Historical Change in the Report of Daytime Fatigue

Population-based data suggesting that contemporary society does not value sleep are difficult to obtain. In this report, historical change in item endorsements relevant for disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) generated from normative, upper Midwestern adult populations was analyzed. Response rates from the 1930s and 1980 were compared. The data indicated that, relative to individuals in the post-Great Depression/pre-World War II era, contemporary men were more likely to report fatigue and tiredness, although they were no more likely to report disturbed nocturnal sleep. The results are compatible with the voluntary curtailment of sleep typical in modern society described in the report of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research.