What polysomnography finding is commonly observed in patients with insomnia?

In patients with insomnia, the polysomnography findings typically include increased sleep latency and fragmented sleep. Increased sleep latency refers to the longer time it takes for a person to fall asleep, which is a hallmark characteristic of insomnia. Fragmented sleep indicates that the individual experiences frequent awakenings during the night or lighter stages of sleep, preventing them from achieving the restorative benefits of sleep.

This finding aligns with the clinical manifestations of insomnia, where individuals often report difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep. As a result, the sleep they do manage to attain is often of poor quality, leading to a heightened state of fatigue and impairment during the waking hours.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately represent the common polysomnographic findings associated with insomnia. For example, shortened sleep latency is more often observed in conditions such as sleep deprivation or certain types of sleep disorders but is not typical in insomnia. Prolonged deep sleep stages and consistent sleep patterns are also not characteristics associated with insomnia, as these conditions would imply a more normal sleep architecture, which is not present in individuals suffering from this sleep disorder.