Sleep Disorders and Neuroticism - Research Paper Example

Sleep Disorders and Neuroticism The importance of sleep is very much a biological need. However, the fact of the matter is that millions upon millions of individuals are not deriving the sleep requirements that their bodies have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2012) found that more than one-fifth of America’s population has reported that they have a chronic sleeping disorder resulting ultimately in insomnia, the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. A lack of sleep can often mimics the side effects of drunkenness, lowers one’s productivity, and reduces one’s responsiveness to his or her surroundings (CDC, 2012). Personality, specifically neuroticism significantly correlates to sleeping habits. Ultimately, what the research has shown is that the higher a person’s neuroticism score is on the Big Five Inventory, the more likely he or she is to exhibit a sleep disorder. As such, the following will serve as a brief introduction to a literature review on this topic. Calkins et al., 2013 denoted that the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and sleep disturbance. Although this may appear as something of an obvious metric to engage, the fact of the matter is that few researchers had sought to measure this before; and those that had had done so with a different level of focus as compared to Calkins discussion of neuroticism and its impacts upon sleep. What was ultimately found through such a research was that the scores of the test subjects, based upon the Anxiety Sensitivity Index Provided them, indicated that there was a definitive correlation between childhood trauma/hardship, and the existence of neuroticism and/or sleep issues that troubled the individual in adulthood. In short, what the researchers noted was that in a majority of the test subjects (in excess of 74%), the existence of childhood adversity and/or trauma had a direct level of correlation to the existence of sleep disturbance that they suffered in later years (Calkins et al., 2013). This unit of research is profound as it indicates that one of the means through which individuals that suffer from neuroticism and/or sleep disorders could benefit is to attend counseling and address the issues that continue to trouble their sleep in adulthood. However, the remaining 26% of individuals cannot and should not be discounted as other intervening factors impacted upon the level of sleep disturbances that they experienced. This is useful due to the fact that it helps to provide the reader with something of a definitive case in which sleep disturbance and childhood trauma can be definitively linked. Although a great deal of questions are still unanswered on this topic, the ability of the researcher to engage based upon such an understanding, as well as the clinical intervention that it proposes, is profound. Similarly, Costa & Besio (2011) denoted that a noted correlation to sleep disturbance and neuroticism was evidenced. This particular study is useful for inclusion due t othe fact that it measures the existence of neuroticism and sleep disturbance from youth; as compared to the previous study that only measured it from adulthood via questionnaire. The researchers are able to determine that a strong correlation between these two definitively exists; with neuroticism giving rise to sleep disturbance and vice versa. Rather than focusing single-mindedly on the linkages between neuroticism and sleep disturbance, the authors instead choose to define the point at which sleep-onset problems take place. As was determined, the risk of sleep disturbance grows exponentially with the existence of any level of neuroticism being witnessed on the part of the individual in question (Costa & Besio, 2011). However, the level of correlation between an individual with no known level of neuroticism who suffers from sleep disturbance somehow attaining or acquiring neurotic behavior as a result of their sleep disturbance is not noted reflexively. This of course does not mean that a correlation does not exist; however, from the research provided and the analysis performed, this study calls into question the existence of a so called “Two way street” between neuroticism and sleep disturbance; either in adolescents or adults. Whereas the first article that as presented helped to give the reader a very “black and white” view of the relationship between neuroticism and sleep disturbance is called into question by this particular analysis. The final study which will be analyzed within this brief literature review is that of Ramsawh et al. (2011). Within this particular study, the researchers sought to analyze whether not a defined correlation to sleep quality existed between individuals that experienced a level of childhood trauma. Providing something of a background for Calkins et al. (2013), Ramsawh et al. noted that even though the significance of neuroticism and sleep disturbance from childhood trauma is profound, there are many other factors that must be considered alongside this. The first of which is the fact that childhood trauma has been defined and redefined by almost every observer who has analyzed this topic. More importantly, a clear and noted differential also exists between men and women; a differential that, according to the authors, has not been analyzed in enough depth (Ramsawh et al., 2011). As a function of seeking to present a more fair and equitable approach to the issue, the researchers propose redefining childhood trauma to “childhood adversity”. Moreover, further studies are encouraged which will analyze the differentials between how men and women experience sleep disturbance and its possible linkages to neuroticism. The take away fro this particular research, as compared to several of the others that have thus far been analyzed is the fact that the researchers do not come to any firm and indisputable resolution concerning sleep disturbance or neurotic behavior. In keeping with the science of exploration and analysis, the authors instead find a great many more unanswered questions than they are able to provide suitable and fact based answers. From each of the resources that have been analyzed, it can be seen that a nuanced and appreciable understanding of sleep disturbance and/or the impacts of neuroticism can be defined. Whereas it is unclear as to whether or not childhood trauma and/or childhood adversity should be the metrics through which neuroticism and sleep disturbance can be measured, the impacts that this has upon the situation has notably been demonstrated to be profound. References Calkins, A., Hearon, B., Capozzoli, M., & Otto, M. (2013). Psychosocial predictors of sleep dysfunction: the role of anxiety sensitivity, dysfunctional beliefs, and neuroticism. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 11(2), 133-143. doi:10.1080/15402002.2011.643968 Costa, L., & Besio, K. (2011). Eating Hawai'i: local foods and place-making in Hawai'i Regional Cuisine. Social & Cultural Geography, 12(8), 839-854. doi:10.1080/14649365.2011.615664 Ramsawh, H. J., Ancoli-Israel, S., Sullivan, S. G., Hitchcock, C. A., & Stein, M. B. (2011). Neuroticism Mediates the Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Adult Sleep Quality. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 9(3), 130-143. doi:10.1080/15402002.2011.583895 Read More