Actigraphy in diagnostics of subject-operator falling asleep

The forehanded diagnostics of subject-operator’s tiredness remains the one of unsolved problems in the work physiology. So the target of current work was to determine the possibility of sleep diagnostics or diagnostics of surface (1^st) sleep phase by means of forearm actigraphy under the control of polysomnography (PSG). Seven healthy males aged from 19 to 27 took part in the research. The examination has been carried out in the night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The research target was to model the situation of operator’s night duty in the standing position, while was sitting on a chair and as well as sleep in the sitting position. PSG and arm movement monitoring were executed by the Uniscan 3D accelerometer (Russia). Movement activity of right wrist in the standing position was 1100 ± 910 standard movement units (Sm), in the sitting position was 870 ± 570 Sm and 102 ± 51 Sm (difference is reliably, p < 0.01) in the state of surface sleep in 2 minutes already. Thereby the forearm actigraphy can register the occurrence of surface sleep phase in the first 2 minutes.

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Smirnov S.V. – candidate of physical-mathematical sciences, senior researcher