Is there a connection between insomnia and depression?
Insomnia and depression are prevalent conditions that often co-occur, but is there a link between them? The short answer is yes.
Insomnia is a core symptom of depression in adults and children, meaning you are more likely to be depressed if you have insomnia. Depression can cause insomnia because it can impact our circadian rhythms.
It can also trigger hyperarousal, a heightened state of anxiety from an overactive fight or flight response.
Additionally, research shows that non-depressed people with insomnia have a twofold risk of developing depression. This meta-analysis also found that insomnia is significantly associated with an increased risk of depression.
The bottom line – insomnia is a symptom of depression, and you are more likely to develop depression if you have insomnia.
The link between insomnia and depression
Insomnia and depression co-exist in society, with a third of adults admitting to having insomnia and around 17% of adults having depression.
According to this study, 83% of depressed patients have at least one insomnia symptom, while this one says 18.6% of people with insomnia have both anxiety and depression.
We’ve already established above that insomnia is a symptom of depression. Still, the relationship works both ways – depression is also a symptom of insomnia, and the two fuel one another, creating a downward mental health spiral.
Medical experts often find that people with depression have insomnia, and vice versa, which begs the question: why are they linked?
How depression fuels insomnia (and vice versa)
Most people with clinical depression have heightened monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitters responsible for regulating serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Serotonin is a precursor to the sleep hormone melatonin, so depression can directly inhibit sleep by messing with our circadian rhythms. This internal body clock signals when it’s time to sleep. Low melatonin levels are also associated with depression (a blood test can reveal if you have low melatonin).
So, what about insomnia?
Insomnia fuels depression by robbing you of cellular regeneration, immunity, energy levels, and cognitive ability. You can feel incredibly sick after only a few nights of insomnia because your body doesn’t have what it needs to function correctly.
If you struggle to sleep, you can overthink problems, develop anxiety, and work on reasoning with reality. Depression takes hold when you feel low and struggle to see outside your reality – you have tunnel vision.
After so long, the chemical imbalance from depression and a lack of sleep messes with your head, making it impossible to remedy without medicine.
Can I get depression from insomnia?
Studies show that you are more likely to develop depression if you have insomnia, although whether you do is something of a lottery.
You are more susceptible to depression if:
- You have insomnia
- You have had depression before
- Depression runs in the family.
- You are anxious/stressed
- You experience trauma
- You have bipolar, ADHD, or PTSD.
Suffice it to say depression is a multi-faceted mental health problem. It varies from person to person, and no two cases are identical.
Sleep and mental health - the deep link
If your mind is more apparent after a good sleep, it isn’t a fluke - sleep and mental health are linked in several ways, proven by science.
For example, sleep cleanses your brain of toxins and regenerates the neurotransmitters responsible for regulating mood hormones. A lack of sleep disrupts both these processes, making you feel muggy and increasing depressive symptoms.
Sleeping more is one of the most effective ways to treat depression and anxiety; however, if you have insomnia, this can be impossible.
One way to deal with your depression and anxiety is to work on your sleep problems to get a break when you go to bed and wake up fresh.
If you have sleep problems, check out these ten tips for better sleep and these eight sleep-inducing bedroom hacks to improve sleep quality.