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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 May 15;127:675–688. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.010

Table 1.

Variable Definitions for Sleep Parameters

Variable Group
Variable
Definition
Sleep Continuity Sleep Efficiency percent of time asleep while in bed
Wake after sleep onset minutes spent awake after initially falling asleep
Awakenings frequency of wake periods
Sleep Disturbance PSQI-defined sleep disturbance
Transitions transitioning into lighter sleep stages; frequency of sleep stage transitions
Sleep Duration and Initiation Sleep Onset Latency time taken to fall asleep
Sleep Duration total time spent asleep
General Sleep Quality Global Sleep Quality subjective average of sleep quality measures
Sleep Quality general measure of sleep quality as an average of sleep
Composite parameters
Tiredness Upon Awakening subjective tiredness rating
Freshness Upon Awakening subjective rating of feeling well rested
Sleep Stages Stage 1 sleep stage composed of low amplitude mixed frequency brain activity; percentage or duration spent in Stage 1
Stage 2 sleep stage characterized by sleep spindles and K complexes; percentage or duration spent in Stage 2
Slow Wave Sleep sleep stage defined by high amplitude, low frequency slow waves; percentage or duration spent in Slow Wave Sleep
REM Sleep sleep stage defined by rapid eye movements, low muscle tone, and low amplitude mixed frequency waves; percentage or duration spent in REM sleep
NREM Sleep sleep measures collapsed across Stages 1, 2, and/or slow wave sleep; percentage or duration spent in NREM sleep
Architecture Spindle Density frequency or proportion of spindles during a sleep period or during a specific sleep stage
Spindle Activity measure capturing both spindle amplitude and duration (i.e., intensity)
Spindle Activity Change difference between spindle activity before and after experimental task
Stage 2 Epochs With Spindles Change difference between number of epochs within Stage 2 that contain spindles before and after experimental task
Relative Slow spectral power between 0.5 and 4.0 (to 4.6) Hz divided by
Wave Activity absolute spectral power
Slow Oscillation-Spindle Coupling temporal proximity of slow oscillations and sleep spindles
Brain Connectivity During Sleep brain connectivity modelled during specific sleep stages
Slow Oscillation Power slow oscillation power increases/decreases as compared to trials without slow oscillations
Spindle Power power in the spindle frequency range (11 to 15 Hz)
Delta Power relative/absolute delta power (.5 to 4.5 Hz) during sleep period
Theta Power relative/absolute theta power (4.5 to 8.5 Hz) during sleep period
Alpha Power relative alpha power during nap
Sigma Power relative theta power during nap

NOTE: REM = rapid eye movement; NREM = non-rapid eye movement; Sleep stages are summarized based on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. All sleep stage measurements correspond to sleep stage quantity.