Sleep disturbances that may be reported and their cognitive impact include:

• A. Insomnia or hypersomnia; sleep deprivation can worsen attention, memory, and mood
• B. Sleep disturbances have no cognitive effect
• C. Only nocturnal seizures
• D. Sleep disturbances do not affect cognition

Answer: (A)

When sleep is disrupted, daytime thinking and mood are often the first things that suffer. Insomnia or hypersomnia means someone isn’t getting steady, restorative sleep, and that lack of quality sleep tends to dull attention, slow reaction time, and impair working memory. It also disrupts emotional regulation, making mood more volatile or depressed. This connection between sleep and cognitive function is well established, so the statement that sleep disturbances and resulting sleep deprivation can worsen attention, memory, and mood best captures what patients commonly experience and what clinicians should look for.

Other options aren’t as accurate because sleep problems do consistently affect cognition; saying there’s no cognitive effect misses a fundamental link. And nocturnal seizures represent a specific sleep-related event rather than the broader cognitive impact seen with common sleep disturbances like insomnia or hypersomnia.