Sleep Disorders Among People With Schizophrenia: Emerging Research

Abstract

Up to 80 % of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders experience sleep disturbances, which impact physical and mental health, as well as quality of life. In this paper, we review and integrate emerging literature, published between 2012 and 2014, regarding approaches to diagnosis and treatment of major sleep disorders for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), circadian rhythm dysfunction, and restless legs syndrome (RLS). We advocate for (1) the need to evaluate the utility of nonpharmacological approaches in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders; (2) documentation of guidelines to assist providers in clinically tailoring such interventions when their clients experience positive, negative, and/or cognitive symptoms; (3) research on the best ways providers can capitalize on clients' self-identified needs and motivation to engage in sleep treatments through shared decision making; and (4) the importance of investigating whether and how mental health and sleep treatment services should be better connected to facilitate access for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Assessment and tailored treatment of sleep disorders within mental health treatment settings has the potential to reduce sleep problems and improve functioning, quality of life, and recovery of this population.

The Relationship between Body Weight Change and Body Constitutions of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Patients with Schizophrenia

“…This study highlights the fact that schizophrenic patients with disharmonious body constitutions exhibit unhealthy lifestyle habits, stress, and obesity. Previous studies demonstrate that an unhealthy lifestyle with reduced physical activity, sleep disturbances, and poor diet selection impacts physical and mental health, which is similar to our findings [39, 40]. Further studies are required to confirm the results of our studies.…”

Subjective sleep quality and sleep duration of patients in a psychiatric hospital

“…Up to 80% of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SCZ) report sleep disturbances [3], including increased sleep onset latency, shorter sleep duration (total sleep time) and decreased sleep efficiency [1], [2]. Self-reported sleep disturbances are already prevalent in early psychosis and seem to be associated with symptom severity [4].…”

Sleep, Nightmares and Schizophrenia

“…Precisely because it is very much appreciated, one can never dismiss the operation of a placebo effect in reports of well-being. No specific effect on psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations has been demonstrated as of yet, but this line of research is worth pursuing because sleep pathology and psychosis pathology share some commonalities such as paranoid themes and a lack of appreciation that what is being seen and heard is not real [88][89][90][91]. In general, sleep disorders cut across many psychiatric diagnoses whose symptoms overlap with each other to significant degrees [92], which is why it makes sense for clinicians to address sleep issues in all mental illness, including schizophrenia.…”