Sleep Problems And Depression Fatigue
If you have depression, you likely suffer from poor sleeping patterns as well. Insomnia , hypersomnia , and non-restful sleep are all common symptoms of depression.
A 2019 study on depression and sleep revealed individuals with depression are less likely to cycle through rapid eye movement sleep. And when you dont cycle through all four sleep cycles efficiently, when you wake up, youre not going to feel rested, even if you got enough sleep.
Another sleep disorder linked to depression is obstructive sleep apnea . According to the National Sleep Foundation , 18% of those with major depressive disorder have OSA, and 17.6% of those with OSA experience depression.
The bottom line is that when you dont sleep well, you cant think as clearly and have trouble controlling your emotions. In turn, these things can contribute to depression and depression fatigue.
You Dont Sleep As Well
Depression may be disrupting your sleeping patterns in some way. About 80% of people with depression, for example, experience insomnia.
But its not just a lack of sleep that causes tiredness. Oversleeping, which is also a common symptom of depression, can cause similar feelings of fatigue over a period of time.
These kinds of sleep irregularities are among the biggest causes of fatigue in those who experience depression.
Natural Remedies For Depression And Fatigue
Considering taking herbs for depression?
Sure, theyre natural. But, remember that herbs can still be considered psychotropic drugs and not necessarily safe.
St. Johns Wort, for example, is one of the most recognised natural remedies for depression and safer than SSRIs according to this study . But it comes with one safety warning. Youll need to consult your doctor before taking it if you are on any medication or the contraceptive pill.
And while were talking about the contraceptive pill, research has shown that the pill can cause anxiety, depression and low libido . So it might be worth asking your doctor to review your medication to make sure its suitable and appropriate for you right now.
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Depression Acts On Neurotransmitters To Make You Tired
Depression is likely associated with changes in brain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. “These neurotransmitters play important roles in regulating energy levels, sleep, appetite, motivation, and pleasure,” Ricke says.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, depression is a complex disease with many possible and interlinked causes, including genetics, medical conditions, stressful life events, and brain chemistry. And it can be challenging to tell the difference between everyday tiredness and depression-related fatigue.
“Fatigue and depression can look quite similar,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, psychiatrist and sleep medicine expert, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine.
Don’t Forget About Support Groups
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn, seek out a support group. Many groups are available for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or other conditions that can cause fatigue.
Talking to others who understand what you’re going through can help you find ways to cope.
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How To Fight Depression Fatigue
Fatigue may linger even after other depression symptoms improve. These strategies can help you boost your energy and conquer depression fatigue.
Living with major depression can be challenging when you’re also dealing with fatigue, a common depression symptom. Not only can fatigue disrupt your daily routine, it can also make it harder to take the steps needed to get depression under control.
Major depression causes a total lack of energy that doctors call anergia, says Stephen Geisler, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Hofstra North ShoreLIJ School of Medicine in Long Island, N.Y. This lack of energy can lead to mental, emotional, and physical fatigue thats difficult to treat.
Left untreated, fatigue can contribute to longer and more severe depression, according to a research review published in 2014 in the journal Depression and Anxiety. Its also one of the main causes of disability in depression, says Dr. Geisler. For these reasons, taking steps to conquer fatigue is an important aspect of depression treatment.
How Is Depression Fatigue Treated?
Depression fatigue may be linked to poor sleep, lack of activity, or commonly used antidepressant medications called SSRIs and SNRIs. Even after other depression symptoms have responded to treatment, fatigue is likely to linger.
Helpful Lifestyle Changes Can Fight Depression Fatigue
You can also make healthy lifestyle choices that may help reduce fatigue:
Ways To Get Your Energy Back
Running on fumes? Here’s how to stop feeling so tired all the time.
Youâre only as old as you feel, the saying goes. But what if you feel old, tired, and rundown?
Fatigue is a common complaint, especially after people hit middle age. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to boost energy. Some even slow the aging process.
Hereâs how to refill your tank when your energy levels sputter.
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Treating Depression And Fatigue
Therapy or counseling can help treat depression. It can also be treated with certain medications. These include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.
Taking antidepressants can sometimes make symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome worse. Thats why your doctor should screen you for depression and chronic fatigue syndrome before prescribing any medication.
