Everything you always wanted to know about sleep, but you were afraid to ask: expert concise guide and recommendations on assessing sleep-wake disturbances within a psychiatric context in contemporary times.

OBJECTIVE

While disrupted sleep has long been linked to mental disorders there has been a notable decrease in interest and sleep-wake disorders have received low priority in psychiatric care. The aim of the paper was to present a concise guide for evaluating common sleep-wake disturbances within a psychiatric framework to revitalise the importance of sleep in psychiatry.

METHODS

A systematic search strategy was conducted on the importance of sleep-wake assessment in psychiatry (search #1), the typology of sleep-wake disturbances in psychiatric practice (search #2), the guidelines on assessment of sleep-wake disturbances (search#3). Results were summarised and discussed in a narrative way.

RESULTS

Evidence suggests that assessing sleep-wake disturbances improves prevention and treatment outcomes in psychiatric patients. Insomnia remains the most common disorder, though other sleep disturbances are highly prevalent. A structured two-step evaluation-combining initial patient clinical interviews with standardised self-report questionnaires-may assist in diagnosis and monitor outcomes.

CONCLUSION

A concise guide on how to assess sleep-wake disturbances in psychiatry was summarised for psychiatric clinical practice.