#Do antidepressants increase deep sleep full#

This has led to the suggestion that increased REM sleep leads to depression. That’s the type of sleep we need to feel refreshed in the morning.ĭuring sleep, we alternate between REM and NREM stages and it’s been found that people living with depression spend a greater amount of their sleep time in the REM stages. There are also non-REM (NREM) sleep stages, with the the most important of these being NREM slow-wave sleep. The REM stage of sleep is linked to dreaming and during this stage our brain activity levels are similar to what they are when we’re awake. Sleep consists of a number of stages, one of which is termed REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. 4Īt this point, it’s worth asking ‘why does depression affect sleep?’ The REM theory of sleep - and why it’s not quite right It’s also a sad fact that a link has been observed between extremes of sleep time and suicide risk but this may not be directly attributable to depression. However, if that sleep is of poor quality then it will affect how the person feels and functions the next day. In fact, many people living with depression experience hypersomnia - the condition of sleeping too much. Instead, we’ve broken down the key scientific findings to show how people living with depression and poor sleep can use what we’ve learned about these interactions to improve their mood and achieve better sleep.Įven though the sleep that those with depression experience is poor, it’s not accurate to say that depression causes a lack of sleep.

#Do antidepressants increase deep sleep full#

To give you a full review of how depression and sleep interact with each other would fill a book. Depression can affect sleep and sleep can affect depression As we know from the scientific literature, a good night’s sleep benefits health, mental ability and mood. Sleep can be significantly affected by depression and poor sleep can cause us to feel low. If your sleep is a problem, then we can help. When we open up about how we’re feeling it becomes much easier to tackle the problems we’re experiencing. So if you’re reading this and think you may be experiencing depression or anxiety, then it’s important that you reach out for support as soon as possible.Įven just telling one person how you feel can help. The impact of these mental health problems can be crippling, with the adverse effects impacting upon every aspect of daily life. One in six people will experience depression, anxiety or a combination of the two.Within the UK, one in four people is likely to experience a mental health problem each year in England alone.

There’s been an increasing focus on mental health during the past few years and not without good reason: