Intermediate
Technical
IVT
sleep architecture disturbance
Alteration in the normal organization, timing, or proportions of sleep stages throughout the night.
Full Definition
Sleep architecture disturbance encompasses various abnormalities in the normal structure and progression of sleep stages during a sleep period. This may include reduced REM sleep percentage, decreased slow-wave sleep, frequent stage transitions, or altered timing of sleep stages. Such disturbances are quantified through polysomnographic analysis and often indicate underlying sleep pathology or the effects of medications, medical conditions, or environmental factors.
In Context
- "The antidepressant medication caused significant sleep architecture disturbance with REM suppression." — medication review
- "Sleep architecture disturbance was evident in reduced slow-wave sleep percentage." — polysomnography interpretation
Also known as
altered sleep structure
sleep stage abnormality
Contrasted with
normal sleep architecture
Don't confuse with
sleep fragmentation
sleep disruption