Near-Death Experiences and Sleep Disturbance: An Exploratory Study Using Wrist Actigraphy.

People who have had near-death experiences often report sleep changes, but objective measurements have been lacking. In a 14-day actigraphy study with 57 participants—26 who had an NDE, 12 who had a near-death event without an NDE, and 19 who had never come close to death—no significant differences in objective sleep measures were found between groups. However, comparisons of subjective and objective measures revealed significant differences in sleep onset latency, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency, particularly among the NDE group. These results suggest sleep state misperception, where perceived sleep quality differs from objective measures, which may have clinical relevance for understanding NDEs and sleep perception.

Study at a glance

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.