Loss of slow-wave sleep.

A 40-year-old Hispanic American male, who weighed 165 lb and was 5’11” tall, consented to participate in a 3-day sleep protocol and was admitted to the UCLA General Clinical Research Center. The patient complained of fatigue during the day and difficulty initiating sleep, along with 3 to 4 awakenings per night. He denied snoring and having any difficulty breathing during sleep. A 2-week sleep diary confirmed his sleep-wake pattern. The patient also denied any history of head injury, epilepsy, or anoxia and the use of any over-the-counter or prescription medication use for the previous month. A diagnosis of current depression was ruled out, though he reported having been treated for depression with Paxil 2 years ago, when he took his last dose of Paxil. The patient reported alcohol consumption of 10 drinks per day, 12 days per month, with last his drink 18 days prior to study admission to the research center.