Depression, poor sleep bedfellows

It should be no accident that May is both Better Sleep Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. It only takes one bad night to make me aware of how poor sleep affects my mental faculties. I don't just move slowly and drop things; I can't think. Which makes my outlook as poor as my squinting eyesight. The relationship between sleep and depression is complex; each affects the other. Sorting out the chicken from the egg can be tricky. Insomnia is common among depressed patients, and according to the National Sleep Foundation people with insomnia are 10 times more likely to develop depression compared with those who sleep well. A 2006 NFS study found that 73 percent of adolescents who reported being unhappy weren't sleeping enough at night. Depressed moods are a symptom of insomnia and insomnia (or the other extreme) is a symptom of depression.

We all feel down sometimes; when it gets clinical or chronic and the normal pick-me-ups don't help, depression permeates all areas of life - physical health, family, work, sleep, even pets. The 20 million Americans annually who battle depression can't just "suck it up" and see the bright side. It isn't that simple; true depression is different from the blahs or temporary setbacks. In additional to sleep problems, symptoms of depression vary by individual and include:

• Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and sadness n Thoughts of death or suicide

• Loss of interest in things previously enjoyed n Concentration problems, forgetfulness

• Loss of libido

• Changes in weight and appetite

• Loss of energy

Counseling often helps. Free hotlines can be a starting point; (800) 273-TALK and the state care line (dial 2-1-1) offer support and referrals to free or reduced-cost government and community services.

For the more temporary feelings of sadness, calming the mind can be a quicker process. Living life in mental transience and less as a roller coaster means that when the successes and good news come, there is no need to get particularly excited or overconfident. What comes now will one day pass, so there is also no need to despair when it does. Enjoyment is fine, but to pin happiness on others, on things which come and go, keeps it ever at bay.Tranquility is a state of mind, not a state of events. In fact, attaching state of mind to events keeps happiness temporary. So the more one can build a calm mind which gets past unhappiness as well as elation, the greater potential for happiness and psychological health.

And sleep.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email [email protected]