Depression could be an integral aspect of sleep disturbance (either sleeping less or sleeping more), according to a journal published on the National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Although the direct link of both issues may be still debatable, some studies showed that sleep disturbance (including sleepy feeling) and depression are intertwined.
Feeling sad for once in a while in your life is completely normal, because we all agree that this is a fundamental part of the journey in live, which is also a natural human response. But persistent feeling of anxiety, hopelessness, disinterest, and sadness should be concerned as well because they may signal depression!
Most doctors agree that it is a serious health condition. If left untreated, it can be potential to affect your daily activities seriously!
The sleep disturbance itself in depressed people can also lead to a cascade of other problems. It affects the productivity of patient, and also sometimes may cause some physical symptoms (such as headaches, weight changes, and easier for fatigue).
Many times doctors cannot provide the answer of this question with certainty. But we can say that there is a chance for depression to make you sleepy, though this varies from case to case.
While some depressed patients may feel sleepy (sleeping too much a day), the opposite way occurs in others. Also the condition may cause alternating feeling sleepy and difficulty sleeping.
The link is not fully understood yet. But one thing that has been confirmed that this mood disorder often co-exists with sleep disturbance.
The connection for both conditions is pretty complex. Both may share biological features and risk factors, and even they may respond to the same strategies of treatment.
One of common sleep disturbances in depressed people is insomnia. Some studies found that people with insomnia have higher risk of developing depression than others.
Another type of sleep disturbance that is pretty common linked with depression is OSA or ‘Obstructive Sleep Apnea’.
According to a research from the Stanford researcher Maurice Ohayon, depressed people may be 5 times more likely to develop OSA and other types of sleep-disordered breathing. The good news, depression that co-exists with OSA can be treated successfully with CPAP method (continuous positive airway pressure method).
Furthermore, there is a chance for some depression symptoms to overlap with sleep disorder symptoms, making a missed diagnosis more likely. For instance, depressed mood can also signal the presence of narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, or insomnia.