Morning and Evening-Type Differences in Slow Waves during NREM Sleep Reveal Both Trait and State-Dependent Phenotypes
2011

Differences in Sleep Waves Between Morning and Evening Types

Sample size: 24 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Mongrain Valérie, Carrier Julie, Paquet Jean, Bélanger-Nelson Erika, Dumont Marie

Primary Institution: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal

Hypothesis

Single slow wave properties will show larger changes in morning-types than in evening-types in response to increased sleep pressure.

Conclusion

Morning-types exhibit higher slow wave amplitude and steeper slope compared to evening-types, especially during recovery sleep after sleep fragmentation.

Supporting Evidence

  • Morning-types showed higher slow wave amplitude during recovery sleep.
  • The slope of slow waves was steeper in morning-types compared to evening-types.
  • No significant difference in slow wave density between chronotypes.

Takeaway

People who prefer to wake up early have different brain wave patterns during sleep compared to those who prefer to stay up late, especially after being sleep-deprived.

Methodology

The study compared slow wave properties between morning-types and evening-types using EEG recordings during different sleep conditions.

Participant Demographics

12 morning-types and 12 evening-types, ages 23-25, balanced gender.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.01

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0022679

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