Investigating the relationship between sleep, autonomic nervous system function and psychiatric disorders in South Africans living in a low socio-economic environment

PhD candidate - Arron Correia

Poor sleep has a well-established bidirectional relationship with disorders such as depression and anxiety. Both poor sleep and mood- and anxiety-related disorders have been linked to altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. Parasympathetic activity should predominate during sleep, but stressful environments have been associated with increased sympathetic (i.e., fight-or-flight) activity during sleep. Therefore, we hypothesise that anxiety and depression may alter ANS function, perhaps in the form of hyperarousal, which may mediate the sleep-mental health relationship.