[Sleep disorders in psychiatry and their treatment]

Sleep disturbances are frequent and multifaceted and have serious consequences. They play an important role within psychiatric symptoms and disorders. On the one hand they may appear as a symptom of a disorder, which may also be a diagnostic criterion, as for example in affective disorders, on the other hand they may be independent disorders or last but not least sequelae of psychiatric disorders or their pharmacological therapy, as with antidepressants or neuroleptics, which may cause or deteriorate nocturnal movement disorders. They may aggravate psychiatric disorders, perpetuate them or predict a disease onset, like in depressive or manic episodes. Also in organic sleep disorders, such as sleep-related breathing disorders or nocturnal movement disorders, increased anxiety or depression scores may be observed. Patients suffering from sleep disorders do not only experience impaired well-being, but also show deteriorations in cognition and performance, have a higher risk of accidents, are generally more prone to health problems, have a higher sickness absence rate, seek medical help more often and thus are also an important socioeconomic factor. This is why sleep disorders should be taken seriously and treated adequately.