Sleep disturbances in patients treated for panic disorder

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Disturbed night sleep is a common complaint of patients with panic disorder. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate whether the sleep disturbances can be successively influenced by the standard therapy for treating panic disorder. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Psychiatric examinations of 20 outpatients with panic disorder were supplemented with a study of sleep quality using standardised interviews, sleep logs and polysomnographic recordings. RESULTS: A statistical comparison of data showed that reduced anxiety after successful treatment of panic disorder was not necessarily followed by improved sleep parameters. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the conventional therapy applied to these patients is not sufficient to treat the co-existing insomnia. Consequently, it seems to be of importance to supplement the treatment of panic disorders with specific treatment of the sleep disturbance.