanding this connection is crucial for holistic health and well-being assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the relationship between various dimensions of sleep and interoception.
• To investigate how sleep quality, duration, and efficiency relate to confidence in interoceptive accuracy and interoceptive attention.
• To provide robust evidence for the association between sleep and interoception.

Main Methods:

• Two independent studies (N=118 and N=830) were conducted.
• Sleep over the past month was assessed using self-report measures.
• Interoceptive accuracy was measured using the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale, and interoceptive attention was measured using the Body Perception Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Study 1 found that longer sleep latency was associated with lower confidence in interoceptive accuracy (β = -0.222, p = 0.021).
• Poor sleep quality was linked to less interoceptive attention (β = -0.226, p = 0.016).
• Study 2 replicated these findings, showing that overall poor sleep (short duration, low quality, long latency, frequent awakenings) correlated with less confidence in interoceptive accuracy and greater interoceptive attention.

Conclusions:

• The study provides robust cross-sectional evidence for a link between poor sleep and interoception.
• Specifically, poorer sleep is associated with greater interoceptive attention but lower confidence in one's interoceptive accuracy.
• These findings highlight the intricate connection between sleep health and the perception of internal bodily states.