UARS and Depression

Do you keep waking up on the wrong side of the bed? Find out how UARS and other sleep disorders can contribute to depression.

~3 minute read

posted on January 16, 2020

What is depression?

Depression isn't your typical sadness or Monday blues.

Rather, depression is a serious medical illness that has drastic effects on the way you feel, think, and act.

There are countless causes of depression, and it's hard to pin-point an exact cause for the illness.

Symptoms

  • Feeling sad
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
  • Changes in appetite
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Fatigue or psychomotor slowing
  • Feeling worthless or guilty
  • Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

Causes of Depression

  • Biochemistry

    • Everybody's brains are different, and have a different balance of chemicals known as neurotransmitters.

  • Genetics

    • Depression often runs in families, and if a first-degree family member suffers from the illness, you have a 70% chance of developing it.

  • Personality

    • Those with low self-esteem, are easily overwhelmed, or highly pessimistic are more susceptible to depression.

  • Environmental factors

    • Any form of abuse, loss of a loved one, or personal conflict can contribute to depression.

Typical Treatment Options

For those suffering from depression, thankfully there are many treatments that can help ease the symptoms.

Medications
  • Antidepressants
Psychotherapy

There are many different forms of psychotherapy that take different approaches to treat depression. If therapy isn't working for you, perhaps you need a different approach.

  • Cognitive therapy
  • Behavioral therapy
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Dialectical behavior therapy
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Interpersonal therapy
Lifestyle Changes
  • Exercise
  • Social support
  • Healthy diet
  • Sleep
  • Stress reduction

Before a diagnosis of depression, it's important to rule out any other physical causes of the depressed mood.

For example, thyroid problems or vitamin deficiencies can mimic the symptoms of depression. More notably, sleep problems can greatly increase your risk of developing depression.

How UARS can lead to depression

Have you done blood work to rule out physical causes of your depression, made positive lifestyle changes, taken medication, and gone to therapy, but nothing seems to work?

Not only do sleep-breathing disorders such as UARS have many symptoms that overlap with depression, but the impairments caused by UARS alone can lead to depression.

Symptoms of UARS

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Frequent awakenings at night / insomnia
  • Snoring
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Unrefreshing sleep
  • TMJ issues or clenching of jaw/teeth during sleep
  • Headaches when waking up
  • Dry mouth and/or throat when waking up
  • Nasal congestion
  • Low blood pressure in UARS patients — Obstructive Sleep Apnea is more likely to cause high blood pressure

Sounds nice doesn't it?

Didn't think so...

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, be sure to check out the full list of symptoms or information on how to go about getting a diagnosis.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4390588/

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-treatment.htm