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Re: Sleep and depression » sid

Posted by Ritch on February 3, 2002, at 13:04:36

In reply to Sleep and depression, posted by sid on February 3, 2002, at 11:57:21

> Hello all,
>
> when depressed, unlike the majority of depressive people, I sleep too much and eat too much carbs. When I say sleep too much, I mean 10 hours+. If there is no disruption, I could sleep 16 hours nonstop. And during my major depresison, I never remembered a dream, as if I didn't dream. I'd wake up groggy and feel sleepy for a few more hours, no matter how many hours I had slept (8 vs. 16).
>
> That got better as the major depression lifted, but I still tended to sleep a lot (10 hours if no disruption, 8 otherwise; less than 8 hours, I had trouble functioning), and I never remembered a dream.
>
> Now I'm on Effexor XR for dysthymia and anxiety, although I am still at a low dose - unsure if it's effective yet. One of the side effects I've experienced (the most enduring one) is insomnia. I sleep less, sometimes having trouble to sleep at all. And I remember more dreams when I wake up, or perhaps I dream more altogether?
>
> Does anyone know what happened when I slept so much during the major depression, and why I seem to remember more dreams these days? I don't want to get back to the sleepy head I used to be, but I do need to sleep more than I have lately if I want to keep my job. And I don't understand what is going on. Gravol seems to help some nights (thanks IsoM for the suggestion), but not always. Basically, I'd like to understand better why my sleep pattern is so intricately linked to my depression history and now to my medical treatment.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> - sid

Hi Sid,

My sleep patterns almost exactly mirror my mood states-I am not sure whether it is the chicken or the egg, however (does poor sleep architecture create the affective state or is the poor sleep a result of the affective state, or both-they reinforce each other?). I feel the best when I go to sleep easily, sleep soundly, dream a *little*, remember *some* of the dreams, and get up quickly in the morning after about 7 hrs. sleep.

Medications *definitely* alter all of this greatly. You mentioned Effexor. When I was on it I had the most vivid dreaming than any other med. Interestingly, I also noticed an obvious increase in color intensity during the day (esp. reds, yellows).

If I do not take a stimulant or stim-likeAD (like Wellbutrin) during my major depressions I have the same symptoms. I will tend to just hang-around in bed for hours after I should be getting up. The worst I can remember is about 12 hours of sleep and remaining sleepy the remaining 12 hrs! It really sucked(also absolutely NO focus and NO interest in anything). I also get into the complex carb craving thing big time-too-lots of potatoes, starches, pastas, rice, etc. My depressions are very seasonal. Are your depressions seasonal (fairly predictable-timing and duration)? If so, you might investigate specific meds/treatments that target SAD type symptoms.

Mitch


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poster:Ritch thread:92702
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/92711.html