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Sleep disorders

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Introduction top

Most psychiatric disorders are accompanied by complaints about sleep disturbances . Approximately 35 to 40% of patients with chronic sleep disturbances, principally insomnia, suffer from a psychiatric disorder, in most cases depression.
This underlines yet again the importance of a psychiatric case history and psychiatric examination in the case of severe sleep disorders. It is however not always clear what came first, the sleep disorder or the first symptoms of the psychiatric disorder.
In general it can be assumed that in the case of sleep disorders of psychiatric origin, treatment must primarily focus on the psychiatric disturbance. Sleep problems usually disappear with improvements in the psychiatric disorder. If that is not the case, then further assessment of a possible sleep disorder is recommended, since a psychiatric disorder may occur in combination with for example a sleeping apnea syndrome or in rare cases, narcolepsy or a REM sleep behaviour disorder.

For basic information about sleep management and sleep disorders, the handbooks listed in the Book section are recommended.
As a global orientation to sleep disorders in psychiatry, the following table summarises the psychiatric disorders which are linked to sleep disorders. Insomnia complaints are the most common.
 

Table: psychiatric disorders often linked with sleep disorders

With insomnia:

Schizophrenia
Mood disorders
Depression
Dysthymia
Bipolar disorder
Cyclothymia
Anxiety disorders
Panic disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Other disorders
Somatoform disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Personality disorders
 

With hypersomnia :
Bipolar disorder, depressive episode
Seasonal affective disorder

The selected links
Links chosen under this topic provide access to the most relevant information in the area of sleep and sleep disorders. They were selected for their quality and provide access to many other information resources. The journals listed represent the most prominent scientific publications in the field.


Bookstop

  • Concise Guide to Evaluation and Management of Sleep Disorders

    Reite, M., Ruddy, J. & Nagel, K. Concise Guide to Evaluation and Management of Sleep Disorders. APA Press 2002, 293 pages, ISBN 1585620459.
    Useful book, particularly in every day psychiatric practice. Because it is not available via the APA site, this link is to Amazon.com.

  • ICSD - International classification of sleep disorders

    Diagnostic Classification Steering Committee, Thorpy, M.J. (Chairman). ICSD - International classification of sleep disorders: Diagnostic and coding manual. American Sleep Disorders Association, Rochester, Minnesota 1990.
    Comprehensive description of the internationally used sleep disorder classification system. Appropriate for professional libraries and specialised practices.  The DSM-IV classification is an abbreviated version of this system.

  • Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine

    Kryger, M.H., Roth, T. & Dement, W.C. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine: Expert Consult Enhanced Online Features and Print, 5th edition. Saunders / Elsevier Science, Philadelphia 2011, ISBN 978-1-4377-0731-1

    Comprehensive textbook for sleep specialists and professional libraries.


Conferencestop

  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)

    The Calendar of Events provides an overview of the meetings currently scheduled by this international scientific association for the study of sleep, biological rhythms. and sleep disorders.

  • European Sleep Research Society (ESRS)

    Click on the meetings button for an overview of the meetings currently scheduled by this international scientific association for the study of sleep, biological rhythms, and sleep disorders.

  • World Federation of Sleep Research Societies

    Click on the meetings button for an overview of the meetings currently scheduled by this international scientific Association for the study of sleep, biological rhythms, and sleep disorders.


Portalstop

  • New Abstracts and Papers in Sleep (NAPS)

    Offers a free 'Current Alerting Service' by which you receive weekly e-mail reports with abstracts of recent publications in journals and books. The site includes the NAPS Archives and a search engine on author, category, or key word.

  • Sleep Home Pages

    Excellent site of the World Federation of Sleep Research Societies, with many relevant links, including access to the sites of other scientific associations in the field of sleep and chronobiology, treatment protocols for sleep disorders, and a complete syllabus on sleep regulation and sleep disorders (Sleep Syllabus) and various expert panels.

  • The Sleep Medicine Home Page

    Interesting site managed by the sleep researcher M.J. Thorpy: "This home page lists resources regarding all aspects of sleep including, the physiology of sleep, clinical sleep medicine, sleep research, federal and state information, patient information, and business-related groups. If you have any additional sleep-related information appropriate for this listing send me information by e-mail".

  • Sleepnet.com

    Good site for the layperson, with many links, including patient associations. "Everything you wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask."


Journalstop

  • Journal of Biological Rhythms

    Pre-eminent journal which publishes mainly basic research articles about biological rhythms, including sleep-wake rhythms.

  • Journal of Sleep Research (JSR)

    An important scientific journal for both fundamental and clinical research, sponsored by the European sleep research Society (ESRS -see also under Associations).

  • Sleep

    Gives the table of contents of this premier journal from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM - see under Associations) and the Sleep Research Society.

  • Sleep Medicine

    Publishers primarily clinical research since the year 2000.

  • Sleep Medicine Reviews

    Publishes good review articles on clinical subjects.  Some issues available online in their entirety.


Associationstop