Incidence Of Sleep Symptoms In Depression
Symptoms of disturbed night-time sleep in people with depression have been described extensively in both clinical and epidemiological studies. In clinical samples, difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep or both have been reported in about three quarters of all depressed patients., In epidemiological samples examining insomnia symptoms and depression, sleep symptoms occurred in 50% to 60% in a sample of young adults aged 21 to 30. In a UK population sample , the incidence of insomnia symptoms in a wide age range of patients with depression increased with age. Overall, 83% of depressed patients had at least one insomnia symptom, compared with 36% who did not have depression. This varied from 77% in the 16-to-24-year age group to 90% in the 55-to-64-year age group. When the authors looked at the value of sleep symptoms as a screening aid for depression, the proportion of participants with depression who reported symptoms of insomnia sufficient to warrant a diagnosis of insomnia was 41%, and the proportion without depression and without a diagnosis was 96%. This supports the statement mentioned above that diagnosing depression without sleep complaints needs care.
Adjusting Your Sleep Habits
Consult A Sleep Specialist
If nothing works out in the end, it is necessary to reach out to a specialist to get the symptoms checked out for any kind of underlying health ailments that might be making you tired and inducing oversleeping. This is quite a very common reason behind the same which is why it is necessary to ensure that you seek the necessary help and not just take the symptoms for granted.
There are several sleep specialists around and if you seem to not have access to them right away in your area, you can even consult a general physician and then get the necessary referrals from them.
When it comes to how to stop sleeping too much, there are predominantly a number of ways to do so but given the fact that the causes might vary from person to person, it is important to first source what the problem is and then opt for the salient way to get rid of the signs and symptoms accordingly.
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Plan Your Day Before Going To Bed
Another function of the brain is to solve problems. If you find that you lay in the dark and cant shut off your brain, it may be that your brain is using the quiet and inactive time to focus on problems you will soon be addressed with.
You will ponder what you should wear to work, what time the meeting is, is everything planned out, will the secretary have the files ready, what should you bring for lunch, and other such situations.
One method is to keep a notebook by the bed and before you lay down, write down all of the answers to anything you can think of. Plan and write down what you will have for breakfast, what clothes you will wear, and come up with an alternate plan for the secretary not being prepared.
Oversleeping Helps Me Escape Depression
For as long as I can remember, I have always been someone who needs a lot of sleep. Bouts of depression exacerbate this trait. During my major depressive episodes, I could sleep upwards of 18 hours a day. When I woke up, I wanted more. The more I got, the more I wanted… the more I needed. It was like an addictive drug. It was also like a veil over the pain I was feeling.
Like no other symptom of depression, sleep helped me escape from all the others. It was so easy, too. Just close my eyes and drift away. No pain. Total avoidance. Which is why this was the hardest symptom for me to combat.
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Why Am I Sleeping Too Much Causes Of Oversleeping
While the majority of us tend to understand that there is an actual problem when we are oversleeping and tend to brush away the same as something as trivial as stress or something else, it is time to address the problem and actually, make impactful changes that would help better your quality of life and overall well being.
So, let us look at some of the oversleeping causes that you might not be aware of:
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Healthy Eating And Mealtimes
It is very important to have a set meal plan, one that includes a very healthy diet. Just eating for the sake of eating wont really turn good for you because the same ends up impacting the overall health.
Start making healthier choices when it comes to what you put in your belly and make sure that the meals are spaced our correctly and eaten at the right time of the day to ensure that same doesnt negatively impact the metabolism or digestion of the body.
Make sure that you are not eating and jumping in the bed for your night time. This ends up affecting the metabolism which makes you lethargic and you end up oversleeping.
How To Feel Better After Oversleeping
You wake up much later than planned, completely out of sorts. You stare at the clock in disbelief and dismay. What next?
If you already feel miserable, it might seem tempting to write the day off and stay in bed.
