What is Clinical Depression

Clinical depression is a mood disorder that causes you to feel helpless, apathetic to your life and outcomes, hopeless, numb, or sad, among other feelings. It can make it hard to get out bed in the morning, feel excited about things that are happening in your life (also known as anhedonia), or cause you to distance yourself from friends and loved ones.

While feeling sad is a normal part of being a human, the feelings associated with clinical depression are chronic and intense enough to interfere with relationships, personal habits, personality, jobs, and so on.

What is Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is simply the condition of not getting enough sleep. “Enough sleep” will be different for each person, and our need for sleep changes as we age. Most of us suffer from sleep deprivation because we either have trouble getting  to sleep, staying asleep, or a combination of both. Either way, these disruptions add up, leading to lower sleep quality and quantity.  

How is your sleep schedule? Are you getting enough sleep? If you are like 33% of Americans, then your answer may be no (CDC-sleep).

It's important to distinguish between short-term sleep troubles, such as sleep deprivation caused by anxiety or stress about something that will soon pass, and long-term sleep deprivation, such as a chronic lack of sleep that may spread over months or years, and can be caused by sleep disorders or medical conditions.

How Sleep Deprivation Can Contribute to Depression

Less able to manage stress and anxiety

Getting enough sleep is critical for your ability to have the emotional capacity to manage stress and anxiety. Sleep deprivation can hamper your ability to manage stress and anxiety, which in turn can reduce your ability to get rest. 

Chronic stress and anxiety are a frequent mainstay in depressive symptoms.

Less likely to get requisite exercise due to fatigue

Chronic sleep deprivation means chronic fatigue, and usually, much less exercise. You may be lacking in motivation and energy to go workout, or have an effective workout. Exercise plays a critical role in maintain physical, mental, and emotional health. Feeling sluggish and not getting exercise can exacerbate depressive symptoms.

Underperform at work, school, etc.

You perform worse in every aspect of your life when you are sleep deprived – at work, in school, at home in your relationships. Underperformance can be a significant source of chronic frustration that may lead to feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or apathy, especially if you are unaware that a lack of sleep is contributing to your poor performance. 

Chronic irritability that can interfere with relationships

Anyone who has experience with toddlers can tell when they need sleep – they start getting crabby. Adults are no different. When we are tired we have less patience, less self-control, and a lower ability to cope with inconveniences and problems. Chronic tiredness usually means chronic irritability, which can make you rather unpleasant to be around. This isolation can contribute to depressive symptoms as a lack of social support is a contributing factor.

Less engagement in activities

Chronic fatigue from sleep deprivation not only affects your drive to workout, but also affects your energy for engaging in other things that make you feel happy. These are generally hobbies and other non-work, non-school activities, such as any number of creative pursuits. A lack of energy may morph into a lack of interest which is a common symptom of depression.

Feel less like yourself

What many of the above points amount to is that chronic sleep deprivation can make you feel “abnormal,” less like yourself, a “worse” version of your normal self.

Over time, these feelings and physical symptoms of sleep deprivation can weigh on our emotional and physical vitality. Alone or compounded with other symptoms, this can lead to depression.

Who is at Risk for Sleep Deprivation?

Sleep deprivation can occur to anyone at any age.

Sleep disorders, physical, and hormonal changes do not discriminate. Sleep apnea is more common in men, but insomnia is more common in women. Puberty and menopause are extremely disruptive hormonal changes that affect both sexes at very different ages.

As we get older we naturally go through changes in the way we acquire sleep - changes that generally leave people feeling like they are not getting enough sleep.

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

Below are average hours of recommended sleep based on age. [National Sleep Foundation]:

• <1 year: 12-17 hours per day (more sleep for newborns than toddlers)
• 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
• 3-5 years: 10-13 hours
• 6-13 hours: 9-11 hours
• 14-17 hours: 8-10 hours
• 18-65: 7-9 hours
• 65+: 7-8 hours

These are general guidelines that may not apply to everyone, but apply to a majority of individuals. 

What to Do If You Are Chronically Sleep Deprived

The first thing you might consider doing is consulting with your doctor or a sleep specialist, who may be able to help determine if your sleep deprivation is caused by a sleeping disorder or other factors.

If you live in Alaska and suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and depression, please contact us one of our sleep specialists for a consultation.