ABSTRACT
Sleep and light education (SLE) combined with relaxation is a potential method of addressing sleep and affective problems in older people. 47 participants took part in a four-week sleep education program. SLE was conducted once a week for 60-90 minutes. Participants were instructed on sleep and light hygiene, sleep processes, and practiced relaxation techniques. Participants were wearing actigraphs for 6 weeks, completed daily sleep diaries, and wore blue light-blocking glasses 120 minutes before bedtime. Measures included scores of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and actigraphy measurements of sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and sleep fragmentation. Sleep quality increased after SLE based on the subjective assessment and in the objective measurement with actigraphy. PSQI scores were statistically reduced indicating better sleep. Scores after the intervention significantly decreased in ESS and ISS. Sleep latency significantly decreased, whereas sleep efficiency and fragmentation index (%), did not improve. Mood significantly improved after SLE, with lower scores on the BDI-II and STAI. SLE combined with relaxation proved to be an effective method to reduce sleep problems and the incidence of depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Subject(s)
Affect , Sleep , Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Affect/physiology , Sleep/physiology , Actigraphy , Relaxation Therapy/methods , Middle Aged , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Sleep Quality , Light , Relaxation/physiology , Aged, 80 and over , Depression , AnxietyABSTRACT
Men and women respond differently when presented with sexual stimuli. Men's reaction is gender-specific, and women's reaction is gender-nonspecific. This might be a result of differential cognitive processing of sexual cues, namely copulatory movement (CM), which is present in almost every dynamic erotic stimulus. A novelty eye-tracking procedure was developed to assess the saliency of short film clips containing CM or non-CM sexual activities. Results from 29 gynephilic men and 31 androphilic women showed only small and insignificant effects in attention bias and no effects in attentional capture. Our results suggest that CM is not processed differently in men and women and, therefore, is not the reason behind gender-nonspecific sexual responses in women.
