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Sleep disturbances in bereavement: A systematic review
Marike Lancel1, Margaret Stroebe2, Maarten C Eisma3
1Department of Clinical Psychology & Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Psychiatric Sleep Center Assen, Mental Health Services Drenthe, the Netherlands.
Sleep Medicine Reviews
|June 8, 2020
Summary
Sleep disturbances are common after bereavement and linked to complicated grief (CG). Further research is needed to understand the causal link between sleep and grief, and to develop targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sleep Medicine
- Bereavement Studies
Background:
- Severe grief, now recognized as complicated grief (CG) disorders, affects many bereaved individuals.
- Sleep disturbances are known to exacerbate affective and stress-related conditions.
- The specific role of sleep difficulties in bereavement and CG lacks comprehensive scientific investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize existing research on the relationship between sleep disturbances and bereavement.
- To clarify the prevalence, risk factors, and potential causal links between sleep issues and complicated grief.
- To identify gaps in the literature and suggest future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed, English-language articles.
- Searched major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsychInfo) for studies involving bereaved samples and sleep disturbance measures.
- Included 85 articles encompassing 12,294 participants.
Main Results:
- Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in bereaved individuals.
- Increased grief intensity correlates positively with sleep difficulties.
- Complicated grief is associated with a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances, often worsened by comorbid depression.
- Preliminary evidence suggests a potential causal relationship between complicated grief and sleep disturbances.
Conclusions:
- Sleep disturbances are a significant issue in bereavement and complicated grief.
- While grief therapy may partially improve sleep, interventions specifically targeting sleep problems in the bereaved are needed.
- Further intensive longitudinal and randomized controlled trials are required to confirm causal relationships and evaluate the impact of treating sleep problems on complicated grief outcomes.
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