OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of data obtained from a wearable activity tracker (Fitbit Charge HR) to medical research. This was performed by comparing the wearable activity tracker (Fitbit Charge HR) with actigraphy (Actiwatch 2) for sleep evaluation and circadian rest-activity rhythm measurement. METHODS Sixteen healthy young adults (female participan...

BACKGROUND Self-report remains the most practical and cost-effective method for epidemiologic sleep studies involving large population-based samples. Several validated questionnaires have been developed to assess sleep, but these tools are lengthy to administer and may be impractical for epidemiologic studies. We examined whether a 3-item sleep questionnaire, similar to those typically used in ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of immediate release Ritalin, given three times a day, on sleep quality and quantity in medication-naïve, newly diagnosed children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS Children (aged 6-12) rigorously diagnosed with ADHD (n = 21) underwent multiple measurement assessments (i.e., actigraphy, sleep diary, and questionnaires) during a 1-w...

Sleep disturbances are common among alcohol-dependent individuals and can increase risk of relapse. The current study compares subjective and objective measures of sleep quality and duration and describes the prevalence of baseline sleep disturbances in an inpatient population of alcoholics undergoing their first week of detoxification. At baseline, the PSQI revealed that 79% of participants we...

Actigraphy offers one of the best-known alternatives to polysomnography for sleep-wake identification. The advantages of actigraphy include high accuracy, simplicity of use and low intrusiveness. These features allow the use of actigraphy for determining sleep-wake states in such highly sensitive groups as infants. This study utilizes a motion sensor (accelerometer) for a dual purpose: to deter...

Sleep is a vital physiological behavior in children's development, and as such it is important to be able to efficiently and accurately assess whether children display difficulties with sleep quality and quantity. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire [CSHQ; (1)] is one of the most commonly used assessment tools for pediatric sleep. However, this instrument has never been validated against ...

The aim of this study is to review the options available for assessing sleep in pediatric chronic pain populations. One subjective measure of sleep (questionnaires) and two objective measures (polysomnography and actigraphy) were reviewed. The following databases were searched from their inception to June 2011: PsycINFO, ERIC, FRANCIS, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Global health, Inspec, Health and Ps...