Revealed: Sleep Disorders and Depression Are Related!

It's very interesting and somewhat ironic that many sleep disorders and depression are related and even intertwined.  A person suffering from severe problems with sleeping can find that they're exhausted all day, which leads to depression.  And when someone has clinical depression they're less likely to be able to sleep at night or may sleep far too much during the day, which in turn just causes more sleep problems.  Let's take a closer look at how sleep disorders and depression are connected and how they can be addressed, together and separately.

As mentioned, sleep disorders and depression are often related because someone that suffers from unchecked insomnia can feel tired and lethargic all day long.  They also typically suffer from nausea and muscle pain.  These things can lead to depression as a person struggles to cope with these problems.  Often sleep disorders and depression are connected because it's difficult to feel positive and energetic and to accomplish things when you're tired and drowsy.  Many problems with sleep lead to inactivity and this too can put a person into a depression.

On the other hand sleep disorders and depression are connected because someone with depression has a lack of energy overall and so may be inactive during the day.  This means that they're just not tired enough to get to sleep at night.  Very often sleep disorders and depression are intertwined because often depressed persons oversleep and take naps during the day, again, disrupting the sleep cycle at night.  The body needs a solid eight hours of sleep in a 24-hour cycle but it's not unusual for depressed persons to sleep for ten, twelve, or even more hours than that in one day.  

Sometimes the best way to address sleep disorders and depression is to do exactly what you don't want to do when you have one of these conditions or both at the same time.  We're talking about being active physically.  Rarely does anyone with sleep disorders and depression feel like getting up and getting out, but this is usually the best way to address these conditions.  Being active raises the metabolism which helps a person to sleep at night.  Exercise and physical activity also release endorphins, those "feel good" chemicals that help to alleviate and regulate mood. 

While clinical depression is a serious condition that often needs medical intervention from a professional, being active can help to alleviate many of the symptoms of this disease.  Persons with sleep disorders and depression may want to simply take a long nap every chance they get or may want to simply sit and do nothing all day, but this is really the worst thing for either of these conditions and for both together.  Exercise and activity do not need to be strenuous but should be done on a regular basis.  Simple activities like walking, bike riding, and even just playing catch with the kids can help to alleviate both sleep disorders and depression in many people, and help you get a good nights rest again .

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