Tired and lack focus? Insomnia increases distractibility

Bibliographic Data

ID4229148
AuthorsChristopher B Miller (0000-0002-2936-7717, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research), D J Robertson (0000-0002-8393-951X, University of Strathclyde), Keith A Johnson (0000-0002-5916-6043, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research), Nicole Lovato (0000-0001-8990-6658, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, A Flinders Centre of Research Excellence, Flinders University of South Australia), Delwyn J Bartlett (0000-0001-9249-5773, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research), Ronald R Grunstein (0000-0001-6682-5812, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research), Christopher J Gordon (0000-0003-2698-4864, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research)
Year2021
Volume26
Issue6
Pages795-804
Publication date2021-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Health Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1359-1053 • E-ISSN: 1461-7277
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1359105319842927
PMID31007074
OpenAlexW2940692369
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited40

Chronic insomnia is associated with subjective daytime cognitive dysfunction, but objective corroborative data are often lacking. In this study, we use Perceptual Load Theory to objectively assess distractibility in participants with insomnia ( N = 23) compared with age- and sex-matched controls ( N = 23). Following overnight supervised sleep observation, all participants completed a selective attention task which varied in the level of perceptual load and distractor congruency. The insomnia group was found to be more distracted than controls, whereas their selective attention mechanism appeared to be intact, with reduced distractor processing under high load for both groups. Insomnia symptom severity was positively correlated with participant distractibility. These findings suggest that there are insomnia-related daytime cognitive impairments that are likely to arise from compromised cognitive control rather than an ineffective selective attention mechanism. This task may be clinically useful in assessing daytime impairments, and potentially treatment response, in those with insomnia

Attentional control · Audiology · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Insomnia · Perception · Psychiatry · Vigilance (psychology · Circadian rhythm and melatonin · Medicine · Psychology · Sleep and related disorders · Sleep and Wakefulness Research · Clinical Psychology

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