CLINICIANS have long noted the prevalence of sleep disorders in psychiatric patients, and commented on their importance. Most Standard psychiatric textbooks concur, noting that disturbed patterns of sleeping are found in many of the formal behavior disorders, with depression and acute schizophrenic reactions usually being the most common ones mentioned.1,2
Interest in sleep research has received new impetus from the work of Kleitman et al.3,4 Due to their pioneering efforts, it has become possible for the first time to study the manner in which the various parameters of sleep are affected by experimental sleep and dream deprivation, and the administration of drugs.5-17 Such investigations have been paralleled by attempts to document the older clinical impressions concerning sleep and mental disorders, and efforts to examine any specific relationships that exist. Some reports have been published already regarding disordered sleep in schizophrenic, depressive,