Stealing Your Joy: How Your Sleep Quality Can Lead to Depression

Are you tired when you wake up? Do you no longer feel like socializing with your friends? If so, you may be suffering from depression, a common symptom associated with sleep apnea. Although it might seem odd that the two are related, your inability to get a good night’s rest can take its toll on your mental and emotional well-being. Read on to discover the connection and what you can do to take back your life and happiness.

How Can Poor Sleep Lead to Depression?

According to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Sleep Medicine in 2018, researchers discovered that nearly 35% of individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also had symptoms of depression.

Both disorders display common signs, such as irritability, fatigue and tiredness, headaches, inability to sleep throughout the night, difficulty concentrating, etc.

Poor sleep can leave you feeling as if you will never have the energy to enjoy life. You may feel too tired to exercise, which can lead to weight gain. This can cause you to think unhealthy thoughts about yourself.

It can also increase your anxiety if you’re unable to fall asleep at night. You may find yourself immersed in countless thoughts that raise your heart rate, elevate your blood pressure, and leave you fearing what might happen in the future.

What Can You Do to Improve Your Situation?

First, it is essential to know whether you have sleep apnea, as it might be the cause of your depression. Talking to a doctor about your symptoms and undergoing a sleep study can help determine whether you have sleep apnea. If so, you can find a dentist who offers reliable treatment options, such as CPAP therapy or oral appliances.

Starting sleep apnea treatment can begin to reduce your symptoms by allowing you to get much-needed rest each night. This will slowly improve your mood and your ability to engage in daily activities that help you feel better about yourself.

You can also try:

• Incorporating exercise in your daily routine so that you are moving your body and losing any unwanted pounds. This can benefit your physical and mental health.
• Limiting your alcohol consumption, as this only worsens your sleep apnea and depression symptoms.
• Speaking to a licensed professional to determine if other issues may be causing your depression.
• Avoiding sleeping pills, as these can increase the likelihood of depression in some people and sabotage your sleep apnea treatment.

Don’t keep moving through life feeling hopeless. Get the care you need by seeing a sleep specialist today so that you can start enjoying life once again.

About the Practice
At GoTo Sleep Center Glendale, our experts use a state-of-the-art approach to empower and encourage patients to take back their lives by pursuing high-quality sleep apnea treatment. We work with local sleep doctors to ensure accurate diagnoses, so we can provide personalized plans to open airways and improve sleep quality. If you are struggling to breathe freely throughout the night, we invite you to contact us today to schedule a consultation.