Reported vs Recorded Sleep Characteristics

Twenty-one carefully screened normal Ss used to the sleep laboratory filled out sleep and dream logs both at home and after one or more nights in the laboratory. Subjective descriptions of sleep ordinarily associated with reports of "poor" sleep were related to transient episodes of wakefulness. In general, subjective sleep parameters appeared related to episodes of wakefulness rather than to other sleep stages. Abrupt as opposed to gradual awakenings from sleep favored REM period dream recall. Terminal as opposed to earlier REM periods tended to be associated with detailed rather than vague or no-content dream recall. Presleep tension favored longer sleep latencies, while unusual fatigue promoted transient intercurrent wakefulness. By a number of criteria, Ss appeared to sleep better at home than in the lab.