About this live event
Sleep disturbance appears in the diagnostic criteria for depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and ADHD. It is often regarded as a secondary symptom that will improve once the primary condition is treated. However, current evidence suggests that insomnia independently predicts the onset and recurrence of psychiatric illness, and treating sleep directly improves psychiatric outcomes. This session presents a clinically applicable model of sleep, including sleep architecture, the two-process model, circadian regulation, and the role of sleep in emotional processing. It then applies that model to assessment and treatment.
Participants will review the elements of a brief clinical sleep history, structured screening, and indicators of primary sleep disorders that resemble psychiatric presentations, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders in adolescents and shift workers. The treatment section covers the components of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and its delivery within an existing therapy relationship, adjunctive interventions such as light and timing strategies, and the limited effect of sleep hygiene used alone. A final section reviews the effects of common psychotropic and hypnotic medications on sleep, presented for non-prescribers, to support recognition of medication-related sleep problems and communication with prescribing clinicians.
