Can depression be attributed to insomnia?

Question

Ever since I hit my teens, I haven't been able to sleep all through the night. I've taken OTC sleeping pills, sometimes they work, other times they don't. It's as if my brain just will not go into "sleep mode" and just keeps racing through things.

I've had symptoms of depression for just about as long, and I went to see my doctor recently as these symptoms have worsened over the last 6 months.

I wrote him a list of symptoms, which included insomnia as one of the big ones, and he just seemed to shrug it off and perscribed Welbutrin XL for me.

Could me not sleeping well at night affect my overall well-being, even emotionally? Can someone offer some help or send me some information on this subject if the two tie together, please?

Answer 1

i've never thought about it, or tied the two together...and im not an expert...but i bleev so. bcause im the exact same way. as u can see , im up now at 3am, wide awake.i have no enegry during the day, i sleep all day, engage in little to no activities and barely interact with others,,, i can stay up all nite and i have more energry after hours than i do all day. never been clinically considered depressed...but im sure im damn near close to it.
but a way i have found to go to sleep...is meditate.... GO TO ;
http://www.learningmeditation.com/index.htm

find a meditation series u find interesting, and try it,,,,,i usually fall asleep b4 i even get started. just the breathing exercise and relaxing ur mind for a couple of minutes will help.

Answer 2

Depression is when everything about your life in your own eyes is not right,nothing makes you laugh or smile,nothing seems worth doing for anything.You stop enjoying doing the things you used to do,with-drawl from your friends and family.And this lasts for more than a few days,its more of a month long or more,with no apparent reason. People have ups and downs all through out their life,if someone special dies of course your going to be down,but that is normal,and gos away with time. Depression,the life threatening kind,the only thing you can do is seek help,either professional or from family and friends,find someone you can trust and tell them whats going on and how you feel. Honestly,if you have to ask if you are in a bout of depression,you probably are not,just a bit down.

Answer 3

Insomnia and depression are not simple diseases.

Depression can result from many things, including diet, medicines you are taking as well as personal problems in your life.

Insomnia can come about for many reasons as well.

Depression and insomnia can both come about through anxiety (or be related to anxiety).

Your solution to this problem should be stress management (doctors, who are good at what they do, tend to solve problems by prescribing pills).

How to manage stress.
1. Get plenty of exercise. It relaxes you, helps release endorphins (which may you feel good) and helps you sleep better.
2. Relax. Meditate, long walks, sex...whatever does it for you.
3. Take more control of your life. When you have problems you can't control you feel nervous, depressed and have trouble sleeping. So look at the problems that you life may be causing.

Medications can help, but you want to try and minimize your use of them (with advice from your doctor)

Answer 4

the two often go together -- you brain produces different chemicals -- some of them make you happy and some make you sleepy - so if your brain doesn't produce right then you can be in trouble.

i have major insomniac tendencies (like i am up at 3 am right now) and have tried lots of things to break me of it.
i have found the best is simple stuff available at walmart -- 5-htp for some reason makes me sleep really well -- it helps produce serotonin so it works like an anti-depressant too.

i would be extremely wary of over the counter sleep meds -- or doctor prescribed meds -- they are addictive and only help you sleep lightly for a few hours -- you don't get any deep sleep so it leaves you tired. try some melatonin if you haven't. i use about 12 mgs and sleep better with that than anything else

i would stay on the welbutrin -- give it a while to work. my results with pharmaceutical antidepressants went nowhere but at least i gave them a try.

Answer 5

I can only speak from personal experience here. I have had sleep issues for the last 18 years of my life, and it's been rough. I have trouble falling asleep, and wake up at least 2 or 3 times a night. My mind just never stops going, whether or not it's anxiety, frustration, or thinking about the weather, etc. My moods are affected by my sleeping. Long term, yes it can lead to depression. When we sleep, it's supposed to be our bodies time to recuperate from the day physically and mentally. Our emotions and such are worked through in our dreams. If we are not getting enough time to dream, it can affect us. For me, fatigue leads to anxiety, depression, low tolerance for frustration, problems concentrating, and more. You might have better luck getting help from a psychiatrist. There you might be given something that will help calm your mind at night so you could sleep better. It couldn't hurt to go for a consultation. Good luck.

Answer 6

Yes. Insomnia is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression or sometimes for no apparent reason. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. Soak a tablespoon of mint leaves in a cup of water for an hour, drink every night. Check out http://useinfo-insomnia.blogspot.com/ for more info

Answer 7

i sometimes have the same problem where you just cant turn your head off, For me Dr's are useless and of no help, i know i have depression (mild) and was on tablets(untill the dr made me feel bad for taking them) i also have Anxiety and i think this is what keeps my head in overdrive, check some stuff up on the internet there are many sites about depression or anxiety that could help you pinpoint your problem,

Meditation may help i listen to a cd of the Rain before i go to sleep and i have been falling asleep quicker there are many different kinds of cd's so find one that suits you and it could help.

Answer 8

yes it can!!!!! lack of sleep can throw your whole body off