Is Depression Disrupting Your Sleep?
I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that someone can be struggling with depression and still have to experience sleeping difficulty, too. It’s one of the major signs and symptoms of depression that can be pretty challenging for people.
What’s worse, a person can have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up from sleep too early… or even all three together. A challenge like this could make anyone discouraged.
Maybe you don’t get enough sleep with all the thinking you’re doing. Or it could be you sleep too much. At this point, you’re probably looking for help with your sleep disturbance and what’s going on underneath. Fortunately, you can find a depression therapist to help you create a healthy sleeping pattern and address any deeper concerns.
How To Reduce Sleep Anxiety And Improve Sleep Quality
The problem is many people with depression try to sleep without a “ritual.” And then they might think they just can’t get a “good night’s sleep.” But the truth is:
When you clearly define how you’re going to sleep and stick with it, combined with healing other areas of your life… your normal sleeping pattern returns.
That means people who use a routine and also work with a depression therapist might begin to sleep better. Like anything else, improving your sleep is a process of learning and experience. You can find this kind of help and growth in therapy for depression with me.
So what are some ways to come up with a ritual? Here are a 3 easy methods you can use to start planning your ritual right away...
Learn To Relax And Self-Soothe
No doubt about it, some people with depression get down just thinking about sleep difficulties, which can increase problems like insomnia. That’s why the first step toward planning your sleep ritual is intercepting any negative thoughts in a way that helps you get past the self-sabotaging.
Here’s a quick way to do it…
First, visualize a pleasant scene about a peaceful time in your life when you felt genuinely easy, light and relaxed about the experience you were having. Remember how you felt like you were deeply comfortable in your own skin, being you. Really focus on putting yourself in that place.
Now, do something simple and physical with your body. Maybe tap your finger or rub your feet together. Then: repeat. Think about that relaxing time you felt peaceful and serene. Then tap your finger again.
If you do this exercise of remembering a time when you had a relaxed experience and connecting it to a physical gesture, you’ll likely condition yourself to encourage those relaxed, positive feelings to come back. In the future, all you’ll have to do when you’re trying to sleep is repeat the gesture and you’ll call up those feelings. This takes practice but you’ll be able to nudge your mind and body towards sleep or relaxation when you need it.
Create And Follow A Bedtime Routine That’s Right For You
Everything about helping someone’s sleeping difficulties is about making small changes that create big results. Your bedtime routine offers a healthy opportunity for you to create a sleep ritual. Make sure to honor your natural sleeping cycle, sleep only when you’re tired, and limit your time to 7-8 hours.
You can start right away with deep breathing, stretching, or white noise machines. Stick to a sleep schedule of regular waking and sleeping times. Find ways to increase physical comfort, like a leg pillow, glass of milk, or custom-fit mattress. Some people benefit from meditation, warm showers and baths, or soft music.
(One quick note about physical activity: yes, exercise can help regulate the body if it’s done during the day, so it can help sleep in that way. But doing exercise before bed can really stimulate the body and prevent sleep.)
If you explore depression therapy, you can expand on the benefits of a fixed sleeping routine. You might begin to see meaningful changes in how your sleep improves slowly and gently… which alone could work wonders when it comes to helping you move forward and live the life you deserve.
Avoid Doing What Stimulates You
Do energizing, stimulating influences help a person sleep? Probably not. So it’s a good idea for a person to avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and food right before bed. Try not to use any bright screens because the light will signal your brain to suppress your melatonin, so you won’t get the best quality sleep.
Get blackout curtains for your bedroom to stop outside light from waking you. Avoid extreme room temperatures and uncomfortable bedding. And if you’re like many people with depression, you might be unable to sleep because you’re tossing and turning with negative thoughts. In that case, try getting up and doing something instead of staying there in bed.
Maybe these negative thoughts worked themselves into your mind over time. However, depression treatment can help you start replacing those negative thoughts with actual experience. Therapy can help you change your thinking patterns so your experience of life changes. You can apply this “real world” data back to your self-concept and shake off any lingering negative thoughts. Maybe you could even change your mind about bigger things. After that, your healing might give you permission to go even further.
So take the first step today. I know you can find healing and comfort in therapy for depression because I did it myself. I’ve also seen many other people do it. Please call or email me for your free 15-minute consultation so I can hear your needs and answer your questions.
Find out more about Depression Treatment.
About The Author
John Younes, JD, MA, LPCC, NCC is a trained counselor who owns a private practice in Denver, CO. In general, he specializes in depression treatment and anxiety treatment using existential and cognitive therapy practices.
If you’re thinking about suicide and are in immediate danger, please call your local emergency number. For Denver, Colorado, call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.