Prevalence and clinical features of depressed adolescents co-occurring insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2026 May 19. doi: 10.1007/s00406-026-02274-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and clinical characteristics of depressed adolescents with concurrent insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms (EDS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2021 to January 2024, 491 depressed adolescents from eight hospitals in Anhui Province, China, were included in this study. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical features were compared in four groups: co-occurring insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms (INS-EDS), insomnia symptom only (INS-Only), excessive daytime sleepiness symptom only (EDS-Only), and no insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms (No INS-EDS).

RESULTS: Of 491 depressed adolescents, 73 (14.9%) had both insomnia and EDS symptoms. They had more severe depression (OR = 1.487, 95% CI = 1.067-2.074), more intense suicidal ideation (OR = 1.052, 95% CI = 1.019-1.086), lower quality of life (OR = 0.794, 95% CI = 0.631-0.999), and were more likely to experience dissolution of parental relationships (OR = 2.371, 95% CI = 1.254-4.484). Meanwhile, patients with both insomnia and EDS were more likely to be addicted to the Internet and experience cyberbullying than those in the No INS-EDS group.

CONCLUSION: The joint presentation of insomnia and EDS in depressed adolescents was linked to more severe depressive symptoms, more intense suicidal ideation, lower quality of life, and a higher likelihood of parental relationship dissolution. Large-scale studies are needed to investigate sleep abnormalities in adolescents with major depressive disorder.

PMID:42154267 | DOI:10.1007/s00406-026-02274-2