Several treatments can help people with chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, or both. These include:
How To Find The Best Supplements
All supplements carry risks as well as benefits. Some may have interactions with other medications that could cause long-term problems. Others shouldnt be taken by individuals with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes. The single most important thing to keep in mind with all of these supplements is to use them only as directed by a professional. Taking these things into your own hands can result in more problems.
Further, not all supplements are created equal so make sure that they are purchased from a reputable source. If you can, try to add more of these nutrients in your diet by consuming foods that contain them naturally. Your doctor can help you determine where you can make changes in your eating habits.
Always consult a specialist before adding any of these to your routine to find out how much is appropriate for you. With the right supervision and using these supplements properly, you may find that you have more physical and mental energy to face your daily activities, reduced risk of bone and joint issues, and can beat the challenges of depression.
If youre suffering from chronic pain along with any of these conditions, there is help. You can find a pain doctor in your area by clicking the button below or looking for one in your area by using the tips here: .
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Seeking Professional Help To Resolve Low Energy And Fatigue
Sometimes, persistent fatigue and low energy levels are your bodys way of telling you that something is not quite right inside your mind. If mental health is the culprit for your tiredness, speaking to a professional can be very beneficial, and at Brightside our expert providers are here to help you understand whats going on, and what you can do about it.
With Brightside, youll have unlimited access to expert psychiatric care, and well work with you to evaluate your symptoms and determine if depression or anxiety is a root cause. From there, well find a treatment personalized to you, including precision-prescribing where well match you with the right antidepressant medication based on what symptoms youre experiencing and what your needs are.
The first step towards getting a tailored treatment program is to fill out our free online assessment that helps us better understand your individual needs and concerns. From there, you will be matched with a psychiatric provider and/or therapist, setting you up to receive therapy, medication, or both depending on what youre going through and what treatment plan fits best for you. Either way, with Brightside, you can get the care you need in the comfort of your own home.
Now that the basics have been covered, lets talk about some other ways that you can reduce your fatigue and get your energy levels back on track.
Create A Morning Pampering Routine
When you live with depression, you may notice your personal care starts to decline. You might start by skipping the shower. Brushing your hair may feel like a chore. Maybe you dont remember when you last brushed your teeth.
A small, cross-sectional study found married women who self-pampered were less likely to experience depression compared to married women who didnt self-pamper.
Its possible, however, like with diet, that people who pamper themselves more are more likely to have other beneficial mental and physical behaviors, which might explain lower rates of depression.
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Look After Your Physical Health
- Think about what you eat and drink. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet may help to manage some of your symptoms. Drinking plenty of water can also help your mental wellbeing. See our pages on food and mood for more information. If you have a difficult relationship with food and eating, our pages on eating problems may help.
- Try to be more active. Many people find regular physical activity helps to lift their mood, boost their energy levels and keep them grounded in reality. See our pages on physical activity and your mental health for more information.
- Try to get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep can sometimes feel difficult. But having a good amount of quality sleep is very helpful for your mental health. See our pages on sleep problems for more information.
How To Get Rid Of Fatigue
Two simple ways to lessen fatigue are eating right and sleeping right. Eating foods high in protein can help your body build up its energy reserves so it has more fuel to use throughout the day. And as always, getting enough sleep is important for energy, overall health and refueling for the next day’s tasks. Aim to clock 8 hours a night, if possible.
Let’s explore a few other simple lifestyle changes that can help lessen fatigue and keep energy on the upside.
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Ways To Overcome Anxiety And Depression Without Medication
This morning, the World Health Organisation has reported concerns over the amount of children and young adults taking antidepressants to treat mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
In Wales alone, there has been a 30% increase in the number of children prescribed the medication over the past ten years and, in the UK as a whole, there was a 54% rise between 2005 and 2012.
The use of antidepressants in young people has also been linked to a rise in suicidal thoughts and behaviours. This is because everyone reacts differently to the chemicals in antidepressants and it can take the body and brain a while to adjust after beginning to take them.
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The director of mental health at the World Health Organization, Dr Shekhar Saxena, told the BBC: Anti-depressant use amongst young people is and has been a matter of concern for two reasons. One, are more people being prescribed anti-depressants without sufficient reason? And second, can anti-depressants do any major harm?
With this news in mind, we wanted to highlight some alternative methods to help overcome mental health issues which dont involve medication. Obviously, it is important to mention that if you are at all concerned about your mental health you should consult a GP about the best option for you. But, for now, here are a few to consider
Here are 3 diet changes to help ease anxiety.
