Understanding the Anxiety Reducing Function of Sleep

This study will examine the effect of sleep deprivation on state anxiety using virtual reality (VR), psychophysiology, polysomnography and self-report measures. State anxiety can be defined as a transitory emotional state consisting of feelings of apprehension, nervousness, and physiological sequelae such as an increased heart rate or respiration (Spielberger, 1979). Although previous research has shown that state anxiety is amplified after sleep deprivation (Ben Simon et al., 2020; Pires et al., 2016), this research has only assessed anxiety responses at specific moments in time. Consequently, we know very little about how insufficient sleep affects the evolution of anxiety during unfolding ambiguous threats. In addition, it has been shown that specific properties of sleep (specifically, the amount of EEG slow wave activity [SWA, 0.5-4 Hz]) support the overnight reduction of state anxiety (Ben Simon et al., 2020). How SWA influences anxiety responses to unfolding ambiguous threats, however, remains unknown. In order to address these gaps in understanding, we will investigate the following research questions: 1. Does sleep deprivation amplify the evolution of state anxiety during an unfolding ambiguous threat? 2. Does SWA support the overnight reduction of state anxiety during an unfolding ambiguous threat?