Sleep normalization and decrease in dissociative experiences: Evaluation in an inpatient sample.

Abstract

We conducted a longitudinal study to investigate the relation between sleep experiences and dissociative symptoms in a mixed inpatient sample at a private clinic evaluated on arrival and at discharge 6 to 8 weeks later. Using hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modeling, we found a link between sleep experiences and dissociative symptoms and determined that specifically decreases in narcoleptic experiences rather than insomnia accompany a reduction in dissociative symptoms. Although sleep improvements were associated with a general reduction in psychopathology, this reduction could not fully account for the substantial and specific effect that we found for dissociation. Our findings are consistent with Watson's (2001) hypothesis that disruptions in the sleep-wake cycle lead to intrusions of sleep phenomena into waking consciousness, resulting in dissociative experiences. Accordingly, sleep hygiene may contribute to the treatment or prevention of dissociative symptoms.

The Mediating Role of Pathological Worry in Associations Between Dissociative Experiences and Sleep Quality Among Health Staff

“…Significant connections between sleep experiences and dissociative experiences were observed that alleviated levels of dissociative experiences were determined by decreases in narcoleptic experiences rather than insomnia. Authors concluded sleep hygiene may contribute to the treatment and prevention of dissociative psychopathology (van der Kloet, Giesbrecht, Lynn, Merckelbach, & de Zutter, 2012). Similar findings were replicated in a more recent study that heightened dissociation in response to 1-night total sleep deprivation was strongly linked to increased Dehydroepiandrosteronesulfate (DHEA-S) (correlation was r=0.80), a hormone intimately dependent on circadian regulation and implicated in neuroprotection, neuronal plasticity and excitability (Selvi, Kilic, Aydin, & Guzel Ozdemir, 2015).…”

Abnormal sleep in patients with epileptic or dissociative (non‐epileptic) seizures: a polysomnography study

“…Clinically insomniac patients score high on the Dissociative Experiences Scale with scores correlated to quantifiable EEG parameters [39]. Conversely, in a mixed psychiatric inpatient sample, an improvement in sleep quality led to a decrease in dissociative experiences [40]. Our PSG findings in patients with dissociative seizures suggest that sleep deprivation might be a common occurrence in these patients, supporting a possible contribution to the propensity for dissociative attacks.…”

The aetiology of psychogenic non‐epileptic seizures: risk factors and comorbidities

“…Sleep disturbances are common symptoms of depressive and anxiety disorders, but the link with PNES may be more than simple comorbidity. Both experimental and clinical studies have suggested that sleep deprivation promotes dissociative tendencies (van der Kloet et al, 2012a), and one study on a mixed psychiatric inpatient sample has shown a decrease in dissociative symptoms after sleep normalization (van der Kloet et al, 2012b), suggesting that improvement of sleep might be of therapeutic use in patients with PNES.…”