title: [Sleep disturbances in patients with mental disorders].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep disturbances are common co-morbid disturbances in mental disorders, and are often seen as secondary symptoms. The article aims to shed light on the most common sleep disturbances and their relation to mental disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review is based on the authors' clinical experience and research, and articles identified by non-systematic searches of PubMed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sleep problems appear commonly in most mental disorders. New data indicate that more often than not they are co-morbid clinical entities in their own right and not merely secondary symptoms of an underlying psychiatric disorder. They often precede an episode of mental illness, and are among the strongest risk factors for later development of anxiety, mood swings and psychosis. Effective treatment of the mental disorder will not necessarily alleviate the sleep problem. Effective diagnosis and treatment of sleep problems can improve the symptoms and prognosis in mental disorders. This has been shown especially for mood disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep disturbances in patients with mental disorders should be diagnosed as co-morbid clinical entities in their own right. Knowledge of the different sleep disorders and their treatment in patients with mental disorders can lead to better acute treatment and prognosis for the mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institutt for klinisk medisin, Universitetet i Bergen, Postboks 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway. fred.holsten@psyk.uib.no
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Holsten
authors.forename: Ståle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pallesen
authors.forename: Børge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sivertsen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy