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How Untreated Insomnia Increases Your Risk of Depression
About 30% of American adults suffer from insomnia, with symptoms that make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep all night long. Interestingly, the number of Americans who have received a diagnosis of depression at some point during their lives is also roughly 30%.
While depression and insomnia don’t always go together, plenty of data show that the two conditions often coexist.
And in many cases, they create a cycle that’s hard to break without professional help: Poor sleep leads to worsening depression, while worsening depression makes it harder to get a good night’s sleep.
At Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services, our team specializes in treating insomnia, helping patients improve their sleep as well as their emotional health. Here, learn about the link between insomnia and depression and how sleep therapy could help you manage both.
Insomnia and depression: Understanding the connection
Insomnia affects depression in a couple of key ways. One of the most obvious ways is the effect on your mood and your ability to cope.
When you don’t sleep well, it’s a lot harder to regulate your emotions, leaving you feeling irritable and moody. It also makes it harder to cope with life’s stressors and with the symptoms and emotions that go hand in hand with depression.
Lack of sleep can also make it harder to focus and concentrate, leading to frustration at work, at school, or in social situations. In turn, these feelings can lead to a sense of inadequacy, failure, and negative thinking.
Chemical changes
In addition to cognitive changes, lack of sleep can affect chemicals involved in mood regulation. Specifically, insomnia disrupts the levels of chemicals called neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, that play key roles in depression and other mood disorders.
Poor sleep habits also lead to an increase in another chemical — cortisol, the so-called stress hormone. Higher levels of cortisol can contribute to feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, and worry, all hallmarks of depression.
Worse, higher stress levels also make it harder to get quality sleep on a consistent basis, perpetuating the unhealthy relationship between depression and sleep disorders.
How sleep therapy can help
Sleep therapy uses cognitive behavioral techniques (CBT-I) designed specifically for sleep problems, including insomnia. During a 4-8 week course of therapy, we get to the root of your sleep issues, teaching you real-life, workable techniques you can apply immediately to improve your sleep habits.
Your therapy will help you learn techniques you can use to relax, reduce stress, and calm your thoughts so you can fall asleep faster and stay asleep, enjoying deep, restful sleep that supports your mood and your overall wellness.
Depending on your needs, we may incorporate techniques like:
- Sleep restriction to set the stage for a normal sleep routine
- Stimulus control to prepare your mind and body for sleep
- Sleep hygiene tips to optimize your sleep routine and setting
- Mindfulness, guided imagery, and other relaxation techniques to calm your thoughts
CBT-I teaches you to feel more confident about your sleep skills while providing techniques to help you navigate the occasional nights of less-than-ideal sleep. It also focuses on helping you change negative thought patterns that could be making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Most importantly, we customize your CBT-I therapy plan for you, so you can enjoy optimal benefits and real-life success.
Find a solution for your insomnia
If you have depression or any mood disorder, quality sleep is essential for helping you manage your symptoms and helping you feel better.
To learn more about sleep therapy and how it can help you overcome insomnia, request an appointment online today or over the phone with our team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services in Decatur, Georgia.