Sleep disturbance and HIV disease

HIV-associated sleep disturbance may be easy to overlook, underdiagnose, and undertreat, due to the many medical and psychosocial problems faced by people with HIV disease. Identifying the cause of the disturbance and distinguishing between sleep disturbance and fatigue are critical for effective treatment. A thorough patient history can help clinicians provide accurate diagnosis and therapy. To date, there is no known remedy to correct HIV-associated sleep disturbance. Clinicians should consider behavior modification techniques, such as relaxation training, habit training, and reversal of negative conditioning, before administering sleep medications.