Sleep variability in delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and insomnia disorder in youth: A case-control study

Feb 26, 2026Sleep medicine

Variations in Sleep Patterns in Young People with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase or Insomnia Compared to Others

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Youths with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD) exhibited greater variability in bedtime, time in bed, and total sleep time compared to those with insomnia disorder (ID).

DSWPD participants showed significantly greater variability in diary-derived bedtime, time in bed, and total sleep time compared to ID youths.
Compared to healthy sleepers, the DSWPD group displayed increased variability in total sleep time and wake after sleep onset.
Both DSWPD and ID groups had greater variability in sleep onset latency compared to healthy sleepers.
Later dim light melatonin onset times and higher depressive symptoms were associated with increased sleep variability in the overall sample.

AI simplified

OBJECTIVES: To compare intraindividual sleep variability in youths with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD) and insomnia disorder (ID), and to examine the association of sleep variability with depressive symptoms and circadian measures.

METHODS: Youths with DSWPD (n = 34, M = 20.7 ± 1.7, 70.6% female), ID (n = 40, M = 20.3 ± 2.4, 70.0% female) and healthy sleepers (n = 39, M = 19.7 ± 2.1, 66.7% female) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, sleep diary for eight days with actigraphy monitoring, and laboratory-based dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) assessment. Subjective and objective intraindividual variability in sleep parameters were derived from sleep diary and actigraphy data, respectively. age age age

RESULTS: Compared with youths with ID, those with DSWPD showed greater variability in diary-derived bedtime (p = .006), time in bed (p = .010), and total sleep time (p = .013). Relative to healthy sleepers, the DSWPD group showed greater variability in diary-derived total sleep time (p = .017) and actigraphy-derived wake after sleep onset (p = .040). Both clinical groups showed greater variability in diary-derived sleep onset latency compared with healthy sleepers (DSWPD: p = .011; ID: p < .001). Later DLMO times and higher levels of depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased sleep variability across the full sample.

CONCLUSIONS: Youths with DSWPD and ID show heightened sleep variability, linked to delayed circadian rhythm and elevated depressive symptoms. Findings highlight the clinical relevance of intraindividual sleep variability. Further prospective and interventional studies are needed to delineate the mechanistic processes associated with increased sleep variability in these conditions.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (XML) ↗View full text ↗

Sleep variability in delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and insomnia disorder in youth: A case-control study

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief