Sleep Expert Series - Measuring Sleep

How is sleep quality truly measured? 

While hundreds of studies have been done on sleep in humans, the consensus amongst experts is that modern medicine knows more about sleep disorders and interference than it does about how to incite a better night’s sleep.  That said, exciting developments are emerging in the area of  quality sleep measurement. 

Detailed analysis of sleep have revealed a correlation between reduced cyclical alternating patterns (CAPs) and improved sleep quality.  With improved sleep (quality) being loosely defined as deep or refreshing sleep.  An initial experiment using CAP rates was conducted in 1997.  The experiment set out to determine if an inner-spring mattress or a foam mattress had a meaningful impact on sleep quality amongst a population of normal subjects.  The results of this initial study were inconclusive but the ability to evaluate CAPs as a measure a of sleep quality is an exciting step forward for sleep science.