What Is Samhsas National Helpline
SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.
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Two Ways To Treat Fatigue In Bipolar And Depression
Ask a patient with depression how long it takes for them to feel fully awake in the morning and you are liable to get some revealing answers.
RESEARCH UPDATE
Ask a patient with depression how long it takes for them to feel fully awake in the morning and you are liable to get some revealing answers. Fatigue is common in depression, and one of the causes of that fatigue is sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is a transitional state between sleep and wakefulness. Sometimes called sleep drunkenness, it is characterized by grogginess, poor mental performance, physical slowing, and dyscoordination. Severe cases can present with disorientation and confusion.1
Most people experience sleep inertia when they awake from deep sleep, but it usually lasts a few minutes. In depression it can drag on for 4 hours. That means a quarter of the day is spent in an impaired state. Sleep inertia perpetuates depression by causing patients to stay in bed too long, disrupting circadian rhythms and furthering inactivity.
Sleep inertia is particularly common in bipolar disorder, where it is reported by 42% of patients.2 Two behavioral interventions can improve this symptom and, in doing so, may improve depression as well.
Dawn simulators have evidence in winter depression, where small controlled trials have found that they worked better than a placebo but not quite as good as a lightbox.6-8
Disclosures:
Acknowledge You Have A Problem
This is the most important step. The first one, the one that makes the difference between aimlessly floundering about in your efforts, and actually figuring out a direction.
If you dont realize there is a problem, you will most likely never solve it.
The moment you acknowledge that there is a problem, is the moment you can finally take the steps you need to take to fix that problem.
No one else will take them for you: youre the one who has to do it.
It took me 4 years of constant acute misery before finally realising I was dealing with severe depression. I thought I was just overly sensitive: I cried every-single-day, many, many times per day
- I could no longer hold a conversation with someone , without bursting into tears
- I would hide in the bathroom every day at work to go cry
- I could not answer a single personal question without feeling that my heart was going to explode with sadness.
It was acute emotional distress so unbearable, I could not function. And by not acknowledging it, I only made things worse.
You are not just too sensitive, or just tired. You are depressed. Now, time for you to start taking the necessary measures.
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Diagnosing Depression And Fatigue
To make a depression diagnosis, your doctor will ask you about your medical history and give you a questionnaire that assesses depression. They may use other methods, such as blood tests or X-rays, to make sure another disorder isnt causing your symptoms.
Before diagnosing you with chronic fatigue syndrome, your doctor will run several tests to rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. These may include restless leg syndrome, diabetes, or depression.
What To Expect At Your Providers Office
There is no laboratory test for chronic fatigue syndrome. But your health care provider may use tests to rule out other illnesses. Your provider will go over your symptoms, check your medical history, and do a physical examination.
If you have CFS, your provider may prescribe drugs to treat your symptoms, or suggest herbs, vitamins, or dietary changes to help you. Get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, and learn to pace yourself. Often this combination of treatments will help you get better.
If the usual treatments do not work, your provider may check for other conditions that can cause symptoms similar to those of CFS.
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Do What Brings You Joy
This one might seem a bit obvious.
But theres something weird that happens when I feel depressed.
And its this I dont feel like doing the things that I know will make me happy.
I think its because I kind of enjoy feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in self-pity. Do you know that I mean?
I kind of like feeling like crap and hating the world because when Im in that space I have a reason to blame things other than myself.
Its classic self-sabotage.
So to get over that Do the things you love to do.
For me, thats playing guitar, getting into nature, watching a comedy special on Netflix, or a UFC event.
Its spending quality time with my girlfriend.
Maybe its catching up with my family on Skype.
I typically find that I forget about feeling depressed after doing things that I enjoy.
It doesnt have to be anything drastic.
Joy can be found in the simple things.
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What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Chronic fatigue syndrome , also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis , is a chronic , complex and disabling illness that causes extreme fatigue and other symptoms that cannot be explained by any other medical condition.
If you have ME/CFS, you are likely to feel very tired, very often, even if you have not been active. You may also have a host of other symptoms.
Doctors do not yet understand the cause of ME/CFS, and there is no simple cure. If you or your child has ME/CFS, your doctor can suggest treatments you may find helpful.
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