Good Nights, Better Days

Two for one sounds like a good deal, right? Not if you’re talking about sleeplessness and depression.

The two conditions tend to go hand in hand, and, like the chicken or the egg, it can be hard to tell which one came first.

Are those long, frustrating wakeful hours to blame for your listlessness and unshakable blues, or is depression keeping you from getting the sleep your body needs?

Perhaps the more important question is: How do you stop the cycle? The good news about the link between depression and sleep problems is that treating one can help alleviate the other.

According to WebMD, insomnia is the sleep disorder most closely associated with depression. This inability to fall asleep or stay asleep wreaks havoc on mood and health. The more sleep that’s lost, the worse you feel both physically and mentally.

Employees who skate by on less sleep than their body needs put their lives and their jobs on the line. Sleepiness and depression (combined or on their own) can lead to poor job performance, memory and concentration problems, and lost productivity.

Of course, the conditions also carry physical health risks. Weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and increased likelihood of accidental injury are just some of the negative effects.

Advise employees who are experiencing symptoms of sleep deprivation and/or depression to consult a physician. If both problems are an issue, a doctor might be able to improve depression by treating insomnia, or vice versa.

It’s also a good idea to keep track of mood and sleep patterns for a week or two before the consultation to give the physician a better idea of how sleep and depression symptoms are affecting each other.

In the meantime, keep an open line of communication with struggling employees and encourage them to take steps to feel better.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests: