Is Balance Control Affected by Sleep Deprivation? A Systematic Review of the Impact of Sleep on the Control of Balance.

Background: Sleep is a complex physiological function that should be addressed from different perspectives and consider the circadian rhythm. Sleep deprivation, either acute or chronic, negatively affects several functions, including motor control. Balance control is essential in several daily life activities and balance problems are related to falls.

Sleep deprivation affects gait control.

Different levels of sleep restriction affect human performance in multiple aspects. However, it is unclear how sleep deprivation affects gait control. We applied a paced gait paradigm that included subliminal rhythm changes to analyze the effects of different sleep restriction levels (acute, chronic and control) on performance.

Effects of supraspinal feedback on human gait: rhythmic auditory distortion.

Background: Different types of sound cues have been used to adapt the human gait rhythm. We investigated whether young healthy volunteers followed subliminal metronome rhythm changes during gait.

Methods: Twenty-two healthy adults walked at constant speed on a treadmill following a metronome sound cue (period 566 msec).

Actigraphy-based evaluation of sleep quality and physical activity in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Background: Sleep disturbances are frequently reported by individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and are associated both with poor quality of life and reduced ability to participate in rehabilitation and daily life activities.

Objectives: This study investigated sleep quality based on self-reports and actigraphy in individuals with SCI as compared to able-bodied.

Comparison of sleep quality assessed by actigraphy and questionnaires to healthy subjects.

Sleep quality analysis is crucial for human health and it is related to duration, rhythm and quality. The goal of this study is to analyze objective assessment of the sleep-wake cycles with actigraphy, subjective questionnaires and their relationship with sleep quality indices. A wearable actigraph registered the sleep habits of 41 healthy subjects for 9 days.

Social jetlag impairs balance control.

We assessed the impact of a common sleep disturbance, the social jetlag, on postural control during a period involving workdays and free days. The sleep habits of 30 healthy subjects were registered with a wrist actimeter for nine days (starting on Friday) and they participated in a set of four postural control tests carried out on Friday and on Monday. In addition, the subjects filled questionnaires about their sleep conditions and preferences.