Identifier

etd-0827103-103409

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Worry is often reported as interfering with sleep onset and sleep maintenance, and pre-sleep cognitive arousal can persist after successful behavioral treatment of insomnia. The present investigation will examine the effects of a "constructive worry" procedure in an undergraduate population with impaired sleep. Thirty-three undergraduate students who reported three or more nights per week in the last month of sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance problems, either recorded worries and possible solutions (experimental CW group) or recorded worries and completed worry questionnaires (control Worry group) for five nights. As hypothesized, the CW group had decreased pre-sleep cognitive and overall arousal relative to the Worry group and relative to baseline scores. Although the CW group reported decreased cognitive arousal, there were no significant effects on somatic arousal, anxiety, Sleep Diary or actigraphy sleep variables. Suggestions for future investigations, and potential implications for the treatment of insomnia are discussed.

Date

2003

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

William F. Waters

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.564

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