[Effect of new psychopharmaceuticals on sleep]

The relatively high contemporary knowledge of selective effects of new types of psychopharmacies on separate monoamine receptors calls upon the new clinical studies of the mechanism of sleep and, of sleep disorders and their relations to different mental disorders. From the clinical point of view, the most interesting seems to be studies of the role of serotonin in the mechanism of sleep, using specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and some atypical antipsychotics. Many hypotheses could be verified, e.g.: 1--Serotonin is one of the key neurotransmitters of the inner biological rhythms. 2--Synchronized interactions between different neurotransmitters and neuromodulators creates preconditions for the physiological circadian rhythms. 3--One of the most important mechanisms of the effect of antidepressants is the synchronization of individual biological rhythms and the positive influence on the postulated sleep process S. 4--Serotoninergic activity of atypical antipsychotics is closely connected with the influence of serotonin on the synchronization of biological rhythms.