Do people with depression always want to sleep?
Apr 10, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhu Gang
Introduction
Depressed patients may sometimes feel an overwhelming need to sleep, while at other times they do not. Depression, influenced by negative emotions, may trigger psychological defense mechanisms that alleviate symptoms—such as using sleep to avoid reality. Long-term medication use can lead to drowsiness as a side effect. Due to prolonged low mood, individuals with depression often experience racing thoughts at bedtime, making it difficult to fall asleep quickly. Even when they do fall asleep, they may have frequent dreams and wake up early.
Generally, whether patients with depression tend to sleep or not is related to certain factors such as psychological defense mechanisms and medication use. Sometimes, individuals with depression may constantly feel sleepy, experiencing hypersomnia. At other times, they may have reduced desire for sleep, resulting in decreased sleep. The specific analysis is as follows:
1. Yes
Prolonged exposure to negative emotions causes depression patients to activate psychological defense mechanisms to alleviate symptoms—for example, using sleep as a way to avoid reality, which leads to hypersomnia. Additionally, long-term use of medications during depression treatment may cause drowsiness as a side effect.
2. No
Depression patients often experience suppressed moods and heightened negative emotions. When trying to fall asleep, they may overthink or have racing thoughts, making it difficult to fall asleep quickly. Even after falling asleep, they might experience frequent dreams or early awakening, leading to poor sleep quality and reduced total sleep time.
It is recommended that patients engage in appropriate outdoor activities in daily life, communicate more with family and friends, and take medication correctly under the guidance of a doctor, all of which can help alleviate symptoms.
