Sleep deprivation helps ease depression

Post Reply New Topic

Yeah, my mom has mentioned the possibility of having me do a sleep study to see if they can find the cause of my insomnia issues. She's also said she thinks my dad has mild sleep apnea, so it's entirely possible that I might, too. If that's the case, treating it probably wouldn't help me get to sleep any faster, but it might make the sleep I do get more restful, which would probably be a vast improvement. I'm also capable of what I call resting, where I'm almost asleep but still conscious - I can usually do some of that even on nights when I can't get any actual sleep at all, and it helps a lot. And now that I think about it, I think my insomnia issues started getting really bad about the same time my depression did, so it's entirely possible the two are connected for me, at least.

Great. Yet another thing I have to have guilt over. Actually sleeping. I get it, it's an actual waste of time people who sleep are lazy and we need to stay so we can save the freaking world.

Next it'll be starving ourselves helps us not to develop eating disorders, and drinking water makes us more dehydrated. Everywhere I turn I see another load of male bovine droppings. You could fertilize every farm in the world with it.

My depression is worse when I can't sleep.

I don't think science sets out to make you feel bad.

I think having trouble falling asleep is the bigger issue for me. This isn't anxiety or depression related as I had it all my life. I have an active mind. I don't like feeling bored, so I am always thinking.

However, with anxiety and depression I also have the thing where I wake up after only 3 hours of sleep. Also when I wake up the first time I am often awake for up to an hour at a time. This feels like a different issue. I do eventually go back to sleep again after waking up, but then the rest of the night is always light fretful sleep with heavy dreams. I also toss and turn and pull the sheets and blankets everywhere. I can't sleep in the same bed as my wife because I kick and hoard the sheets/blankets. Even if I technically get enough hours of sleep on these nights, I wake up feeling very groggy. It doesn't feel like restful sleep.

Self diagnosis of what's happening in your sleep seems difficult. If you can get into a sleep study, you'll have third-party observations.

Last time I had a sleep study I hardly slept at all. I can't sleep when I can't roll over because all the crap attached to me will pull out if I move. Bed was hard and uncomfortable. Pillow was flat (I like to have my head propped up some).
Also, the hours were terrible. I was supposed to sleep at 9PM. I can't sleep that early.

I feel worse in every way when I'm sleep deprived. My depression feels worse, my anxiety feels worse, my stress levels and ability to cope -- all of these get worse.

When I've had a good night's sleep I actually feel slightly more resilient and able to cope.

This is not science. It's pseudoscience, like believing crystals will magically cure you of terminal cancer.

If you have a physical illness and can barely get out of bed, people usually encourage you to stay there and rest and sleep so your body can fight it recover. But when you have depression or another mental illness that makes you exhausted, people are like "You need to get up! Get some exercise! Do stuff!" Psychiatrists are like this, in fact they're worst of all, plus they push drugs that can *cause* drowsiness and fatigue.

What a stupid world.