Scientists Gain Insight Into A Mysterious Sleep Condition

Paradoxical Insomnia is when people think they're awake at night, but they aren't

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Over the years, research has revealed many benefits of sleep, and experts continue to learn more each year. Heck, we just discussed a new benefit of sleep a few days ago. Yet sleep remains largely mysterious. Even though we all know sleep is crucial — we can literally die without it — sleep is also somewhat elusive for many.

Some people struggle to fall or stay asleep, a condition known as insomnia. Yet, despite its commonality, insomnia still perplexs scientists. Thankfully, new research is advancing our understanding of insomnia while also adding another layer to its puzzle.

Insomnia

I generally sleep pretty well, but sometimes, between one and four in the morning, I experience what I call my witching hours when I wake up with my head full of thoughts and my stomach fluttering with illogical anxiety. Thankfully, mental and breathing exercises or light stretching can usually put me right back to sleep. But sleep doesn’t come so easily to everyone.

Many people experience insomnia, which is when they have difficulty either falling or staying asleep, often resulting in feelings of irritability, fatigue, or memory loss the next day.

Research from 2020 found that between 30 and 40 percent of adults in the United States complain of insomnia symptoms. Meanwhile, research from 2023 found that overall, women are 40 percent more likely to experience insomnia compared to men.

People who struggle with sleep will sometimes visit a sleep clinic for a polysomnogram, commonly known as a sleep study. This test tracks and records the activity of various bodily systems while a person sleeps.

Plenty of things can disrupt sleep, from stress and poor bedtime habits to medical conditions, and a sleep study can help medical professionals better determine the cause of a person’s sleep troubles and find a treatment.

The standard treatment for insomnia today is called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi), which encourages better sleeping habits by employing behavioral strategies designed to decrease anxiety about sleeping — but it doesn’t work for everyone.

Paradoxical Insomnia

There’s a particular group of people with whom CBTi is less successful. These people report symptoms of sleep deprivation similar to insomniacs, but sleep studies show them having regular sleep cycles.

Enough people are experiencing this for scientists to acknowledge they likely aren’t lying about their symptoms. Still, a lack of research and clarity about this strange form of insomnia makes it difficult to estimate the percentage of people who experience it.

It has many names, including paradoxical insomnia, subjective insomnia, and sleep misperception. Whatever you want to call it, this sleep condition has confounded scientists for decades. But recent research now has scientists saying that people aren’t misrepresenting their sleep; they’ve been measuring it wrong.