Background
Sleep disorders are particularly common in the primary care
setting, and are intimately interlinked with depression.
Objective
This article aims to review the relationship between sleep and
depression, with an emphasis on the foundation and clinical
salience of this relationship.
Discussion
Depression is the most common cause of insomnia, and
insomnia is highly prevalent in depression. This association has
a well characterised physiological foundation. Sleep disorder
in depression has prognostic and therapeutic implications.
Residual insomnia after remission of depression is predictive of
relapse, and prominent insomnia predicts a poorer treatment
outcome in depression. Evidence based management involves
integrating both pharmacological and behavioural strategies; the
latter includes sleep hygiene and regulating diurnal rhythms.
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