Journal of Sleep Sciences
Volume:5 Issue: 3, Summer 2020

Workplace exposes workers to different hazardous chemicals. In this study, we aimed to assess the changes of pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters as the objective indicator of lung impairment and its association with demographic data and sleep characteristics.

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 male workers of a smelting factory located in Tehran Province, Iran. The respiratory symptoms questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and demographic characteristics were recorded for the participants. Participants also underwent spirometry and the related parameters were recorded.

A total of 200 iron foundry workers were assessed. All participants were men, and mean ± standard deviation (SD) of age was 39.1 ± 8.9 years ranging from 20 to 65 years. Of 200 workers, 153 (76.5%) were married and 72 (36.0%) were smokers. Among all participants, 131 (65.5%) reported at least one respiratory symptom, and these workers had significantly poorer sleep quality (P = 0.02) and insomnia (P = 0.01). Across-shift change in forced expira-tory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) of spirometry parameters was significant among participants with clinical insomnia (P = 0.02 and P = 0.04, respectively) and poor sleep quality (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.04, respectively).

Results showed a significant cross-shift reduction in PFT values among workers with clinical insomnia or poor sleep quality. Accordingly, evaluation of sleep characteristics along with respiratory symptoms in workers with inhalational occupational exposure is recommended.

Poor sleep is one of the most common problems in old age and menopause. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tele-nursing-based sleep health education on sleep quality in postmenopausal elderly women.

In this quasi-experimental study, 70 elderly people over 60 years of age who referred to urban community health centers of Gonabad City, Iran, and met the inclusion criteria were selected through a systematic sampling and were equally assigned into controland intervention groups. Participants completed a questionnaire that included the demographic questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). After completing the pre-test in the intervention group, the sleep health education program was conducted as a face-to-face training session and a telephone follow-up during two months (12 follow-ups). The control group received routine health care. Post-test was performed in both groups after 2 months.

We did not find any significant difference between two groups at bassline variables. Besides, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean score of sleep quality before intervention in the experimental and control groups (P = 0.127), the mean score of sleep quality after the intervention showed a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001).

The sleep health education program based on telephone follow-up can improve the sleep quality of postmenopausal elderly women. Therefore, teaching this non-pharmacological approach to health care workers, staff of community health centers, and caregivers is recommended to improve the sleep quality of postmenopausal elderly women.

Many patients reject continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, cannot tolerate it, do not use the machine correctly, or do not fully comply with CPAP use. We aimed to evaluate the factors contributing to the non-adherence of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

The study was conducted as face-to-face interviews with 183 patients diagnosed with OSAS and 79 partners. The patients were classified as those who stopped treatment (Group 1, n = 38), those with insufficient treatment (Group 2, n = 33), and those who continued treatment (Group 3, n = 112).

The total 183 patients comprised 132 (71.1%) men. A negative correlation was between continuation of treatment and the thought that there was no benefit from the treatment (r = -0.457, P = 0.001). A positive correlation was between partner support and treatment adherence (r = 0.371, P < 0.001). In the multivariate model, the most significant patient-related reasons for terminating positive airway pressure (PAP) were determined as insufficient partner support and the thought that there was no benefit from the device. The partners of patients with good treatment adherence reported that during the treatment period, there was an increase in their own daily performance and mental energy and a marked improvement in daytime sleepiness (P < 0.001 for all).

PAP device adherence is affected by many factors. It was shown in this study that the spousal factor is just as important as the patient in the treatment process as a whole, and to achieve adherence, the partner must be included in the process.

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of insomnia and its related factors among elderly population of Tehran, Iran.

This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected by a three-part questionnaire. The first part included demographic information; the second part contained data on weight, height, neck circumference, menstruation status, diabetes, hypertension (HTN), and heart disease. The third part contained questions about Insomnia Screening Questionnaire (ISQ). Cluster sampling was used and 651 samples were selected for the pre-sent study.

The prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher in female, single, and illiterate subjects and also in subjects with chronic diseases, psychological disorders, circadian rhythm disorder, restless legs syndrome (RLS), parasomnia, and sleep apnea.

According to this study, insomnia is common among elderly population of Tehran, and there is a relation-ship between this disorder and chronic diseases, psychological disorders, and sleep disorders.

In the late 2019, an acute respiratory syndrome [severe acute respiratory syndrome coro-navirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)] resulted in a pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study was designed to com-pare the efficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (ICBT-I) with online relaxation training for management of insomnia during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

This controlled trial was conducted on adults (18-65 years) with the complaint of insomnia who called psychology call centers in Mashhad, Iran, from March to June 2020. Participants with insomnia symptoms starting after SARS-CoV-2 pandemic who had Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores of ≥ 15 were included in the study. Five weekly sessions of ICBT-I as the intervention were compared with 5 weekly online relaxation training sessions in the control group. ISI before and after 5 weeks of follow-up was compared in both groups.

From a total cohort of 144 subjects included in the study, 98 were excluded and the remainder were allocated to 23 cases and 23 control subjects. During follow-up period, 5 individuals (21.7%) dropped out in each group. The mean ISI scores improved after therapy (20.6 to 8.5 and 21.8 to 13.0 for intervention and control groups, respectively).

ICBT-I significantly improved insomnia severity during home quarantine of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We suggest that ICBT-I could be an effective and feasible alternative in pandemic of an infectious disease. Clients accepted ICBT-I with a minor drop-out in our study.

Simple snoring affects millions of people and their partners in the world and it indicates increased upper airways resistance and pharyngeal collapsibility. Snoring, particularly loud and habitual, may indicate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Case Report:

 The presenting patient was a middle-aged man with chief compliant of snoring, who was diagnosed with simple snoring after undergoing an overnight polysomnography (PSG). By using a simple oral appliance that retracted the tongue and improved airway patency, snoring improved completely.

Simple snoring is a common condition and after excluding OSA, particularly in suspected patients, it can be managed by some instructions and interventions such as using available oral appliances.

The International Sleep Research Training Program (ISRTP) provides an opportunity for sleep specialists to further develop their research and leadership skills. Established by the World Sleep Society (WSS) in 2020, program mentees spend one year at the best sleep research facilities in the world, collaborating with leading sleep mentors.

There are three main views in computational neuroscience including deterministic, stochastic, and nonlinear approaches. In the deterministic approach, the human brain is considered a linear and stationary system with determined parameters.