Investigations on the relaxation behaviour of vegetative parameters in the phase falling asleep

Abstract
The mini-sleep (also called short sleep, power-nap) is a very effective means of restoring a disturbed basic rest-activity cycle (BRAC), increases performance and well-being. In a pilot study on 12 patients (3 fm, 9 m), the aim was to prove that relaxation processes of the parameters vegetative-nervous, vegetative-emotional, muscular and metabolic response before sleep stage 1 take place. A relaxation process is defined as the slowing down of regulatory processes of the aforementioned parameters. To verify this, the sleep stages were recorded polysomnographically using the system Somnoscreen Plus (Somnomedics GmbH) and the vegetative parameters were recorded using the smard-watch-system, fixed at the wrist. The data was analysed using chronobiological regulation diagnostics (CRD). The regulatory behaviour was analysed approx. 15 minutes before sleep stage 1 was reached. A relaxation process was detected for all persons and parameters analysed (12 Pat. x 4 parameters = 48 measurements) in approx. 91 % of the cases investigated. This was a first step towards validating the system smard-watch as a detection instrument for the occurrence of relaxation reactions. The investigations also confirmed that the regulatory states from the deactivation area of the periodic system of regulatory states 31, 42 and 43 in particular are typical of relaxation states. The shift in the regulatory activity of vegetative physiological functions from the first phase of relaxation to the second phase of relaxation (as a mean value) in the deactivated state was analysed in detail for each patient using a significance test and revealed significant differences in approx. 61% of cases (Kolgomorov-Smirnov test, alpha = 0.05).

Keywords
mini-sleep, relaxation, smard-watch, fall asleep phase, vegetative

Cite this paper
H.-U. Balzer, R. Warmuth, A.Blau, Investigations on the relaxation behaviour of vegetative parameters in the phase falling asleep , SCIREA Journal of Clinical Medicine. Volume 10, Issue 1, February 2025 | PP. 1-18. 10.54647/cm321370

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