Ambulatory monitoring of sleep disorders

Background: behavioural and functional activity monitoring has a long history in sleep research. the term actigraphy refers to methods using computerized wristwatch- size devices (generally placed on the wrist, but also on the ankle or trunk) to record the movement it undergoes. collected data are displayed on a computer and analyzed for change in rhythm parameters that in turn provide an estimate on wake-sleep parameters (such as total sleep time, percent of time spent asleep, total wake time, percent of time spent awake and the number of awakenings). actigraphy provides a useful, cost-effective, non-invasive and portable method for assessing specific sleep disorders. the present review is an amalgam of current knowledge with proposed clinical application and for research of actigraph. conclusion: actigraphy cannot stand alone as a diagnostic tool for all clinical groups. particularly so with those diagnosed with sleep disorders with significant motility or long catatonic periods of wakefulness during sleep.