Comparing two measures of sleep depth/intensity.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To compare delta spectral power (delta) and odds ratio product (ORP) as measures of sleep depth during sleep restriction with placebo or a drug that increases delta.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of data from a study of 41 healthy participants randomized to receive placebo or gaboxadol 15 mg during sleep restriction. Participants underwent in-laboratory sleep studies on two baseline, four sleep restriction (5-h), and two recovery nights. Relation between delta or ORP and sleep depth was operationally defined as the degree of association of each metric to the probability of arousal or awakening occurring during the next 30 s (arousability).

RESULTS

ORP values in wake, N1, N2, N3, and REM were significantly different. Delta differed between both N2 and N3 and other sleep stages but not between wake and N1 or N1 and REM. Epoch-by-epoch and individual correlations between ORP and delta power were modest or insignificant. The relation between ORP and arousability was linear across the entire ORP range. Delta also changed with arousability but only when delta values were less than 300 μV2. Receiver-operating-characteristic analysis found the ability to predict imminent arousal to be significantly greater with ORP than with log delta power for all experimental conditions. Changes in ORP, but not log delta, across the night correlated with next-day physiologic sleep tendency.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to delta power, ORP is more discriminating among sleep stages, more sensitive to sleep restriction, and more closely associated with arousability. This evidence supports ORP as a measure of sleep depth/intensity.