Mar 26, 2014
A panel discussion. Sleep disturbance is a key behavioral risk factor for several medical illnesses including cardiovascular disease and diabetes and is implicated in the pathogenesis of psychopathology, most prominently mood and anxiety disorders. For instance, prospective studies find poor sleep to be a significant and independent contributor to major depressive disorder and a common residual symptom upon remission. How sleep affects health and, in particular, psychopathology risk remains unclear; however, recent experimental evidence points to enhanced sensitivity to stressful or negative emotional stimuli.