Is your teen showing signs of fatigue during the day? That isn’t uncommon. As of 2021, nearly 80% of adolescents weren’t getting enough sleep. This trend has consistently worsened over the past ten years.
Depression is common in teens, with 1 in 5 adolescents experiencing at least one major depressive episode in 2021. This is also a statistic that has increased over the years.
Is there a link between sleep and teen depression? The short answer is yes.
A complete answer requires more detail.
At BNI Treatment Centers, we work closely with teens and their families and have witnessed how often sleep is a contributing factor to adolescent mental health firsthand. From the science behind the phenomenon to practical tips for teens living with depression, this short guide explores the link.
Understanding the Link Between Depression and Sleep
About 90% of individuals with depression report poor sleep quality. Whether poor sleep or depression emerges first is unclear because studies have shown each can be a risk factor for the other.
One study found that individuals who woke up frequently at night and went to bed later experienced a poorer mood than people who got sufficient sleep. The people who woke up frequently also experienced a significantly worse mood than those who went to sleep later and received less sleep overall. This indicates that uninterrupted deep sleep is important to mood regulation.
Teens require more sleep, at 8 to 10 hours of sleep compared to 7 to 9 hours for adults. This is due to the growth they’re undergoing. Their lack of adequate sleep leads to poor mood and disruptions to their healthy growth overall, increasing the risk of depression.
The Ways Depression Changes Sleep Habits
Depression comes with fatigue. This can cause individuals with depression to sleep more than they otherwise would, especially during the day. Often, when depression impacts someone’s sleep, they have trouble relaxing enough to fall asleep at night, too. Sometimes they’re kept awake due to anxiety which often goes hand-in-hand with depression. Feelings of sadness and hopelessness can also make resting difficult. Other times, depression brings insomnia that lacks a logical explanation.
When people with depression do sleep, it’s rarely soundly. Most individuals wake up several times a night, which leads to further fatigue. This creates a vicious cycle of depression and sleep complications that only make each other worse.
Hypersomnia, Sleep Apnea, and Insomnia: Sleep Problems Associated With Depression
The most common sleep difficulties associated with depression are obstructive sleep apnea, hypersomnia, and insomnia.
Hypersomnia consists of excessive daytime sleepiness. There is frequently an overwhelming urge to nap throughout the day, even during times someone usually wouldn’t, such as during a meal or conversation. Individuals with hypersomnia often sleep for a long time and never feel rested. They may experience irritability and anxiety when they are awake.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where snoring interferes with the individual’s ability to breathe. This will wake them up during the night, usually multiple times. The person may not always remember waking up, but it takes a toll on their energy levels and mood.
The Common Pairing of Depression and Insomnia
Insomnia is by far the most common sleep condition comorbid with depression. An estimated 40% of people with insomnia have depression, and 80% of people with depression experience symptoms of insomnia.
Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep.
Teens often experience high stress levels. They’re concerned about upcoming tests. Social conditions, such as fighting with friends and wanting to impress their peers also play a role. They also face immense amounts of pressure to receive good grades, make it into a high-quality college, and plan for a successful future. Nearly half of teens report feeling stressed daily, with 30% of adolescents reporting stress influences their ability to sleep. High stress levels increase the risk of depression on their own. Combining it with sleep difficulties only makes matters worse.
How Lack of Sleep Can Change the Brain and Make Depression Worse
Studies done in rats indicate lack of sleep causes changes in the brain associated with depression, including serotonin receptor sensitivity and changes in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter with multiple functions, including mood regulation. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis influences how the brain and body respond to stress. It makes sense that when the body experiences dysfunction in these areas, depression becomes significantly more likely.
How to Sleep Better While Managing Depression
While getting restful sleep with depression is challenging, there are some ways to make it easier. Here’s what we recommend.
Seek Professional Help
While the cycle of depression and poor sleep is destructive, the opposite is also true – treating depression and sleep conditions is a healing cycle.
Work with your teen’s doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment for any sleep conditions they may have. There are tests for sleep apnea, and the teen’s doctor can advise you on steps for any other sleep-related symptoms based on their unique medical history.
Therapy is also a good idea for anyone living with depression. A therapist will also be able to offer strategies to make sleep easier, as well as guide the adolescent through ways to manage their depression effectively.
Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
It might be tempting to let teens sleep whenever they’re able to, but keeping a regular sleep schedule gradually teaches the body when it’s time to relax and sleep. It can also be tempting to let adolescents sleep in on weekends but don’t let them wake up more than two hours later than they usually would on a weeknight, and encourage them to go to sleep at the same time every night.
It’s also beneficial to develop a consistent routine before your teen goes to sleep. For example, turn off devices with blue light, or utilize the blue light filters that are incorporated into most of them, an hour before bedtime. Have your teen do something relaxing in the time before they go to sleep, such as coloring, reading, meditating, and/or listening to calming music.
Nap Wisely
Napping can sometimes be helpful, but it’s important to keep the reason for the nap in mind. For a quick boost, a 10 to 20-minute nap will work best. It prevents the body from falling into deep sleep, which can cause grogginess when waking up, and doesn’t interfere with sleep at night. If a teen needs a more restful nap, a 90-minute nap might be appropriate. That’s an estimate of how long it takes to go through an entire sleep cycle. 90-minute naps in the evening may interfere with your teen’s bedtime routine, so it’s best for adolescents to only take longer naps shortly after they get home from school.
Teen Depression Treatment in Los Angeles
Many adolescents live with depression, especially if they aren’t sleeping well. Your teen might be among them. It doesn’t have to be that way. Treatment for teen depression is available, and it will change your child’s life for the better.
BNI Treatment Centers offers mental health care for adolescents ages 13-17. As a center owned and operated by psychiatrists, we are exceptionally qualified to diagnose and treat any mental health condition, from depression to more complex cases, like bipolar disorder and personality disorders. We encourage you to call us today at (888) 522-1504 to learn more about how we can change your teen’s life.
BNI Treatment Centers: Science-based, evidence-backed, compassion-led.
