Good Sleeping Patterns Reduce Risk of Depression

Good Sleep Patterns Lower Depression Risk  (Sleeping Dog courtesy Crcava at FreeImages.com)

Get a good sleep pattern going and you are two and half times less likely to come down with depression than your insomniac friend-- or highly likely to overcome the depression you are already dealing with!

The sleep patterns of 3,000 Japanese adults in the rural town of Daisen in Tottori Prefecture were studied over two years, starting in 2005, and the study results show that, on average, two and a half times as many people suffering from insomnia came down with depression as did people who did not suffer from sleep disturbances.  

Researchers led by Dr. Yuichi Inoue in the Department of Somnology at Tokyo Medical University hypothesized that there was a link between insomnia and depression.

Previous research indicated that about one-fifth of Japan's adult population suffers from insomnia.  The researchers looked at different "categories of sleep disturbance" such as sleep quality, the time it took participants to get to sleep, the length of time sleeping, sleep "efficiency" and daytime behaviours during the daytime following the sleep disturbance that were classed as "dysfunction".

Those who tossed and turned and woke several times, as well as those who found it challenging to fall asleep, were, not surprisingly, likely to perform poorly the following day, and consequently, struggle with depression.  The more disturbed the sleep was, the more apt the person was prescribed sleeping medication, and the more depression was often the result.

As well, a newly diagnosed case of depression is in itself likely to create sleep disturbance, often leading to  a more severe case of depression.  (Source: Journal of Psychiatry, online October 4, 2011)

The Depression Recovery Program offers a holistic lifestyle approach to self-recognition and natural treatment of depression based on Dr. Neil Nedley's professional experience, insights, and comprehensive research.  Establishing a good pattern of quality sleep is an important component of the participants' program, along with other essential lifestyle elements such as brain nutrition, appropriate natural and herbal treatments, healthy exercise, minimizing and eliminating toxins, and a broad range of important intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual enhancements.


You can read about the Depression Recovery Program in Dr. Nedley's books-- particularly Depression: The Way Out