Sex Differences in Subjective Sleep Quality Patterns in Schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Sleep Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Sleep dysfunction is a common issue in schizophrenia.
• Sex differences are known in schizophrenia, but not specifically in sleep patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in subjective sleep quality among individuals with schizophrenia.
• To compare sleep patterns between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for assessment.
• Included 75 patients with schizophrenia and 82 healthy controls (HC).

Main Results:

• Schizophrenia patients reported more sleep disturbances, longer sleep duration, and greater daytime dysfunction than HC.
• Female patients with schizophrenia had poorer sleep quality and more disturbances than female HC.
• Male patients with schizophrenia reported longer sleep duration and more daytime dysfunction than male HC.

Conclusions:

• Patients with schizophrenia exhibit varied sleep difficulties, with sex-specific differences compared to healthy individuals.
• Sleep dysfunction severity correlated with symptom severity in male patients.
• Findings suggest the need for sex-tailored interventions for sleep complaints in schizophrenia.