Minimum duration of actigraphy-defined nocturnal awakenings necessary for morning recall.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Observational field study without an intervention or control group
PubMed 23746600 · doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.03.018
What was done
Thirty-nine healthy adults were monitored in their home environment using wrist actigraphy and morning self-report to determine the minimum duration of nocturnal awakening required for morning recall.
What was found
Recall thresholds ranged from 30 to 600 s with a mean of 259 s (4 min 19 s). Thresholds were negatively associated with sleep efficiency, but showed no significant association with total sleep time, age, income, or education. Single men had lower thresholds than single women and cohabiting participants, which was explained by higher sleep efficiency in noncohabiting men.
Why it matters
This study provides the first empirical home-environment data supporting the long-held clinical rule of thumb that roughly 4 to 5 minutes of continuous wakefulness are required to form a memory of an awakening.
Limits
The sample size was small (39 participants) and restricted to healthy adults. Wakefulness was measured via actigraphy rather than gold-standard polysomnography, and wide individual variation (30 to 600 s) indicates substantial unmeasured influences on recall thresholds.
Cited by
- supports The typical adult wakes up 10 times or more during the night without remembering most awakenings.