How to get good sleep with depression

    • Brief

    • Depression is a constant feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and restlessness that interferes with your entire life: work, school, physical activities and even sleep. Depression can be triggered by feelings of loss, stress and other life events.

      Depression disrupts your sleep pattern making it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or, sometimes, lead to you oversleeping. This affects your daily activities. It is possible to still sleep well in spite of having depression.

    • Sleep patterns are changed by depression

    • An altered sleep pattern is a typical result of depression. People living with depression may be unable to sleep because they are anxious and distracted. In some cases, you may sleep for enough hours and still experience sleepiness, slow arousal from sleep and feel tired when you wake up.

      Altered sleep can result in worsening depression, headaches and anxiety.

    • How to improve your sleep

    • After a diagnosis of depression, take slow and steady steps to recover your habits, especially your sleep. To improve your sleep habits:

      • Block noises from entering your bedroom.
      • Turn off the lights to sleep. If you feel scared or anxious, tell your immediate family or guardian to stay in with you.
      • Do not watch TV or use your phone before you sleep. The light from the screens affects your brain activities and sleeping patterns.
      • Read a book or a magazine before you sleep.
      • If you cannot fall asleep in the bedroom, go to another part of the house like the sitting room and try sleeping there.
      • Stay away from alcohol and drinks containing caffeine (e.g. coffee, energy drinks).
      • Engage in physical activities like walking for up to 30 minutes a day. Generally, physical activities improve your mood, and this can help with getting good sleep.


    • Kulawa cares

    • Being diagnosed with depression is not the end of the world. You can recover and become healthier if you take steps to cope with the condition. Your healthcare provider can support you in this process and when you have challenge sleeping. They can help you develop new sleep hygiene habits that can support you to sleep better.