Sleep & Psychiatry: Not to Miss the Wake-Up Call-View Presentation Slides

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The document titled "Sleep and Psychiatry: Not to Miss the Wake-Up Call" by Dr. Kamalika Roy emphasizes the crucial role of sleep in mental health and highlights the interplay of sleep physiology with psychiatric disorders. Sleep is framed as an evolutionary, adaptive function essential for conserving energy, maintaining physiological homeostasis, and supporting host defense. The document details the implications of inadequate sleep, such as increased blood pressure, altered hormonal balances, and heightened levels of inflammatory markers.<br /><br />Dr. Roy explores how sleep stages contribute to cognitive functions and memory consolidation, with sleep deprivation negatively affecting these processes. Various psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and schizophrenia, are linked with significant sleep disturbances, suggesting a bidirectional relationship where sleep issues can exacerbate these disorders and vice versa.<br /><br />The text also explains the neurobiology of sleep, distinguishing between Non-Rapid-Eye-Movement (Non-REM) and Rapid-Eye-Movement (REM) sleep, and discusses the influence of circadian rhythms, regulated by light exposure and lifestyle factors like exercise and diet, on sleep health. The impact of lifestyle factors on sleep, specifically in populations with inadequate sleep such as shift workers and those experiencing seasonal affective disorder, is scrutinized, with recommendations for lifestyle-based interventions to mitigate sleep disturbances.<br /><br />There’s an emphasis on the integration of lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, proper diet, weight management, and the use of CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea as viable strategies for improving sleep and consequently, mental health. The document calls for systematic research on sleep-focused interventions and stresses the importance of addressing social determinants of health, like access to healthcare and environmental conditions, that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

Keywords

sleep and mental health

psychiatric disorders

sleep physiology

cognitive functions

circadian rhythms

lifestyle interventions

REM and Non-REM sleep

sleep deprivation

social determinants of health

obstructive sleep apnea