Genetics Awakens the Complex Relationship Between Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

The complex relationship between mental health and sleep disturbances was recognized by Hippocrates, who argued that sleeplessness is a sign of suffering and may lead to mental illness, while daytime sleepiness is an indication of malady (Hippocratic Corpus, about 400 bc). However, with sleep disturbances common among patients with psychiatric disorders, the prevailing modern view has been that psychiatric disorders have a major impact on sleep; indeed, sleep problems are listed as symptoms and diagnostic criteria for many psychiatric conditions (1).