Depression and Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is common among individuals with depression. Symptoms can range from having difficulty falling or staying asleep to feeling unrefreshed when you wake up and/or experiencing daytime drowsiness. It is a good idea to tell your mental health care provider(s) about any sleep issues you may be experiencing so they can be addressed during your treatment. Using a journal to keep track of your sleep and mood for two weeks, including when you went to bed, how long it took you to fall asleep, what time you woke up and your level of energy and fatigue throughout the day, also can be helpful. (Oversleeping can be a sign of clinical depression as well.)

Disrupted sleep can cause irritability; fatigue; difficulty in paying attention, focusing on tasks and remembering; and increased mistakes and accidents. In fact, a 2008 study found that individuals who pull “all nighters” to finish assignments actually have lower Grade Point Averages than those who do not.

There are many ways to improve your ability to sleep that do not involve medication. These include maintaining a regular sleep/wake schedule; placing yourself in a brightly lit area soon after you rise in the morning; engaging in some form of exercise every day (but no later than four hours before your bedtime); avoiding afternoon naps; limiting caffeine, which stays in your system for four to six hours after consumption; and keeping your bedroom at a cool temperature.

Ruminating about situations over which you have no control can make it difficult to quiet your mind at the end of the day. Meditating, listening to soft music or reading a book can all help you to relax and have pleasant or at least neutral thoughts. Compose a list of what you need to accomplish the following day and then tell yourself that you will not consider it again until morning. Finally, do not sleep with your phone or laptop beside you and stop looking at both at least 30 minutes before bed. (Bright screens, including those on televisions, emit light, which suppresses melatonin, the natural hormone that signals the brain it is time to sleep.)

Many foods have sleep boosting properties. Some of the best pre-bedtime snacks include a bowl of cereal (which provides both carbohydrates and calcium); nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, which contain tryptophan and magnesium; bananas; tart cherry juice and hummus. Sleeping properly is equally essential for your mental and physical health. #MakeTime2Sleep #TeenSleep