# The Prevalence and Management of Poor Sleep Quality in a Secondary Care Mental Health Population [[Sleep]] https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452 - [[Many people with mental illness experience poor sleep]] - Poor sleep quality, particularly insomnia, is a frequent problem among individuals with mental health difficulties,[2](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B2) with reported prevalence rates of up to 78% in inpatient and outpatient populations.[3](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B3),[4](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B4) - [[Insomnia could be a disorder itself, or a symptom of a problem]] - Insomnia can be described as either an independent disorder (primary) or as a symptom of a mental disorder (secondary).[7](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B7) Regardless of onset temporal sequence, insomnia can evolve into an independent disorder.[7](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B7) - [[Insomnia affects the quality of life and could be a cause or maintain mental illness, increasing the risk of its relapse]] - Comorbid sleep difficulties negatively affect quality of life and functioning, and have been associated with the causation and maintenance of a range of psychiatric disorders, with increased risk of relapse.[2](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B2),[8](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B8) A “cyclical” relationship has been conceptualized, whereby sleep problems exacerbate psychiatric difficulties and vice versa.[2](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4452#B2)