Sleep problems in individuals with spinal cord injury: Frequency and age effects.

Chapter 13 discusses sleep and the parts of the brain that regulate and play a part in sleep. I found this article interesting because it studies the spinal cord and injuries that effect sleep. Difficulty sleeping is a common problem among people. It can be implied that people with injuries would have more problems sleeping than people without injuries. The objectives of the study were to replicate previous studies of severe sleep difficulties in individual with spinal cord injuries as compared to normal samples. The second objective was to examine the association between aging variables and severe sleep difficulties. Researchers used a cross-sectional survey design. There were a total of 620 participants with spinal cord injuries in the study. Participants were given a survey of demographics and one that measured the severity of sleep difficulties called the Medical Outcome Study Sleep scale. Results showed that sleeping problems in individuals that have spinal cord injuries were more common than the normal sample. Older participants had less problems with sleeping problems than younger participants.  Researchers found that age onset and the durations of spinal cord injuries were not associated significantly with sleep difficulties.

Jensen, M. P., Hirsh, A. T., Molton, I. R., & Bamer, A. M. (2009). Sleep problems in individuals with spinal cord injury: Frequency and age effects. Rehabilitation Psychology, 54(3), 323-331. doi:10.1037/a0016345