Hope for Some with Insomnia and Depression

It has long been known that individuals who are depressed often suffer from insomnia. These individuals are often given medication to treat their depression, as well as medication to treat their insomnia. However, what if the assumption that depression causes insomnia is wrong, at least for many patients? What if it was the other way around? What if treating the insomnia, without medication, resulted in either curing or significantly reducing depression? This was the research focus of a study in Australia in 2003.

For purposes of this study, subjects were taken off of all medications for insomnia and off of all antidepressants. They were then taught a number of self-help strategies to assist them in falling asleep at bedtime. At the end of the study, 87% reported substantial improvement in their ability to fall asleep and to stay asleep. Of the subjects who had been diagnosed with depression prior to the study, 57% not only learned to sleep better, but were no longer depressed at the close of the study.

The results shown above are not meant to be a one-size-fits-all cure for either insomnia or depression. When the study was repeated with the 43% who were still depressed, it was found that not one ultimately moved to the group that was now no longer depressed. However, this is still good news, if it is remembered that 57% of the total number of subjects was now sleeping well, no longer depressed, and no longer taking any kind of medication.

If an individual is already taking medication for depression and/or insomnia, it is not recommended that they cease taking this medication on their own. Instead, they should discuss the issue with their physician. The two of them can design a monitored program for the individual, so that they can be certain they are safely getting their prescriptions out of their systems. Then, they can begin on a program of self-help for insomnia for the purpose of determining which came first, their depression or their insomnia, and which is driving the cycle of illness in which they now find themselves. This seems to be the only means, at this point in time, of determining the link between depression and insomnia in any one individual, and it is certainly worth discussing with a physician.

Depression and insomnia are a huge drain on the health care system in the U.S. today. If it is possible for 57% of patients with depression to find a cure by simply treating their insomnia with a good self-help program, thus restoring the quality of their lives and removing them from the rolls of the chronically ill, then there is no reason not to at least investigate this possibility.

Source: Morawetz, D. (2003). Insomnia and depression: which comes first? Sleep Research Online 5(2): 77-81 Retrieved from: http://www.sro.org/2003/Morawetz/77/article.html