ABSTRACT
Mood disorders are a prevalent problem with serious consequences for individual and public health. Major depressive disorder itself causes functional impairments and reductions in quality of life similar to or greater than those for common medical disorders, such as coronary heart disease or diabetes mellitus.1 Sleep disturbances are among the most common clinical symptoms in depression. Moreover, characteristic alterations of poly - somnographic sleep patterns are among the most consistently replicated biologic alterations in depressed patients.2 Studying sleep – as a window to the brain – may provide significant insights into the pathophysiology of depressive disorders, ultimately leading to better diagnosis and treatment.
