Sleep
Depression and sleep difficulties, including insomnia, go hand in hand.
- An estimated one third of Australians suffer from some form of insomnia.
- As many as 85 percent of people with depression have some sleeping difficulties, and research has shown that persistent insomnia can also cause depression, and relapses in people who have had depression in the past.
Getting sufficient regular sleep is an important part of achieving and maintaining mental health. For some, sleep difficulties will resolve naturally as the depression is treated. For others, it is necessary to proactively work to improve sleep before the depression will abate.
Hence we have included this section on insomnia here at dNet.
Symptoms
If you experience the following symptoms consistently and they are interfering with your daily life, then it is a good idea to get help and treatment before they seriously affect your health and well being – if they haven't already!
- Inability to fall asleep
- Waking up throughout the night and not being able to get back to sleep
- Waking up too early
- Irritability
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Daytime sleepiness or fatigue
- Lowered mood / feelings of depression
It is always a good idea to discuss your symptoms with your health care professional and check if there is a medical condition that may be contributing to your symptoms.
Causes and Risks
Worry or excitement are the most common causes of short term insomnia, and the problem goes away when the cause is resolved.
Mental illness, such as depression and anxiety are also very common causes of insomnia.
Side effects of medications, especially amphetamines, excessive thyroid replacement, and many decongestants and antihistamines can all cause insomnia or sleep difficulties, as can:
- caffeine
- nicotine
- alcohol
- side effects of some drugs of abuse
- stress
- poor sleep surroundings
- chronic illness
- chronic pain
- daytime napping
- poor sleep routine or sleep habits
- grief
- withdrawal of certain drugs
Anxiety and depression are conditions that can take longer to resolve and are often causes of ongoing sleeping difficulties.
Physical ailments that can interfere with your sleep include disorders of the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and digestive system.
Insomnia, in conjunction with night sweats, can also be one of the symptoms of Menopause.
Treatments
There are a number of options available depending on the severity and cause of the sleeping difficulty.
General Lifestyle Ideas
Some general helpful ideas that can help to improve sleep quality and quantity:
- Maintain a regular waking time
- Avoid spending too long in bed
- Avoid taking unnecessary naps
- Exercise regularly, preferably early in the day
- Avoid stimulants such as sugar, cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Note that caffeine is often loaded in other foods and medicines.
- Try to set a new routine of going to bed at the same time every night.
- Do something relaxing before bedtime.
(Vigorous exercise and adrenaline pumping books and television shows before bed are also likely to make it difficult to sleep.) - Eat a light snack before bed if hungry
- Don't watch the clock
- Use meditation or relaxation tapes
- Ensure your bedroom is quiet, dark and well-ventilated.
- A glass of warm milk at bedtime may help to induce sleep, as may a warm bath with relaxing essential oils such as Lavender or Marjoram.
Remember, overcoming bad sleeping habits takes time so don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
Your doctor or other health care professional may be able to provide you with more ideas that will help with your particular difficulty and situation.
Natural Therapies
Valerian, Passionflower and Hops are sedative herbs that can help you to sleep; they should be taken approximately one hour before going to bed
If stress is causing your sleeping difficulties, B group vitamins may be helpful if you are not getting enough of these naturally.
Discussing your particular situation with a Natural Therapist can be helpful. They may be able to make some other suggestions or try techniques that will help you.
Books, Programs & Products
There are a number of tools such as books, audio programs and other products that have been developed to help with resolving sleeping difficulties. We have had excellent feedback on the following:
The Good Sleep Guide by Dr Timothy Sharp.
Sleep Better Without Drugs by Dr David Morawetz.
Sleep Air & Pillow Spray by Alt.com.au
Prescription Medication
For severe sleeping difficulties or disorders prescription medication may be a part of your treatment. Prescription medication may also be needed to help alleviate the symptoms of sleeping difficulties while the cause is being treated – such as with severe depression or anxiety.
There are a number of medications that your doctor may prescribe. You will find information on prescription medications in our Medications section.
Prevention
The best prevention from insomnia is a well-balanced lifestyle incorporating:
- a healthy diet
- regular exercise
- regular relaxation
Research
Please let us know if you are aware of any other research studies into sleep and related issues.
Depression & Insomnia: Which Comes First An abstract of Australian Clinical Psychologist, Dr David Morawetz study conducted to test the hypothesis that, for many people suffering from both depression and insomnia, treating the insomnia successfully without medication can cause the depression to lift as well.
Sleep Deprivation Tied to Depression US-based Professor Dan Buysse talks about the challenges with sleep deprivation and reinforces what has been proven in the past: that while up to 85 per cent of people with depression have insomnia, it does not necessarily occur in that order.
There is also a Health Translations Online Directory provided by the Victorian Government that enables you, health practitioners, and those working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities to easily find reliable translated health information.
The Directory provides web links to online multilingual resources across the health sector including government departments, peak health bodies, hospitals, community health centres and welfare agencies.
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