Misdiagnosing sleep disorders as primary psychiatric conditions
Open accessAbstract
Sleep disorders are relevant to psychiatric practice in a number of ways, including the possibility that they may be misdiagnosed as fundamentally psychiatric conditions in patients of all ages. This risk exists in a wide range of collectively very common sleep disorders which need to be considered in explaining insomnia, excessive sleepiness or disturbed episodes of behaviour associated with sleep (parasomnias). Examples given include circadian sleep–wake cycle disorders (such as the delayed sleep phase syndrome), obstructive sleep apnoea, narcolepsy, Kleine–Levin syndrome, sleep paralysis and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder. Failure to recognise and treat such disorders is likely to cause and perpetuate psychological problems. Correct recognition requires familiarity with the range and manifestations of sleep disorders.
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Because clinical manifestations are similar, sleep disorders may often be mistakenly attributed to the patient's primary psychiatric condition.
“Because the clinical manifestations are similar, sleep disorders may often be mistakenly attributed to the patient's primary psychiatric condition.46”
From Evaluating DSM-5 Insomnia Disorder and the Treatment of Sleep Problems in a Psychiatric Population (2018) · cites this paper as [46]
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- Authors
- Stores, G.
- Corresponding author
- Stores, Gregory
- Venue
- Advances in Psychiatric Treatment
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 69-77
- ISSN
- 1355-5146 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1481
- OpenAlex
- W2142366372
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 1.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
- Keywords
- sleep disorders, misdiagnosis, psychiatric comorbidity, insomnia, excessive sleepiness, parasomnias, circadian rhythm disruption, delayed sleep phase syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, Kleine-Levin syndrome, sleep paralysis, REM sleep behavior disorder, psychological comorbidity
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