Sleep and depression – insomnia or sleeping too much

This article is about the strong connection between depression and sleep, and focuses on these topics:

• How depression can cause insomnia
• REM sleep and how it affects you
• How to sleep better and recover from your depression

I have suffered from depression and disturbed sleep so I can speak about this from personal experience. I have seen how the two are connected and poor quality sleep makes depression worse. Also, if you suffer from low self esteem it may cause you to experience poor sleep and depression. You should, therefore keep a close eye on these things but the core is your sleep.

Not sure if you have depression or whether you’re simply unhappy with things? Then take my popular Depression Test or read more about the symptoms of depression here to find out first how depressed you are.

OK, back to the subject of sleep…

What Is The Connection Between Sleep and Being Depressed?

Did you know that the connection between sleep and depression is a strong one? Here’s why…

If you don’t get enough sleep you will feel exhausted and this makes you susceptible to depression. If you are already depressed then lack of sleep may worsen your depression. You must cure any sleep problem you have if you want to combat your depression. Lack of sleep also affects your concentration and ability to make decisions, this can make life even more confusing than normal. Lack of sleep also reduces both your motivation and your energy levels. Depression also lowers your energy level so it’s a double problem. When you are tired or low on energy, taking action to help yourself get through the challenges you face or to face events in your life is even harder.

Too much sleep can also cause problems. It can also create health issues. Most people need between seven and nine hours sleep each night. Teenagers and the young need more and older adults less. Too much deep sleep can also be a problem.

So, you suffer from depression – do you also suffer from insomnia?

Disturbed sleep results from thinking about your problems too much. Have you ever been tired but unable to stop thinking? Your fears and worries, can keep you awake. Insomnia happens because your brain waves need to slow down but thinking speeds them up stopping sleep. This is creating stress at night and will certainly prevent a peaceful night’s sleep which will help your energy level and improve your mental awareness.

It has been found that those suffering from insomnia are many times more likely to suffer from clinical depression or anxiety. If you notice a change in your sleeping patterns, this could be a sign of internal mental health problems that need to be sorted out. Both disturbed sleep and sleeping too much can be symptoms of depression.

One way to relieve symptoms of depression is through exercise and physical activity but if a person lacks energy because of a sleep problem then they may do less exercise and feel worse. the good thing about exercise, though, is that it can actually increase your energy levels.

Too much brooding and thinking?

If you dwell on problems too much during the day you may feel tired and stressed even after you sleep. Tiredness and stress cause and maintain depression. Read about stress here. By constantly thinking about your problems you can make them worse not better. When you are depressed you need to rest and heal. By making your brain work harder you make yourself less able to handle your problems effectively, your anxiety increases and your depression deepens.

The importance of therapy

Therapy can actually help to improve sleep because it helps you to deal with difficulties, and instead of the mind ruminating, discussion helps to make you feel more positive about possible solutions and also provides a feeling of support. Talking can also help to put problems into perspective and also open your eyes to things you hadn’t thought of while thinking alone over and over may become very negative.

I advise you to try online therapy – you can try it free and then if you find it helpful, book sessions with a qualified therapist at a convenient time all online!

How can dreams affect depression?

Constant brooding fuels your dreams. Too much dreaming makes you feel tired when you wake up. To fight depression you need to rest well at night.

How does REM sleep affect your depression?

REM – rapid eye movement – happens when you dream. If you have too much REM sleep or dream too much you will awake in the morning tired or even exhausted.

Your brain processes the thoughts you have had during the day in your dreams as images representing those thoughts. Reduce the thinking you do during the day and you will reduce REM sleep to a normal level.

Too much REM sleep means less relaxing deep sleep. This type of sleep helps to refresh you and keep you healthy so it is the most important part of your sleep routine. Depression is worsened when you are tired.

Quality sleep

It is not just the amount that you sleep of course, but also the quality of the rest that you get. The brain and body need restorative rest and if you don’t get it your health will suffer. Addressing problems of stress will help as will any relaxing method you use to encourage sleep. Hypnosis can help you fall asleep more easily and ensure that you sleep deeply. If you’ve never tried using hypnosis I urge you to give it a go. It works!

Why you need to cure your insomnia before you can cure your depression

When you are tired life is difficult and joyless. Insomnia strengthens your fear of lack of control. If you can’t sleep well you begin to feel less in control of your life.

Depression feeds insomnia and vice-versa.

One other problem is that insomnia, or difficulty in falling asleep in the first place, can cause stress and you may come to worry about not sleeping so in effect the problem becomes the problem. The solution is to relax, but how can you if you are worried about falling asleep? The good news is there are solutions. We’ll come to that in a moment.

First cure your insomnia and you will feel better in mind and body making recovery possible.

Want to know how to cure your insomnia and ease your depression?

I was recently suffering from insomnia. I couldn’t sleep properly at all. As this continued I started to feel depressed and tired constantly. I downloaded an ebook called “Natural Sleep Made Simple”. I read it from cover to cover.

In a week or two after reading “Natural Sleep Made Simple” everything changed!

Now I sleep much better and understand what went wrong. I won’t pretend that the book offers a miracle cure but it will explain how you can start sleeping better and end insomnia naturally. No pills are needed just get this enlightening book, read it and practise what you learn.

Get the Natural Sleep Secrets Ebook now! I have used it and guarantee you will love it!