Sleep and Depression: Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Encino, Tarzana, Chatsworth, Calabasas, Studio City

If you’ve ever gone through a book of medical disorders and their symptoms, you’ve likely noticed that many of them are similar. For instance, a “sense of impending doom” is characteristic of neurotic disorders, such as anxiety panic disorder, and of physiological emergencies, such as a cardiac arrest. The same is true of depression. Depression is viewed as both a biochemical disease and a psychological disorder by medical professionals. Surprisingly, it is also very much associated with sleep disorders. Our brains, as much as our bodies, rejuvenate while we sleep. Without that rest, life can easily become a source of constant torment.

Your brain needs a break, essentially, from the stress of the day. When you suffer sleep apnea or another sleeping disorder, you never reach the deepest states of sleep, when our bodies do the majority of their regenerating, mentally and physically. This can lead to other psychological symptoms than depression, as well. You may feel confused during the day and may feel as if you’re only half-involved in the world around you. You may also find yourself lacking an ability to concentrate and losing interest in things that you once found enjoyable. In children, the symptoms are often very similar.

Children may exhibit learning difficulties at school. Somewhat paradoxically, the lack of sleep that they experience may cause them to become hyperactive. They may also show the same signs of depression that are seen in adults, such as lethargy, a negative outlook and attitude and overwhelming emotions. Both adults and children who suffer depression tend to suffer lower productivity, as well, and less satisfaction with their lives in general. Sometimes, this all leads to the patient seeking psychological treatment.

Given anti-depressants or other therapeutic options, you may suffer some relief from your depression. However, as long as the sleep apnea or other sleep disturbance that is causing the depression remains untreated, it will never truly go away. Medicine always strives to find the root cause of any disorder. If you find yourself suffering depression and nothing seems to help, you may well be suffering a severe case of sleep deprivation. Patients successfully treated for sleep apnea oftentimes feel much better mentally. The fact that we can adjust to a life of depression and constant sleepiness is both a benefit and a detriment. It may enable us to survive living with the disorder, but may also prevent us from seeking treatments that can alleviate it.

Sleep apnea related depression has to be handled by a doctor. You may also be in need of the services of a dentist to treat this disorder. If you’re suffering sleep apnea, you’re no doubt waking up several times during the night and never reaching the very deep stages of sleep. This can lead to depression, as well as a host of other mental consequences. If you’re experiencing the symptoms of depression but haven’t found any relief, you may want to contact a sleep physician or a dentist who works with sleep apnea patients.

To learn more about Sleep Apnea treatments and to find out if they are right for you, contact Smile Studio LA at 818-788-1352 today for a free consultation!