Sleep deprivation and psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Sleep complaints are core features of many psychiatric disorders, and extensive literature documents the clinical link between sleep complaints and psychiatric disorders. The directionality is likely complex, as existing sleep disorders may predispose individuals to the development of, or vulnerability to, incident psychiatric disorders. Causality may occur on a continuum from more direct links (e.g., poor night-time sleep/insomnia causing anxiety symptoms) to less direct links (e.g., a primary sleep disorder increasing the vulnerability to psychiatric disorders over time). Here we summarize clinical studies linking sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders, with particular emphasis on epidemiological perspectives.