Understanding Schizophrenia: Causes and Symptoms

7. Altered Sleep Patterns

Most people with schizophrenia experience sleep disturbances, and this is often an early sign of the onset of the disease. Mental health experts say people with schizophrenia experience comorbid sleep disorder, a combination of insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome.

Some people with schizophrenia also experience periodic limb movement disorder, where the limbs move involuntarily during sleep (this differs from restless leg syndrome because the movements do not keep the individual awake). These symptoms and lack of adequate sleep can exacerbate schizophrenia and result in serious psychosis.