It's not unusual for people to feel sad or depressed in the short-term, nor is it unusual for people to experience a few nights of insomnia due to stress or other factors. When these symptoms, separately or together, last for extended periods of time, however, there may be more at work.
This week is National Sleep Awareness Week in the U.S., so it seems appropriate to consider how depression - the most common mental illness - is tied to sleep disorders. The two often coincide in patients, with one often being present when the other is diagnosed.
Sleep and mood disorders often go hand-in-hand
The tie between sleep problems - insomnia or otherwise - and depressive mood disorders has long been established and is well-accepted in the medical community. It is easy, however, for a healthcare provider to over-focus on one issue at the expense of the other, resulting in a misdiagnosis.
Studies have found that those with sleep disorders often develop mood disorders as well, and other studies have found that those with mood disorders, especially depression, are very likely to develop sleep disorders. So, while one could be the cause of the other, it's possible for doctors to diagnose the effect rather than the cause.
This is why it is important that patients undergoing treatment for sleep disorders or depression also learn whether they have the other and if treatments for that could help.
Research has linked RLS and OSA to depression
For example, 40 percent of patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) have symptoms of depression, according to the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. If the RLS is not diagnosed, treatments for depression may occur and not result in a solution.
A Stanford study of people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common sleep disorder, found that people with depression were five times more likely to have OSA. Again, this could mean missing the problem and treating only a symptom.
Of course, this does not mean that every person diagnosed with depression may actually have a sleep disorder, nor does it mean that every sleep disorder might be due to depression. What it does mean is that patients and health care providers should be aware of the many links that have been found between the two and be sure all avenues have been checked before deciding on a diagnosis and treatment.
