I have a theory that many if not all mental illnesses may indeed really be forms of sleep disorders and thus may be amenable to sleep meds of one sort or another. I have attempted to study brain scans of schizophrenics, etc, from sites on the internet but have not found any clear correlations. Perhaps because the brain activity may be different than previously thought and unique and new. For instance, I think that anxiety or panic attacks may be a form of microsleeps where a person goes to sleep instantly, is not aware of this, and then suddenly awakens seconds or microseconds later and is seized by panic attacks or the fear of losing control, as you do when u go into the REM state. Also sleep paralysis is common upon suddenly awakening from the dream state, thus the fear of not having control.Perhaps also related to narcolepsy. As for schizophrenia, I believe it MAY be caused by someone who never completely awakens and stays in what is known as the hypnopompic dream state. During this real scientific state of REM dreaming, a person often hears voices, imagines things that are not real and sees strange people and things. (It has been put forth as a reason why alien abductions almost always occur at night- this what seems like a long period of abduction may really only last minutes in the distorted dream state before awakening. Also a time of sleep paralysis, the feeling that you cannot move. Anyway, I believe that some if not all forms of schizophrenia may be traced to a person who NEVER quite awakens from the dream state, thus the illusions and voices, etc. While in a schizophrenic break, they may actually be sleeping and dreaming at the same time. Impossible, well then explain sleepwalking and talking and doing things like driving your car under influence of certain sleep meds, such as Ambien. Anyway, just food for thought!