[Sleep characteristics in patients with anxiety crises].

All night sleep EEG recordings were compared in patients with panic attacks, major depression, and normal controls. Total time asleep, total time awake and sleep efficiency were significantly different in normal controls as compared with the other groups. In contrast, REM latency and REM density were significantly different in depressed patients as compared with the other groups. Differences were also observed in stage I and DELTA sleep, but when age was considered as covariate these differences were no longer observed. These findings support the concept the patients with panic attacks have a sleep pattern that differs from normal subjects but that is also different from that of depressed patients. The implications of sleep recordings for psychiatric nosology are discussed.