The Psychiatric Subspecialty of Sleep Disorders Medicine

Those in the field of psychiatry have long held a strong interest in sleep and its relation to dreaming and to mental dysfunction. Jolly West, himself, was among the early investigators who were interested in the relationship between sleep deprivation and psychopathology and its clinical applications. He recognized the importance of sleep deprivation as a means of lowering individuals’ physical strength and mental resistance and defenses. In turn, he pioneered the application of these astute observations to the understanding of clinical phenomena such as brainwashing in prisoners of war, posttraumatic stress disorder in torture victims, and behavioral control in certain cults.