Is There a Link Between Sleep Problems and Depression?
Yes. Unfortunately, the relationship between sleep health and mental health is a two-way street. Poor sleep habits adversely impact a patient’s mental health. While issues with mental health can also cause a detrimental impact on an individual’s sleep.
It is estimated that 16.2 million people (6.7 percent of all adults) in the United States, or 6.7 percent of American adults, have had at least one major depressive episode in a given year. Clinical Depression is diagnosed only when the symptoms persist to a point that they begin to interfere with normal day to day life. But perhaps the expression should be ‘day to night to day,’ as the longer depression goes untreated, the worse it harms a patient’s sleep.
Depression is most commonly associated sleep problems like insomnia, but also oversleeping/sleeping too much. Traditionally in the psychiatric community, both these sleep issues have been viewed as symptoms of depression and other mental disorders. But studies now suggest sleep problems may raise risk for, and even directly contribute to, the development of some psychiatric disorders.
The important takeaway here is encouraging; treating a sleep disorder may also help alleviate symptoms of a co-occurring mental health problem.
What Does it Feel Like to be Sleep Deprived?
Not getting enough sleep will affect everyone in different ways. Occasional interruptions to sleep typically result in nothing more than minor frustrations throughout the next day. However, prolonged lack of sleep can have seriously harmful health conditions.
It is also important to consider quality vs. quantity. The quality of sleep a person gets is just as important as the amount of sleep they get. Problems like frequently waking during the night, uncomfortable environment or other health difficulties can be indicators of low-quality sleep. The length of time spent sleeping doesn’t matter if the sleep is not restorative.
Sleep deprivation is the prolonged duration of the inability to sleep or the sustained duration of low-quality sleep. Common signs a person is เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย experiencing not enough quality sleep include:
- fatigue,
- irritability,
- mood changes,
- difficulty focusing and remembering,
- a reduced sex drive.