Borderline Personality Pathology, Polysomnography, and Self-Reported Sleep Problems: A Review

There is a growing body of research that links borderline personality pathology to sleep disturbance through polysomnography (PSG) and self-report studies. Twelve PSG studies are reviewed that found sleep differences in recordings of sleep parameters such as sleep continuity, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep in borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients compared to controls. Further, since the turn of the century, self-report methodology has been increasingly utilized to investigate this relationship, and findings from these studies are reviewed. The evidence suggests that borderline personality pathology is uniquely associated with sleep disturbance. Future directions for this research are discussed.