Insomnia, hypersomnia, and depression

Previously, I wrote some entries about sleep. Sleep is one of my concern which attracts my attention continuously.

My past entry: Sleep science

My past entry: Seven hours sleep is the best?

My past entry: Five essences for beautiful sleep

Lack of sleep can induce several health problems. Alcoholism and hypertension are said to be relevant to poor sleep.

My past entry: Poor sleep is a risk of alcoholism?

In addition, the relationship between depression and insomnia is often discussed. In a simple understanding, depressive patients have difficulty to take a good sleep. On the other hand, it is well known that insomnia or deprived sleep is sometimes observed as a preceding symptom of depression. It is unsure whether reduced sleep can cause depression directly. But at least some people become depressive after continuous insomnia. In this article below, the author hypothesizes that the amygdala of people who do not take adequate sleep is so stimulated that they cannot get along with their negative emotion, and this distress can be a risk for depression.

The conversation: Why a lack of sleep makes us depressed … and what we can do about it

In contrast, a part of evidence suggests that deprived sleep can improve the symptoms of depression. It looks strange. Actually, we sometimes feel excited after completing an all-night activity. Some clinicians attempt to realize sleep deprivation therapy in the clinical setting. In my opinion, however, it is risky to make depressive patients awake at midnight. They might feel desperate in the dark alone.

On the contrary, hypersomnia is another problem regarding sleep. Primary hypersomnia is a rarely identified illness. The patients suffer from excessive sleepiness all days regardless of the quality of night sleep. It is difficult to distinguish this disease from atypical depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and circadian rhythm dysregulation. Adequate, not too short, and not too long, sleep is essential for our healthy life.