Yet, even though getting up might feel like an impossible feat, these strategies can help ease that groggy, late-morning funk.
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Coping With Sleep Disturbances During Depression
Dealing with sleep disturbances when youre feeling depressed can seem like a vicious circle. The more depressed you feel, the harder it is to sleep. And the more exhausted you feel, the harder it is to fight depression.
It can feel like theres no way to break the cycle. And its frustrating to feel tired yet be unable to fall or stay asleep. Here’s what you should know about the relationship between sleep disturbances and depression.
Depression And Oversleeping: What’s The Link
For many hardworking Americans, more sleep is the ultimate dream.
We rise to the sound of the alarm, and delight in the ability to hit the snooze button.
We look forward to days off where no alarm is needed, and we can blissfully stay in bed until long after typical breakfast hours.
We drool over high-thread-count sheets, supportive pillows, luxury beds.
Yes, many of us want and need that extra rest, a lovely little gift to ourselves when weve been so overworked and overtired.
But sometimes, too much sleep is a sign of something more sinister. It could possibly be a sign of a mental health disorder, like depression.
While most of us link insomnia to depression, hypersomnia is a symptom too, affecting about 15% of people with depression. Its more typically linked to those with atypical depression, which is the type that sees a persons mood change and lift in response to positive events, even if only temporarily.
When Danny, 35, was first diagnosed with depression, she had told her therapist it wasnt possible. Id always heard about people with depression and anxiety being unable to sleep, but for me, I could sleep anywhere, anytime, she remarks. I actually thought it was a kind of talent my head would hit any pillow and boom, Id be out.
Some tips on how to improve poor sleep habits include the following:
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Once Youre Up Make Yourself Breakfast
Its common to experience changes in your appetite while youre depressed. After you wake up, you might feel less interested in eating than you normally would be. Alternatively, you could end up feeling ravenously hungry and in need of a serious breakfast.
In either case, its important to make getting a balanced breakfast part of your routine. Not only does eating help you to maintain stable energy levels throughout the morning its also helpful if you need to take antidepressants or other medication before starting your day.
Is Oversleeping Bad For You
Hitting the snooze button over and over again doesnt feel good, especially when it starts negatively impacting your career and relationships. But is oversleeping actually bad for your health? According to the latest research, the answer appears to be yes.
In a systematic review with a meta-analysis, researchers extracted data from 74 studies covering more than three million people. They found that sleeping more than eight hours per day was associated with a higher risk of death and cardiovascular diseases.
And thats not the only study to showcase the dangers of oversleeping. Over the past few decades, science has linked oversleeping with countless health problems, including:
- Obesity
- Depression
- Headaches
Scientists still arent sure whether sleeping too much causes certain health conditions to arise or if these health conditions cause oversleeping. Even so, its worth taking a closer look at your sleep habits to ensure that youre getting the right amount of shut-eye.
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Dr. Natalie Azar, NBC news medical contributor, said the technical term for a depression nap is hypersomnia, “which means that youre sleeping too much.”
In fact, naps can be good for you. Recent evidence finds that one or two daytime naps a week may be linked to a lower risk of heart attack or stroke. And nap length, which can include anything from a quick, five-minute catnap to an hour or more snooze, doesn’t seem to make a difference. Still, when it comes to daytime naps, there’s seems to be a fine line between a healthy refresh and an indication of a problem.
When You Cant Sleep
Practice good sleep hygiene
If youre tossing and turning at night, practicing sound sleep hygiene tips like the following may help:
- Put away the electronics. If youre prone to doomscrolling on your phone in the middle of the night or watching Netflix in bed, you might consider banning electronics from your bedroom. Not only are these devices distracting, but research shows the blue light from your phone or tablet can disrupt the bodys production of the hormone melatonin, which can lead to insomnia.
