Date of Award
2015
Publisher
North Dakota State University
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Awarded
Master of Science (MS)
Program
Psychology
Department
Psychology
College
Science and Mathematics
Faculty Advisor
Hilmert, Clayton J.
Description
Sleep has been shown to be associated with the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system at rest and during stress. However, sleep has not been examined in the context of sympathovagal balance (the coupled relationship between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems) during stress. The current study investigated whether sleep quality was associated with sympathovagal activity and reactivity to stress. Female participants (N=59) underwent a psychosocial stress task and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index while EKG and ICG data were collected. Sleep quality was associated with pre-ejection period at rest and during stress, ps<.05, but was not associated with high-frequency heart rate variability or with sympathovagal reactivity, ps>.05. These findings suggest that sympathetic activity and reactivity account for a significant amount of variance in the relationship between sleep and the autonomic nervous system.
Recommended Citation
Reichenberger, David Andrew, "Sleep Quality and Sympathovagal Balance during Stress" (2015). Psychology. 17.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/psychology/17
Rights
NDSU Policy 190.6.2
Rights Link
https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0001-8272-9783
Handle Identifier
https://hdl.handle.net/10365/27707