Depression and Insomnia

For many people, depression and insomnia seem to go hand in hand.

In fact sometimes it can be a kind of 'the chicken or the egg? situation.

Conversely, people who are already suffering from insomnia, are at a greater risk of developing depression or anxiety disorders, than those of us who sleep well.

When treating people with both these disorders, doctors have found that treating the insomnia helps patients overcome their depression more quickly.

Although a common perception of the connection between depression and sleep is that someone who is depressed may want to sleep all the time, or have trouble getting out of bed.

In reality, research has found that this particular reaction only occurs in about 15% of depressed patients. Depression and insomnia are much more likely to be found together.

Studies have also shown that elderly people who suffer from insomnia (but have no previous history of depression) are at up to 6 times more likely to develop symptoms of depression at some point.

Sleep deprivation and your emotions

Poor concentration, a short-temper, aggression or tears... they're all much more likely when you're over-tired. A study done at the University of California found that people lose a certain amount of control over their emotions and reactions when they're short of sleep.

The research showed that sleep deprivation seems to trigger an almost 'hyperactive response' in the region of the brain that normally keeps our emotions under control.

As both anxiety and depression are highly emotional conditions, this helps to explain the strong link between depression and insomnia.

A study conducted by the University of Basle, in Switzerland, found that 'persistent sleep disturbances are associated with significant risk of both relapse and recurrence in mood disorders and an increased risk of suicide'.

The report also stated that 'patients with major depression show profoundly altered patterns of nocturnal hormone secretion, possibly through mechanisms that link regulation of sleep with neuroendocrine activity'.

In 'normal-people-language', this basically means that sleep disturbances or deprivation increases our risk of developing anxiety, depression, or mood disorders (or relapsing if we have a history of these conditions but are currently symptom-free).

It also says that depression seems to alter our brain-chemistry which may, in turn, affect our ability to sleep by upsetting the hormone balance.

Treating Depression and Insomnia

SSRI's include the medications Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft and Paxil. Sometimes a hypnotic sleep medication (for example Ambien or Sonata) will be also be prescribed by your doctor.

In addition to medications, cognitive-behavioral therapy, counseling and psychotherapy can be very helpful in treating the combination of depression and insomnia.

An approach that combines prescription medicines plus therapy may produce the best long-term results.

That's because the drugs often work in an immediate way to reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression or insomnia, while the therapy helps you to learn coping strategies and ways to reduce the 'triggers', which can reduce (or even prevent) a recurrence of your condition/s.

If you're suffering from depression, check out this very helpful site. It has all the information you need to overcome this problem and get you on the road to recovery ............

All on Depression Help - Information and Inspiration for Overcoming Depression - Need depression help? Overcoming depression starts with understanding the condition: what it is, its types, causes, signs, symptoms and effects. We provide the needed information, inspiration and natural remedies.

Once the acute symptoms are under control, there are a lot of different things that you can do to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. You'll find lots of information, tips and advice that will help you get a better nights' sleep, on my How To Sleep Better page.

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