Patterns of Insomnia in Depressive Illness: A Subjective Evaluation

¹ Edinburgh University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh, 10

The sleep pattern of 102 depressed patients (Reactive depression 59, Endogenous depression 43) was investigated by a questionnaire method, with particular reference to time taken to fall asleep, early waking and morning tiredness.

The results of this study do not reveal any difference between the two groups in time taken to fall asleep. The endogenous group suffered more morning tiredness as compared with the reactive group, but the difference is not significant statistically. However, early waking was more marked in endogenous than reactive depressions, the differences being highly significant statistically (p<.01).

The findings of this investigation suggest that although both types of depression produce disturbances of sleep, early waking is significantly more marked in the endogenous group.