An anamnestic sleep questionnaire was developed with which 41 unselected but seriously ill hospitalised patients in the age of 23 to 71 years (43,7 y.) were investigated. 1. The data analysis suggests that disturbed sleep is an universal problem but it shows significantly in the clinic. The frequently fragmented sleep occurs to be the most important form of disturbed sleep patterns. 2. Answers to often used stereotyped questions on the conditions of sleep are neither correlated to the subjective status nor to objective behavioral datas of sleep. 3. Physical-technical stimulus patterns occur to be of minor importance related to internal conditions in disturbing the sleep. Highly range fear of medical investigation (71%) and expectation of an uncertain future. This underlines the necessity of a psychosocial guidance of hospitalised patients. 4. Accordingly the medication rate of hypnotices and tranquilizers is high-rated; the percentage of patients who are engaged in exercising consciously presomnic behavioral patterns is low. Patients who demonstrate a negative attitude towards soporifics perceive side effects on a significantly larger scale than positively motivated patients. A negative attitude towards these drugs has no behavioral consequences.