Previous studies examining the associations between sleep hygiene practices and insomnia have produced inconsistent results. This study further investigates this issue by examining different domains of sleep hygiene separately. One hundred and six insomnia patients and 89 good sleepers participated in the study. Their sleep hygiene, sleep quality and insomnia severity were assessed with subjective rating scales. Among good sleepers, almost all domains of sleep hygiene correlated significantly with their sleep ratings. However, in insomnia patients, only the arousal-related behavior correlated with sleep ratings. The findings suggest that strategies in prevention and treatment of sleep disturbance may be different accordingly.

Sleep problems are highly prevalent among young adults and affect different aspects of their quality of life. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the young adults' coping strategies for these sleep disturbances and the effectiveness of the coping strategies upon sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. The subjects included 1,922 first-year college students, 44% of whom reported experiencing sleep problems, with insufficient sleep being the most common complaint (23.9%). Taking naps and adjusting sleep schedules were the coping strategies associated with better sleep quality. On the other hand, subjects who reported attempting a sleep-promoting activity, ignoring their sleep problems altogether, or trying unsuccessfully to find a way of coping with their sleep problems reported a poorer sleep quality. Although some coping strategies were associated with better sleep quality than others, the levels of daytime sleepiness were equally impaired in all coping groups to a degree that is equivalent to the sleepiness in patients with a moderate sleep-related breathing disorder.

The prevalence of insomnia is very high in our society. Although pharmacological treatment of insomnia is available, most hypnotics have been shown to alter sleep architecture and have many adverse effects. Gabapentin was originally designed for antiepileptic therapy; however, some studies reported that its use increases slow-wave sleep in healthy volunteers or patients. Our goal was to evaluate the benefits of gabapentin in the treatment of primary insomnia in patients. Eighteen patients with primary insomnia participated in the study. They received gabapentin treatment for at least 4 weeks. All patients received polysomnography, a biochemical blood test, and neuropsychological tests before and after the treatment period. All measures were analyzed with Student t test to examine the treatment effects of gabapentin, except that the measures of heart rate variability were analyzed with analysis of variance. Polysomnographic study revealed increased sleep efficiency and slow-wave sleep, decreased wake after sleep onset, and spontaneous arousal index after gabapentin treatment. The biochemical blood test revealed decreased prolactin levels in the morning after treatment. Electroencephalographic power spectral analysis showed increased delta-2 and theta power in sleep stage 1 and decreased sigma activity power in sleep stages N2 and N3 after gabapentin treatment. Heart rate variability analyses also showed a significant increase in normalized high frequency percentage in sleep stages N2 and N3 and low frequency-high frequency ratio in sleep stage N2 after treatment. In addition, neuropsychological tests revealed the elevation of visual motor processing speed after gabapentin treatment. Gabapentin enhances slow-wave sleep in patients with primary insomnia. It also improves sleep quality by elevating sleep efficiency and decreasing spontaneous arousal. The results suggest that gabapentin may be beneficial in the treatment of primary insomnia.

Purpose. In this study, we examined whether the associations between working hours, job satisfaction, and work-life balance are mediated by occupational stress. In addition, we tested whether perceived time control helps moderate the effects of working hours and occupational stress. Methodology. Questionnaires were administered to 369 respondents working in the high-tech and banking industries. Analyses were then conducted on the data. Findings. The analysis revealed significant correlations between long working hours and both occupational stress and work-life balance, as well as between occupational stress and both work-life balance and job satisfaction. In addition, the relationship between working hours and occupational stress exhibited a significantly positive interaction with perceived time control. Value. The results indicate the importance of giving workers greater control over working hours. We therefore recommend that labor laws should be revised as necessary to prevent excessive working hours and enhance work-time flexibility.