Background: Sleep disturbances are common co-morbid disturbances in mental disorders, and are often seen as secondary symptoms. The article aims to shed light on the most common sleep disturbances and their relation to mental disorders.
Material and method: This review is based on the authors' clinical experience and research, and articles identified by non-systematic searches of PubMed.
Results: Sleep problems appear commonly in most mental disorders. New data indicate that more often than not they are co-morbid clinical entities in their own right and not merely secondary symptoms of an underlying psychiatric disorder. They often precede an episode of mental illness, and are among the strongest risk factors for later development of anxiety, mood swings and psychosis. Effective treatment of the mental disorder will not necessarily alleviate the sleep problem. Effective diagnosis and treatment of sleep problems can improve the symptoms and prognosis in mental disorders. This has been shown especially for mood disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.
Interpretation: Sleep disturbances in patients with mental disorders should be diagnosed as co-morbid clinical entities in their own right. Knowledge of the different sleep disorders and their treatment in patients with mental disorders can lead to better acute treatment and prognosis for the mental disorders.