Sleep impairment—most frequently insomnia—is the most commonly reported symptom in individuals who are in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia, reports Psychiatry Advisor.
Schizophrenia and sleep disturbances are both associated with a higher risk for health problems. Compared with patients with either condition alone, patients who have both disorders generally have worse outcomes and quality of life, higher mortality, and more severe symptoms. “Also, sleep disorders affect social and cognitive functioning, and therefore are likely to contribute in a significant way to the daily challenges commonly experienced by patients with schizophrenia,” review co-author Fabio Ferrarelli, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, told Psychiatry Advisor.
