Understanding the Correlation between Insomnia and Depression

Feeling sad and low due to stress at work and home is a part of life. However, when such

emotions persist long enough to overwhelm a person and disrupt daily routine, it is a

symptom of depression. Depression is a severe mental health issue that affected

approximately 16.1 million American adults aged 18 or above at least once in 2014. The above

data once again underlines the growing menace of depression.

Overall, depression is

not an easy condition

to deal with. It affects

the way a person eats,

drinks, sleeps and

thinks. Unlike other

aspects, an individual’s

sleeping pattern and

depression are

dependent on each

other, as they are

responsible for

triggering each other.

Both of them have

common risk factors

and biological

repercussions and in most situations respond to similar treatments.

For a few, the lack of sleep, also known as insomnia, is a major trigger for depression. For

others, depression is a major contributing factor to an individual’s inability to sleep properly

and other problems related to sleep.

How depression affects sleep patterns

Depression affects an individual’s sleep pattern by disrupting the natural brain functioning,

which, in turn, disturbs the normal sleeping cycle of the person. An individual with depression

is likely to witness a variety of sleeping problems. Here some of the common ones:

Initial insomnia: Its main features include a delay in getting to sleep despite lying in

the bed and the intent to sleep due to wandering thoughts. While in some cases

people do eventually manage to sleep, in others people remain awake the entire night.

Middle insomnia: Also known as middle-of-the-night insomnia (MOTN) or nocturnal

awakenings, the person frequently wakes up during the night and is unable to get back

to sleep easily.

Late insomnia: Also known as early morning wakening, a person with this sleep

problem wakes up early in the morning and is unable to get back to sleep again.

Though there are times when a person with depression is lucky enough to get a sound sleep

during the night, this does not imply that he or she will feel fresh the next day. In fact, he or

she is likely to feel tired and exhausted even on the following day. A person with depression

is also likely to sleep a lot and spend most of his or her day in the bed that also results in him

or her feeling tired the next day.

Deprivation of sleep causes negative thinking

It has been scientifically established that a person must get at least eight hours of good sleep

during the night. This is because all the essential body processes responsible for protection

from any sort of health problems occur during this time. Additionally, it builds mental and

emotional resilience in a person.

In case of a person going through depression, it is normal to develop an inability to enjoy a

sound good night’s sleep. This is because depression disturbs one’s normal sleep cycle and

does not let the brain rest.

The deprivation of good sleep not only deteriorates a person’s mood but also causes negative

thinking. This in turn tends to make the person feel more depressed, thereby creating a

vicious cycle of negative thoughts.

Don’t treat sleep problems as normal

Though depression can be treated using a combination of psychotherapy and drugs, taking

proper rest can be of great help in curbing its symptoms. For someone with a sleep problem

and on the verge of developing depression, it is essential to get good sleep. Other activities,

such as regular exercise but not two hours before the bedtime; avoiding alcohol, particularly

in the evenings; and practicing relaxation techniques can be of great help.

If you know someone who is dealing with depression and is seeking help, contact the

Depression Treatment Helpline of Colorado. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 866-427-5668

to connect with our representatives for guidance on the depression treatment centers in

Colorado.

For more information, please visit

www.depressiontreatmentcolorado.com