sleep disorders

A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. A test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders is the polysomnography. Disruptions in sleep can be caused by a variety of issues, from teeth grinding (bruxism) to night terrors. When a person suffers from difficulty in sleeping with no obvious cause, it is referred to as insomnia. In addition, sleep disorders may also cause sufferers to sleep excessively, a condition known as hypersomnia. Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions.

Our sleep disorders Blogs

Time to ACT for insomnia? New trial finds possible alternative to CBTi

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Nicholas Donnelly considers a recent Brazilian randomised controlled trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia.

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Are ‘night owls’ more at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours? New review on social and circadian rhythm dysregulation

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Nick Donnelly explores a recent systematic review, which finds a small association between identifying as a night owl and experiences of suicide.

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Is a sleep intervention delivered by non-expert practitioners feasible for youth mental health?

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In her debut blog, Emma Sullivan explores a new paper looking at the feasibility of a CBT for insomnia intervention (delivered by non-expert practitioners) for young people with mental health difficulties.

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Shorter sleep and depression: what role do our genes play?

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Nick Donnelly discusses how one’s genetic predisposition to shorter sleep is associated with the onset of depression in older adults.

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Unprecedented times: pregnancy and mental health in the era of COVID-19

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Siobhan D’Almeida explores a recent paper which finds that pregnant individuals experienced high levels of anxiety and depression during COVID-19.

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Can a good night’s sleep help prevent youth depression and anxiety? #CAMHScampfire

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Colin Espie sets us up for the #CAMHScampfire event taking place on 10th Dec 2020 by highlighting recent research into the links between disturbed sleep in adolescence and subsequent depression or anxiety.

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The role of paramedics in suicide prevention: links between sleep, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts

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Kirsten Russell and Susan Rasmussen summarise a recent cohort study on self-reported sleep disturbance in ambulance attendances for suicidal ideation and attempted suicide, which suggests a possible role for paramedics in suicide prevention.

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Sleep problems in infancy: a possible risk factor for ADHD?

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Jack Barton summarises a recent longitudinal study from Finland, which suggests that sleep difficulties in infancy are associated with symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the age of 5 years.

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Is too much screen time bad for our children? Perhaps, but how much do we really know?

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David Turgoose explores a systematic review of reviews that looks at the effects of screen time on the health and well-being of children and adolescents. The review found that higher levels of screen time were related to some physical and mental health concerns, such as poor diet, obesity and depression.

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Young people with autism suffer poorer sleep quality than their peers

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A group of UCL Masters students summarise a systematic review and meta-analysis of subjective and objective studies, which explores sleep problems in young people with autism spectrum disorders.

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