Researching Sleep-Related Problems Drawing on Interviews With Both Patients and Their Partners: Thoughts About Post-Dissertation Research

I became interested in the study of sleep-related problems during graduate school after experiencing a bout of insomnia. This piece describes the context in which my research topic has emerged and its evolvement both during and after the dissertation period. It depicts some of the challenges and dilemmas I encountered while planning and carrying out the research. Issues discussed include the location of interviews, the passage of time between phases of data collection, the gap between the ideal and the feasible research design, and the role of interviewees as gatekeepers, as well as the importance of maintaining flexibility in qualitative research. The piece focuses, however, on the methodological and ethical dilemmas that emerge while conducting interviews with both patients and their partners.