Polysomnographic Characteristics of Patients with Chronic Insomnia
Ahmed BaHammam FRCP, FCCP
We conducted this study to assess the usefulness of polysomnography (PSG) in
patients referred to the sleep disorders center (SDC) with chronic insomnia. Sixtyseven
patients with chronic insomnia who underwent overnight polysomnography
were included in the study. Clinical diagnoses were reported using the second revision
of the International Classifications of Sleep Disorders (ICSD). The mean age of the
studied group was 43±1.5 years and males comprised 53.7%. In the whole group,
sleep onset latency was 42.6±7.74 minutes, sleep efficiency 69.9±2.5 and arousal
index was 18.8±1.8 per hour. Presumptive polysomnographic diagnoses were
identified in 56 patients (83.6%). Sleep state misperception (SSM) represented 40.3%
of the studied insomniacs and sleep disordered breathing (SDB) was detected in
25.4%. The present study illustrated the importance of PSG in the assessment of
selected patients with chronic insomnia. It also demonstrated that high percentage of
insomniacs have subjective insomnia. Finally, the prevalence of SDB is common
among patients with chronic insomnia. Further studies are needed to explore the
relation between insomnia and SDB and to delineate the clinical significance of the
so-called SSM.
