Sleep habits in middle-aged, non-hospitalized men and women with schizophrenia: A comparison with healthy controls

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 179; no. 3; pp. 274 - 278
• Main Authors: Poulin, Julie, Chouinard, Sylvie, Pampoulova, Tania, Lecomte, Yves, Stip, Emmanuel, Godbout, Roger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30.10.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian rhythm; Female; Habits; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Outpatients; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Questionnaires; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenia - physiopathology; Schizophrenic disorder; Severity of Illness Index; Sleep - physiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - complications; Sleep Wake Disorders - diagnosis; Sleep Wake Disorders - physiopathology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Schizophrenic disorder; Outpatients; Circadian rhythm; Questionnaires; Human; Questionnaire; Schizophrenia; Psychometrics; Hospital environment; Male; Biological rhythm; Psychosis; Sleep; Adult; Female; Sleep wake cycle; Woman; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2009.08.009

Abstract Patients with schizophrenia may have sleep disorders even when clinically stable under antipsychotic treatments. To better understand this issue, we measured sleep characteristics between 1999 and 2003 in 150 outpatients diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 80 healthy controls using a sleep habits questionnaire. Comparisons between both groups were performed and multiple comparisons were Bonferroni corrected. Compared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia reported significantly increased sleep latency, time in bed, total sleep time and frequency of naps during weekdays and weekends along with normal sleep efficiency, sleep satisfaction, and feeling of restfulness in the morning. In conclusion, sleep-onset insomnia is a major, enduring disorder in middle-aged, non-hospitalized patients with schizophrenia that are otherwise clinically stable under antipsychotic and adjuvant medications. Noteworthy, these patients do not complain of sleep-maintenance insomnia but report increased sleep propensity and normal sleep satisfaction. These results may reflect circadian disturbances in schizophrenia, but objective laboratory investigations are needed to confirm subjective sleep reports.