Sleep problems and sleep medication involvement of psychiatric patients

Psychiatric patients received a computer interview that assessed 27 life problem areas. Within the sleep area, difficulty falling asleep was compared to awakening problems and appeared to be a more severe patient problem in terms of the large number of associated nonsleep problems. The patient's intensity of physical tension and degree of excessive solitary behavior were related to the problem of falling asleep. The major variables associated with awakening problems were pain and physical complications interfering with sleep. Patients with a strong sleep medication involvement were found to use multiple classes of drugs, to use a greater overall quantity of drugs, and to express various drug problems. A combination of physical tension, anxiety, and depression were predictive of patients' sleep medication involvement, whereas no one particular group of sleep problems indicated a significantly greater involvement than another group.