Sleep Disturbance in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Preliminary Evidence for a Mechanistic Relationship

Purpose of Review: Sleep disturbance has received growing attention as a transdiagnostic factor that may contribute to multiple forms of psychopathology, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The extant literature regarding the role of sleep disturbance in OCD is rapidly developing. This review integrates the findings related to sleep and OCD over the past year and highlights important areas for future research. Recent Findings: Results indicate impaired sleep in those with OCD versus healthy controls and link sleep disturbance to OCD symptom severity in multiple samples. Findings from the past year also implicate cognitive control as a potential mechanism in this relationship. Finally, a recent treatment outcome study suggests that sleep disturbance may limit treatment response in pediatric OCD. Summary: Findings from the past year contribute to the robustness of the small, but growing body of literature linking sleep disturbance to OCD. These results highlight the importance of incorporating sleep disturbance into extant models of OCD and suggest that consideration of the biopsychosocial effects of sleep disturbance may offer novel insight into the etiology and treatment of OCD.