- Exercise a few hours beforehand. Activities like walking, running, cycling, lifting weights, or doing yoga can make it easier for you to fall asleep at night. Just be sure to end your workout a few hours ahead of bedtime so the exciting hormones that build during exercise have time to flush out so you can wind down properly.
- Choose a new nighttime bev.Drinking alcohol or caffeine too close to bedtime makes it harder to fall asleep. Suppose youre someone who enjoys a late-night espresso or chilled cocktail. In that case, you might consider ending your day with a cup of noncaffeinated tea or bubbly water instead.
Have a bedtime routine
shows that going to bed at the same time each night and waking at the same time each morning helps establish a solid sleep routine, which can reduce stress and anxiety.
Maintain a comfortable atmosphere
If youre someone who cant fall asleep when its quiet, consider turning on an ambient noise machine.
Dont force yourself to sleep
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Take Sleep Problems Seriously
You should tell your doctor if you:
- have trouble falling or staying asleep
- feel tired during the day
- have physical pain, discomfort or other complaints that prevent you from getting a good nights sleep
Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and continuous positive airway pressure devices for apnea can restore good sleep, helping you sidestep related conditions like depression.
Why Do I Keep Sleeping Too Much
There are a variety of reasons why you may be sleeping more than you typically do or should. Its usually preferable to visit a medical practitioner if youre worried about this if it occurs for a lengthy period of time. Depression, thyroid issues, or a sleep condition might all be underlying factors.
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Can You Be Addicted To Sleep
Sleep addiction is not a medically recognized condition, he says. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, people with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences. Sleep is a biological function and isnt fundamentally harmful.
Residual Insomnia: Relapse And Recurrence
There is much evidence that effective antidepressant treatments can successfully elicit significant response in depression, but is much less evidence that effective treatment fully addresses the problem of sleep disturbance. Persistent insomnia is one of the most common residual symptoms in patients with incomplete remission: This presents a problem, given the fact that residual insomnia confers greater risk of subsequent depression: in a study of remitted patients maintained on a selective serotonin reuptake inhibotor and psychotherapy, subjective sleep problems and anxiety were each found to be predictors of early recurrence. The origin of these residual symptoms of insomnia is probably multifactorial, reflecting ongoing functional brain abnormalities as well as adverse effects of some drug treatments, for example SSRIs, particularly fluoxetine, can lead to insomnia.
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My Daughter Cant Get Out Of Bed
For people who live with bipolar disorder, depression and oversleeping go hand in hand. The cause and effect go in both directions. Depression often leads to sleeping more and to a delayed sleep pattern sleeping longer and later can cause or worsen depression. Fortunately, the downward cycle of depression and oversleeping can run in the opposite direction. Reducing hours of sleep and waking early in the morning can have a very strong antidepressant effect.
As you point out, sleeping less and waking earlier is easier said than done. It is important to realize that oversleeping is not just laziness. Depression creates a strong pressure to sleep more and sleep later. But there are a few specific things that can help.
Setting a regular waking time is the most important step. People who are struggling with a delayed sleep pattern often feel, I could wake up earlier if only I could get to sleep earlier. But we know that biology actually goes in the other direction: I could get to sleep earlier if only I could get up earlier.
When people spend many hours in bed, their sleep is often interruptedwith short periods of sleep and lots of time lying in bed awake. That type of sleep is not at all restful. Its natural to think, I need to spend more time in bed to feel rested. Once again, the biology of sleep goes in the other direction: spending fewer hours in bed will lead to less interruptedand more restfulsleep.
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Avoid Alcohol Before Bedtime
People have this preconceived notion that alcohol makes you drowsy and sleepy but the reality is quite the opposite of the same which is why it is always best to avoid drinking alcohol if you have been trying to get rid of the effects of oversleeping thats impacting the quality of life.
The alcohol may make you feel dizzy and drowsy temporarily but when the impacts of the alcohol wears off, the same leaves you completely awake and alert which affects your quality of sleep and makes you feel tired.
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