Depression: Why You Can't Sleep and What to Do About It

 Sleep-deprived people are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic health conditions, and they may be more likely to suffer from depression than people who sleep better. This blog will explain why poor sleep can increase your risk of depression and what you can do about it. It’s time to get more shut-eye!

What Is Depression?

If you’re not depressed, you might find it hard to imagine what depression feels like. But, contrary to popular belief, people with depression aren’t always sad or crying—they might feel emotionally numb or empty. The signs of depression can be a mixture of these feelings. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, but therapy is also an option. Some people do well with both options together including other therapies like exercise or art therapy.

How does depression affect your sleep?

If you are suffering from depression, it can be challenging to get a good night’s sleep. Depression is a feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. Those feelings can keep you up at night because they make it hard for you to relax and fall asleep. That makes sense when you think about it; feeling down or depressed probably isn’t going to help you nod off. But how does that work? How do your feelings translate into not being able to sleep?

How can you fix the problem?

Depression is a mental disorder that can take a toll on your physical health. More than one-quarter of those diagnosed with depression report problems sleeping, including difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. Insomnia (the inability to sleep) is almost always associated with depression. Treating your depression can help improve sleep; treating your sleep disorders will help treat your depression—and both problems may be eased by working together. If you have trouble sleeping due to depression, here are some tips for improving it naturally.

Can Health Care Professionals Help?

If your depression affects your sleep, you should go for treatment. There are a variety of ways you can treat depression; talking therapy with a health care professional is an effective first step. Your therapist will probably recommend some lifestyle changes as well. These could include getting more exercise and eating better, both of which have been shown to help people with depression manage their symptoms.

What Can You Do For A Better Sleep?

One should talk with a doctor if they can't sleep on their own. These will not only help you sleep better at night, but also improve your mood during waking hours. As always, use caution when taking over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications—talk with your doctor about side effects as well as long-term effects if you do decide to take these types of medications for an extended period.

Complementary treatments

While there are many prescription drugs on offer for depression, they’re not always effective or appropriate. For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac are a standard treatment for depression; however, they can lead to withdrawal symptoms when people stop taking them. They also have a range of side effects, including nausea, headache, and sexual dysfunction. These can be problematic if you need to continue with your daily activities while trying to treat your depression.

Side Effects of Light Therapy

The theory behind light therapy is that it mimics sunlight by trying to regulate melatonin production in your body, which can help you fall asleep at night. However, light therapy does have some side effects including headaches, eyestrain, and agitation. If your doctor has approved light therapy for you, stick with it—light therapy does have been proven effective.

Antidepressants that have sedative side effects are not helpful for insomnia; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be a better choice

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT(psychotherapy),  has gained momentum in recent years as an effective alternative treatment for a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The purpose of CBT is to identify negative thought patterns that could be contributing to sleeping problems in patients who suffer from clinical depression, then replace these patterns with more positive thoughts. This helps patients change their behavior when they are confronted with stressful situations in their daily lives.

Conclusion

Many times when you suffer from depression it makes it more difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep. When you're sleep-deprived, you feel more stressed and depressed. If you suffer from severe depression talk with your doctor about antidepressants. Speak openly with your family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers about what’s going on inside of you so they can help support you during your time of need.