Category: Health

Depression is often also connected with sleep-disordered breathing, and not only by conventional wisdom but by increasing clinical evidence day after day. ..writes Puja Gupta.

As the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) in the United States puts it, “depression may cause sleep problems and sleep problems may cause or contribute to depressive disorders,” noting that symptoms of depression seem to come before sleep problems just as frequently as the other way around…writes Puja Gupta.

Conversations around the subject only focus on insomnia but there are other sleep issues as well that are equally significant is disturbing our mental health. Issues like Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and sleep apnea have been gaining attention to be potential causes of depression.

So, what exactly is sleep apnea? What is it association with depression and what are the potential ways to manage it? Dr. Sibasish Dey, Head – Medical Affairs, India & South Asia, ResMed shares the 10 things about sleep apnea and its relation to depression that you need to know:

Sleep apnea is a sleep-disordered breathing condition where an individual may stop breathing for a few seconds during sleep. This phenomenon may occur multiple times while sleeping.

Due to repeated hypoxia and arousals, there is inflammation, oxidative stress and this results in imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. This imbalance may result in different neuropsychiatric symptoms and depression.

National Sleep Foundation (NSF) points out to a study published by the National Library of Medicine that says that people suffering from depression are five times most likely to suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing.

It is to be noted that several studies have observed that patients suffering from depression also have issues related to sleep. In OSA, disturbed sleep leading to disturbances in neurotransmitters levels are believed to be the cause for its association with depression.

Sleep apnea manifests with symptoms like fatigue, lack of energy, morning headache, difficulty concentrating, irritability and sexual dysfunction, all of which may lead to depression.

In simpler words, sleep apnea disturbs sleep, causing micro-arousal all throughout the night. This disturbance in the sleep cycle is potentially harmful. So, such an individual will wake up tired in the morning and experience excessive daytime sleepiness

In addition, sleep apnea may also lead to road traffic accidents, loss of productivity at workplaces, difficulty in concentrating and accomplishing tasks and generally decreased psychomotor performance. All these may alter the work-life balance.

Now coming to solutions to deal with the issue – Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is a gold standard treatment for people who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, such as OSA. It is also one of the most commonly used treatment method for OSA.

Other non-pharmacological methods to reduce OSA includes quitting smoking and alcohol, reducing weight and following sleep hygiene tips.

The takeaway? If you’ve found yourself suffering from the effects of depression and sleep apnea, it is prudent to take sleep apnea into consideration. Adequate sleep apnea management may help alleviate the problems of both, and bring you closer to experiencing a healthier, more energetic lifestyle. Talk to your doctor about whether taking a sleep test may be a good option for you. ResMed’s home sleep tests have proven to be an effective tool for testing sleep apnea in the times of the pandemic as well because they can be undertaken at the comfort of your homes without having to visit a clinic/sleep lab.

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Covid-19 has triggered a global financial crisis and due to strict adoption of lockdown measures, the magnitude of poor mental health is increasing across the world. The ‘New Normal’ hopes to bring a positive outcome, but the fear of contracting the virus is making it difficult for people to live through these times.

All we need is to do is go back to basics and work on maintaining mental health by sculpting resilience on a daily basis. Resilience is a healthy pathway to cope with stress, fear and anxiety. It will make you, the people you care about and the community stronger. The bounce-back-ability is a kind of “miracle drug” personality trait, something that can heal all wounds and right all wrongs. It is a wonderful trait to have as it is related to a plethora of positive outcomes, and “perhaps most important of all” it can be improved.

Resilient outcome doesn’t come about as a result of something particularly earth shattering, it’s just everyday stuff, like getting a teacher to give a bit more attention to a particularly weak or disadvantaged student.

According to the research, resilience contains 5 essential elements:

Knowing your inner self — Your inner self is who you really are on the inside, to know your purpose, values, vision, goals, motivations, and beliefs. Your inner self is who you really are on the inside.

Challenge — Resilient people encompass an adverse situation as a challenge and not as a paralysing phenomenon. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and as opportunities for growth in future. They don’t view themselves as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.

Analysing situations — Resilient people are very good at analysing any negative situation and turn the situation into a positive phenomenon.

Commitment — Resilient people possess a strong sense of commitment, they are committed to their lives and their goals. Commitment isn’t just restricted to their work – it’s to their relationships, their friendships etc.

Self control — People with resilience, focuses only on self-regulation and self-control. They like to invest their time and energy focusing on situations and events that they have control over. They put their time and effort where they can have the most impact, they feel empowered and confident in.

Here are nine ways to build resilience:

Cognitive Restructuring — Do you often find yourself “stuck in your own head,” caught in endless spirals of negative thinking? Try cognitive restructuring! It is a simple but powerful technique for identifying and undoing negative thinking patterns like worry and rumination. When thought patterns become destructive and self-defeating, it’s a good idea to explore ways to interrupt and redirect them. That’s what cognitive restructuring can do.

Sleep is vital — Sleep is a vital component of every person’s overall health and well-being, often neglected. It reinvigorates the body and prepares it for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration. Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Maintain perspective — Resilient people are well-versed with the fact that although a situation or crisis may seem overwhelming in the moment, it may not make that much of an impact over the long-term. Remind yourself of your priorities. Doing the “things that matter most” is all well and good – but it requires actually knowing what your priorities are.

Physical Wellness — Physical activity in any kind is a great way to keep you physically healthy as well as improving your mental wellbeing. Research shows that doing physical exercise influences the release and uptake of feel-good chemicals called endorphins in the brain.

Building Social Connections — Being social enables you to interact with these people and relate to them in a positive manner. People with social connection helps build our resilience and improve our physical and mental health, and help us cope with life stress.

Thought awareness — People with resiliency don’t let any negative thoughts destroy their efforts. Instead they consistently work upon restructuring a positive mindset.

Empathetic and compassionate — Resilient people don’t think of themselves as a victim. They don’t waste time worrying what others think of them. They maintain healthy relationships, but don’t bow to peer pressure.

Balanced diet — A recent study found that a balanced diet (a diet high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.) supplemented with fish oil led to a reduction in depression among patients. To boost your mental health, focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables along with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Dark green leafy vegetables in particular are brain protective. Nuts, seeds and legumes, such as beans and lentils, are also excellent brain foods.

Spirituality — Spiritual resilience comes by cultivating gratitude and counting your blessings. Be thankful for what you do have rather than focusing on what you’re missing. Build optimism and be positive, accept the past and focus on the future.