Subjective versus objective sleep in men with Klinefelter syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To investigate sleep among men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). METHOD: We compared the sleep domains latency, disturbance, and efficiency in 30 men with KS (M age = 36.7 years, SD = 10.6) to 21 age-matched non-KS controls (M age = 36.8 years, SD = 14.4). Actigraphs were used to objectively measure sleep across 7 days and nights. Participants also completed a sleep diary over the same period, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: The mean correlation between the objective and subjective sleep measures was lower for the KS sample (M r = .15) than for controls (M r = .34). Sleep disturbance was significantly larger in the KS sample, as measured by actigraphy (p = .022, d = 0.71) and the PSQI (p = .037, d = 0.61). In regression models predicting sleep domains from KS status, age, educational level, vocational status, IQ, and mental health, KS status was not a significant predictor. Higher age was associated with more actigraphy-measured sleep disturbance. Higher educational level and being employed were associated with better sleep efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep disturbance may be a particular problem for men with KS and should be measured with complimentary methods.