If you live with depression and suffer from insomnia, know you aren’t alone. It’s estimated that up to 75% of people with depression also have difficulty falling or staying asleep. A lack of rest can make daily tasks challenging, but plenty can be done to help you feel better.
At Himalaya Family Medicine Clinic in Aurora, Colorado, our psychotherapist, Julia Wilson, LPC, regularly uses talk therapy and other behavioral treatments to support sleep quality. This blog explains the link between depression and insomnia and provides simple tips for relief.
The relationship between depression and poor sleep goes both ways. Poor sleep may increase the risk of depression, and depression often causes poor sleep.
If you’re depressed, relationship problems and work-related stress can keep you up at night. Conversely, if you don’t get at least eight hours of sleep a night, you’re more likely to feel exhausted and have trouble focusing at work, increasing the risk of mistakes and other issues.
Combined, these factors can create a vicious cycle, depriving you of the rest and rejuvenation needed to function and feel your best.
Almost everyone has trouble sleeping occasionally, but if your symptoms continue for more than a few weeks, seek professional help.
That’s especially true if you find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, feel tired most days, and/or have physical symptoms, like chronic pain, that prevent you from getting comfortable.
After a physical exam, a psychiatric assessment, and lab testing, we can develop a personalized treatment plan to enhance sleep quality.
If Julia, our psychotherapist, determines depression is behind your insomnia, she uses behavioral health therapies to address the problem and keep it from worsening. She may recommend:
CBT teaches you how to identify negative thoughts or behaviors related to sleep. For example, if getting into bed makes you anxious and worried about counting sheep, CBT can teach you healthier coping skills, like meditation. That helps calm your mind so you can relax.
DBT is similar to CBT but focuses on managing how you feel rather than changing negative thoughts and behaviors. For example, during DBT, Julia may teach you how to identify and manage intense emotions that keep you up at night.
She might also help you develop a sleep routine that prepares your body for bed. Certain activities, like taking a warm bath or turning off electronics 30 minutes before turning in, can signal to your body (and mind) that it’s time to get ready for sleep.
Long periods of insomnia can make you feel anxious or fearful of sleep, called somniphobia. If that occurs, Julia may suggest exposure therapy. This type of therapy exposes you to situations that trigger your symptoms.
For example, if you have somniphobia, getting ready for bed might increase your heart rate or affect your breathing. Julia teaches you coping skills and relaxation techniques to help you manage these fears and prevent them from worsening.
Finding the best approach may take trial and error, but behavioral therapies work. Rather than masking symptoms, these treatments improve your mental and physical well-being so you can sleep through the night without relying on potentially addictive medication.
Suffering from insomnia and depression can affect your mood, outlook, and quality of life, but help is available. Contact Himalaya Family Medicine Clinic to explore treatment options. Call our office at 303-351-1800 or book your visit online today.
