Near-Death Experiences and Sleep Disturbance: An Exploratory Study Using Wrist Actigraphy.
Nicole Lindsay, Laura O'Sullivan, Rosemary Gibson, Clare Ladyman, Natasha Tassell-Matamua
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease November 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001710 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 57 |
| Population | Adults who have had an NDE, a near-death event without NDE, or no near-death experience |
| Duration | 14-day actigraphy study |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | No significant objective sleep differences were found between groups, but the NDE group showed significant discrepancies between subjective and objective sleep measures, indicating sleep state misperception. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are nonordinary states of consciousness typically occurring on the brink of death. Sleep changes after NDEs have been described, including shorter sleep duration, longer sleep latency, and more sleep disturbances; however, objective verification is lacking. In this exploratory research, 57 participants took part in a 14-day actigraphy study and were assigned to three groups: those who have had an NDE ( n = 26); those who experienced a near-death event but without NDE ( n = 12); and those who had never come close to death ( n = 19). No significant differences were found between groups for actigraphy data. Paired samples t tests indicated significant differences between subjective and objective measures of sleep onset latency, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency, notably among the NDE group. Findings are indicative of the phenomenon known as sleep state misperception (SSM), which may have clinical implications for the study of NDEs and SSM.