Pre-sleep arousal can be associated with efficient processing of sleep-related information. (September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Takano, Keisuke; Poel, Louise Vanden; Raes, Filip
• Is Part Of: Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry. Volume 60(2018)
• Page Start: 13
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2018-09
• Subjects: Sleep -- Arousal -- Worry -- Attention bias -- Working memory; Behavior therapy -- Periodicals; 616.89142
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.02.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0005-7916

Abstract

Abstract: Background and objectives: Cognitive bias to sleep-related information is thought to be a core feature of sleep disturbances. The bias may enhance pre-sleep arousal, such as excessive worry about sleeplessness, which prevents people from initiating normal sleep onset. The present study focused on (a) attention bias toward sleep-related stimuli and (b) difficulty in updating working memory for sleep-related stimuli as two possible mechanisms underlying pre-sleep cognitive arousal. Method: Participants ( n = 61, a community sample) completed a dot-probe task (with sleep-related and matched control word stimuli) and a 1-back and 2-back task (with sleep-related and non-sleep-related pictorial stimuli). Results: For the dot-probe task, the results showed no significant association between pre-sleep cognitive arousal and sleep-related attention bias. However, the results of the 2-back task suggest that pre-sleep arousal is associated with decreased interference by sleep-related stimuli in maintaining non-sleep-related information. That is, individuals with higher levels of pre-sleep arousal are more efficient at processing sleep-related materials. Limitations: The non-clinical nature of the sample may limit the clinical implications of the findings. Conclusions: Although the current results cannot be explained by the extant cognitive theories of insomnia, we offer an alternative explanation based on the idea of worry as mental habit: mental processes that occur frequently (e.g., repetitive thoughts about sleep) require less cognitive resource. Therefore, sleep-related information may be processed easily without consuming much cognitive effort. Highlights: Sleep-related cognitive bias is thought to be a feature of sleep disturbances. The bias was examined by the dot-probe and n-back tasks with sleep-related stimuli. The results showed no association between attention bias and sleep problems. People with pre-sleep worry were even more efficient at processing sleep stimuli. Sleep information may be processed without cognitive effort in those individuals.