How to Reduce the Symptoms of Insomnia and Depression
Insomnia and depressionoften go hand-in-hand.Going without sleepfor prolonged periods of time can lead to depression. A person experiencing clinical depression may be unable to fall asleep and/or stay asleep.
以先到期者作准,失眠或抑郁,一个can exacerbate the other. Likewise, improvement in one area generally will bring out an improvement in the other.
In addition to any medications or therapies you may be undergoing, there arethings you can do on your ownthat can help both insomnia and depression.
Exercise
Physical activity may be the last thing someone who is depressed or fatigued feels like doing. Yet, studies have shown that exercise can be as effective as therapy and medicine when it comes to treating minor depression.
Exercise also helps the body sleep better at night if it is done in the morning - or no more than three to five hours before bedtime.
如果锻炼了你的思想,remember it can be something as simple as walking, gardening, or swimming. You don't have to join a gym to get physically active.
The point is that you just do something that gets your body moving and your heart rate up.
Sunlight
Sunlight should be considered medication, or a drug. Two of its benefits are that exposure to sunlight can enhance the mood and it also helps to normalize the sleep/wake cycle. Melatonin is a hormone in the body that helps toregulate your body clockand it is strongly influenced by light exposure.
Expose yourself to sunlight as much as possible, starting in the morning, and it can help lift your mood and make you feel more alert. Decrease the amount of light exposure, even artificial light, you get in the hour or two before bedtime and your body will start to relax. This makes falling asleep easier.
Social Interaction
When you are dealing with insomnia and depression, interacting with people may seem like a chore or a job. Yet, doing so can greatly impact your mood and outlook. Not only can friends and colleagues offer you outlets for your time and get your mind engaged on new things, they can also offer support.
Interacting with people more frequently can also work as a sleep aid. When you are engaged with others, you expend energy which can help you sleep later. Also, being around people who are on a regular sleep/wake cycle can help your body eventually adjust to a normal sleep cycle.
Online insomnia support forums have also been shown to help improve sleep in insomnia sufferers.
Sleep Sanctuary
If you are dealing with depression, it may be hard for you to shut your mind off and sleep. It is important that you create a sleep sanctuary.
Your bedroom should be a place that is only used for sleeping and sexual activity. If your bedroom has turned into a place where you have intense discussions, work on your bills, talk on the telephone, or a place to eat - move those activities to other areas of the home.
The brain should be re-trained to only associate things related to sleep to this area of your home. Doing so can calm the mind and make sleep easier to obtain and maintain.
Depression and insomnia are related. Science is learning more each day about how one impacts the other, as well as which may come first and most studies tend to agree that improvement in one can improve the other.
