According to recent research, up to 90% of
people diagnosed with depression also experience a disturbance in their
sleep quality.
Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep-disordered breathing, and restless legs
syndrome are all commonly reported issues. Some people with depression
find it difficult to fall asleep, while others wake up very early in the
morning and can’t get back to sleep. Still others sleep excessively but
never feel rested.
The relationship between sleep issues and depression is complicated and
bidirectional. Depression appears to disrupt circadian rhythms, throwing
off your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. At the same time, chronic
sleep problems can increase the risk of developing depression or worsen
existing symptoms.
Inflammation, changes in brain chemicals
like serotonin and dopamine, genetic factors, and more may all affect
the sleep-depression relationship. People with depression often have
altered levels of neurotransmitters that regulate both mood and sleep.
Additionally, the fatigue and low energy that characterize depression
can make you feel tired throughout the day, yet the same condition can
make it nearly impossible to actually fall asleep at night. This paradox
is one of the most frustrating aspects of depression-related sleep
disturbances.
Treatment for depression, whether through therapy, medication, or
lifestyle changes, often improves sleep quality as well. If you suspect
depression might be affecting your sleep, it’s important to speak with a
healthcare provider about comprehensive treatment options.
4. Caffeine and Sleep Quality
On average, caffeine has a half-life of 5
hours. Research suggests that even 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine
(about 16 ounces of brewed coffee), 16 hours before bed, may impact your
sleep.
Downing 400 mg of caffeine 6 hours or less before bedtime may
significantly reduce your sleep quality.
If you drink caffeine, try not to have any 4 to 6 hours before you go to
bed. So, if you want to be in bed by 10 p.m., then 4 p.m. is a good
coffee cut-off time.
The blue light emitted from phones,
tablets, laptops, and TV screens suppresses evening melatonin production
and decreases sleepiness.
Our eyes contain special photo-receptors that are particularly sensitive
to blue wavelengths of light. When these receptors detect blue light in
the evening, they signal to your brain that it’s still daytime,
effectively confusing your body’s internal clock.
This suppression of melatonin doesn’t just delay when you feel sleepy—it
can also reduce the total amount of melatonin your body produces,
leading to lighter, more fragmented sleep throughout the night. Even if
you manage to fall asleep after extended screen time, you may wake up
feeling less refreshed.
The content you’re consuming on screens can
also affect sleep. Engaging with stimulating material like work emails,
social media drama, or exciting shows can activate your mind and make
it harder to wind down. The interactive nature of many digital
activities keeps your brain engaged and alert.
You may want to stop using your devices 2 hours before bed. If that
feels unrealistic, try to at least minimize screen time in the hour
before sleep. You may also consider wearing blue-light blocking glasses
at night, using night mode settings on your devices, or installing apps
that automatically reduce blue light emission in the evening.
Creating a screen-free bedroom environment can also help signal to your
brain that it’s time for rest rather than stimulation.
Difficulty sleeping is a common symptom of
COVID-19. This could be due to factors such as stress or an autoimmune
response to the virus.
A 2021 study of 236,379 people with COVID-19 found that about 5% of them
experienced insomnia. Up to 10% of those with severe infections that
required hospitalization had sleeping difficulties.
Sleeping difficulties may be more prevalent in people with Long COVID.
Research has found that over 40% of people with long-lasting COVID
symptoms experienced moderate to severe sleeping difficulties.
The COVID-19 pandemic itself is associated with increasing sleep-related
issues. Social isolation, economic hardships, and parenting challenges
are among the possible causes.
Sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome may
make you sleepy but not tired at night. In sleep apnea, breathing
repeatedly stops or is very shallow, then starts again. With restless
legs syndrome, your legs feel uncomfortable, triggering you to want to
move them.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is another sleep disorder. It occurs
when your circadian rhythm is off. DSPS affects young people more, with
a prevalence between about 7% and 16%. About 1% of adults have DSPS.
These conditions may disrupt nighttime sleep, which may then cause
daytime sleepiness.
The circadian rhythm is like an internal
timekeeper for everything our bodies do in a 24-hour period.
This system uses light, dark, and our biological clock to regulate body
temperature, metabolism, hormones (including melatonin), and sleep.
Melatonin levels remain low during the day when it’s light outside.
Later in the day, as it grows darker, our bodies produce more melatonin,
with levels peaking between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. before falling again.
Our bodies are best primed to fall asleep about 2 hours after melatonin
levels start to rise.
The Takeaway
If you still feel tired every day, and sleep remedies don’t help, talk
with a doctor.
They can help determine the underlying problem and recommend solutions
that will help you get restful sleep so you have daytime energy.
