Some people can’t sleep at night, they will think nonsense, wondering if they are depressed. So, is not being able to sleep depressed or not?
People with depression may show symptoms of not being able to sleep.
Patients with depression with somatic symptom group will show certain sleep disorders during the attack of the disease, such as difficulty in falling asleep, even if they fall asleep, the sleep is shallow, they are prone to dreaming, and once they wake up, it is difficult to fall back to sleep. In particular, waking up early often and not being able to sleep again after waking up is often a typical manifestation of sleep disorder in depressed patients.
But sleeplessness is not necessarily depression, because there are many reasons for sleeplessness.
1, the spirit is too nervous, too much pressure, etc., resulting in stress insomnia
Such as excessive mental tension during the day, too much pressure, or for some reason too excited, excited, and excessive concern or fear of something, will cause the sympathetic nerves of the cerebral cortex has been in a state of excitement, which led to the emergence of stress insomnia, how can not sleep. This condition can usually be relieved on its own and generally does not require treatment.
2, anxiety disorders, depression, organic lesions, etc., resulting in the emergence of sleep disorders
Such as anxiety, depression, when there is bad mental stimulation, will cause cortical dysfunction, resulting in brain cell metabolism dysfunction, will also appear sleeplessness.
There is also, if the body has organic lesions, such as serious cardiopulmonary disorders or tumors, resulting in significant general discomfort, can also cause sleeplessness.
3, sleep environment discomfort, resulting in sleeplessness
Such as noisy bedroom, or a new environment is not adapted to, etc., may also lead to sleeplessness.
So, there are many reasons for sleeplessness, and depression is just one of them. Whether it is depression or not, the key also depends on the criteria for determining depression.
The most central symptom of depression is not in sleep, but in the state of mind or mood. There are two core symptoms of depression, one is a persistent low mood and the other is a persistent decline in interest. If one of these is present, the possibility of depression should be considered, especially if this symptom persists for more than two weeks without relief, it must be taken seriously.
And clinically, it is generally considered that in addition to the above two core symptoms, there should be at least two additional symptoms (such as decreased concentration, decreased self-esteem and self-confidence, self-guilt and feelings of worthlessness, pessimism, suicidal or self-injurious behavior, sleep disturbance, decreased appetite, etc.) before depression can be judged.
Obviously, sleep disturbance is only an additional symptom of depression, not to mention that some depressed patients may also have better sleep. So it is not necessarily depression anymore if you can’t sleep. If long-term sleeplessness affects normal work and life, you must seek medical help from professional doctors in time. If necessary, it is also necessary to exclude the possibility of organic lesions.
References.
[1]Li-Yue. What are the manifestations of depression and how to treat it [J]. Health Digest, 2010(2):1.
[2] Zhang Jun, Fan Jiaxuan, Chen Keliang, et al. Is depression a bad mood[J]. Health Expo, 2020(2):3.