How to Sleep Better when You Have Depression
Treat your depression., See your doctor to check for underlying sleep disorders., Set aside a time to dwell on your worries., Start small., Try relaxation techniques., Avoid staring at the clock., Watch for suicidal thoughts.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Treat your depression.
The best way to help you sleep better when you are suffering from depression is to treat your depression.
If it is the cause of your insomnia, treating it will make you sleep better.
Most depression treatment consists of psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes medication.
Each treatment plan is different depending on the cause and severity of your depression.
Discuss your treatment options with your doctor.
There are some antidepressants that can help you sleep, such as mianserin, mirtazapine, nefazodone, and trazodone. -
Step 2: See your doctor to check for underlying sleep disorders.
If you are unsure if your insomnia is related to your depression, ask your doctor to run some tests to see if you have an underlying sleep disorder or other condition that may be adding to your insomnia.
This is especially true if you have tried multiple different things to help you sleep and it hasn’t worked.
There are also some medications that treat depression that may cause sleeplessness.
Although antidepressants such as Celexa, Zoloft, and Prozac may not be a problem for some, these medications have been shown to cause insomnia is some patients.Ask your doctor if this may be the cause of your insomnia.If you think you have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor about sleep treatment so you can cure your insomnia.
If you treat your depression but still have insomnia, you are at risk of a depression relapse because insomnia often causes depression, especially if you have suffered from it before., In order to help clear your mind at night, try to set up a time period (no more than two hours) to allow yourself to dwell on the things that are making you upset.
This may help to keep your worries confined to a short window before bedtime so that you will not dwell on them while you are trying to fall asleep.
You can also try writing your worries down before you go to bed., Trying to get eight to nine hours of sleep every night right in the beginning may be difficult.
Instead, think of your efforts to sleep in small steps, which will keep you from getting overwhelmed and frustrated.
Start out by trying to get one more hour of sleep the first night.
The next night, try to get an additional hour of sleep.
Before you know it, you will be sleeping the whole night through.
It may take more than one night to extend your sleeping schedule.
Just take it a little at a to avoid making yourself more depressed by failing to meet your goals., When you are depressed, you may have a hard time relaxing enough to fall asleep.
If this happens to you, try relaxation techniques before bed.
These include deep breathing techniques, muscle relaxation techniques, or visualization techniques.
You can do a combination of physical and mental relaxation techniques if both your body and mind feel tense.You may need to try a few different types before you find the ones that best work for your circumstances. , When you are having a hard time falling asleep, avoid looking at the clock too much.
This will make you focus too much on the amount of time it is taking you to fall asleep, which can make you even more upset, frustrated, or depressed.
Instead, focus on something else, keeping your mind from obsessing about the time.If you find yourself looking at the clock despite your best efforts, try covering the clock or moving it to a place you can’t easily see it from the bed.
This will make it much harder for you to see the time and help you focus less on the passage of time.
You should also avoid looking at your phone to check the time as well.
Not only will it make you get anxious about the passage of time, the light emitted from the phone can actually stimulate your body enough to make it harder for you to sleep., Two of the major risk factors of suicide are depression and insomnia.
Those with depression and insomnia are much more likely to become suicidal as opposed to depressed patients who sleep well.If you find yourself getting to this point, talk to your doctor about getting some help.
You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255.
If you are hearing impaired, you can call 1-800-799-4TTY (4889). -
Step 3: Set aside a time to dwell on your worries.
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Step 4: Start small.
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Step 5: Try relaxation techniques.
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Step 6: Avoid staring at the clock.
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Step 7: Watch for suicidal thoughts.
Detailed Guide
The best way to help you sleep better when you are suffering from depression is to treat your depression.
If it is the cause of your insomnia, treating it will make you sleep better.
Most depression treatment consists of psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes medication.
Each treatment plan is different depending on the cause and severity of your depression.
Discuss your treatment options with your doctor.
There are some antidepressants that can help you sleep, such as mianserin, mirtazapine, nefazodone, and trazodone.
If you are unsure if your insomnia is related to your depression, ask your doctor to run some tests to see if you have an underlying sleep disorder or other condition that may be adding to your insomnia.
This is especially true if you have tried multiple different things to help you sleep and it hasn’t worked.
There are also some medications that treat depression that may cause sleeplessness.
Although antidepressants such as Celexa, Zoloft, and Prozac may not be a problem for some, these medications have been shown to cause insomnia is some patients.Ask your doctor if this may be the cause of your insomnia.If you think you have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor about sleep treatment so you can cure your insomnia.
If you treat your depression but still have insomnia, you are at risk of a depression relapse because insomnia often causes depression, especially if you have suffered from it before., In order to help clear your mind at night, try to set up a time period (no more than two hours) to allow yourself to dwell on the things that are making you upset.
This may help to keep your worries confined to a short window before bedtime so that you will not dwell on them while you are trying to fall asleep.
You can also try writing your worries down before you go to bed., Trying to get eight to nine hours of sleep every night right in the beginning may be difficult.
Instead, think of your efforts to sleep in small steps, which will keep you from getting overwhelmed and frustrated.
Start out by trying to get one more hour of sleep the first night.
The next night, try to get an additional hour of sleep.
Before you know it, you will be sleeping the whole night through.
It may take more than one night to extend your sleeping schedule.
Just take it a little at a to avoid making yourself more depressed by failing to meet your goals., When you are depressed, you may have a hard time relaxing enough to fall asleep.
If this happens to you, try relaxation techniques before bed.
These include deep breathing techniques, muscle relaxation techniques, or visualization techniques.
You can do a combination of physical and mental relaxation techniques if both your body and mind feel tense.You may need to try a few different types before you find the ones that best work for your circumstances. , When you are having a hard time falling asleep, avoid looking at the clock too much.
This will make you focus too much on the amount of time it is taking you to fall asleep, which can make you even more upset, frustrated, or depressed.
Instead, focus on something else, keeping your mind from obsessing about the time.If you find yourself looking at the clock despite your best efforts, try covering the clock or moving it to a place you can’t easily see it from the bed.
This will make it much harder for you to see the time and help you focus less on the passage of time.
You should also avoid looking at your phone to check the time as well.
Not only will it make you get anxious about the passage of time, the light emitted from the phone can actually stimulate your body enough to make it harder for you to sleep., Two of the major risk factors of suicide are depression and insomnia.
Those with depression and insomnia are much more likely to become suicidal as opposed to depressed patients who sleep well.If you find yourself getting to this point, talk to your doctor about getting some help.
You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255.
If you are hearing impaired, you can call 1-800-799-4TTY (4889).
About the Author
Pamela Hall
A passionate writer with expertise in home improvement topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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