Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Depressed? Get More Sleep!



Depression is a significant and growing problem in America. According to several studies, nearly 20 million adults are depressed in any given year. Depression hits women more often than men. In fact, approximately 30% of all women are depressed.

Why is this? Why are our lives so awful? Health professionals typically claim that it is a chemical imbalance and the issue can simply be solved by taking drugs. But if you ask people who are depressed, 54% of them think that it is not an disease, but instead a personal weakness. As a result, over 40% of women tend to be too embarrassed to look for help and more than 80% of depressed individuals are currently not having any treatment whatsoever!

A recently publicized study on sleep deprivation among Princeton High School students found that the majority of those who do not get a sufficient amount of sleep are also struggling with depression symptoms. The school launched a study among senior high school students in 2008 to determine if there was any relationship between mood dysfunction and sleep deprivation. After all, there have been a limited number of scientific studies focusing on the connection between sleep deprivation and disorders such as depression and attention deficit disorder.

Conclusion? About half of all respondents showed symptoms of sleep deprivation. Among the sleep deprived, about a third were depressed and another third demonstrated some depression symptoms. Some doctors interpreted the results to indicate that sleeplessness aggravates preexisting disorders such as depression and attention deficit disorder.

But could it be the other way around? Could it be that sleeplessness is actually the root cause of depression? Perhaps depression does not trigger sleeplessness, but lack of sleep triggers depression? And if so, might it be that a significant percentage of the 20 million depressed individuals in the U.S. could improve their condition simply by sleeping more?

A study from the University of Chicago published in June 2010 appeared to confirm these hypotheses. It showed that sleeplessness increased cortisol levels in the brain producing HPA-hyperactivity evidently linked to metabolic, cognitive and other psychiatric disorders.

Luckily, it is uncomplicated to try out if more sleep could solve your depression problem. If you feel depressed and are not getting a sufficient amount of sleep, try taking a natural sleep aid for one week to a month and see what happens.

Natural sleep aids are not generally toxic to your body as opposed to some over-the-counter sleep aids that come with acetaminophen. It can destroy your liver in larger amounts. And, there are no adverse side effects, whereas some of the prominent prescription sleep drugs may cause sleep walking, sleep driving and even sleep shopping.

Needless to say, you must always consult a physician before taking any sleep aids, even natural ones. And, if you are on a mood enhancing medication, you definitely should not quit taking your medicine.

When choosing a natural sleep aid, pay attention to the ingredient list. There are a high number of natural sleep aids that include only one or a few active ingredients. The problem is that each one of these ingredients works on a certain facet of the sleep process. For example, chamomile calms the overstimulation of the central nervous system. Melatonin helps you fall asleep. And valerian is a mild sedative. In other words, if you choose a natural sleep aid with too few ingredients, you are probably not addressing your unique sleep problem.

What can you do? You basically have two options. You may either try out various one-ingredient supplements until you come across a mix that works for you, or you can buy a natural sleep aid that includes no less than ten active ingredients, therefore making sure all the bases are covered. Preferably, select a natural sleep aid that contains indium sulphate. It is one of the most recent developments in natural sleep remedies. Indium sulphate is a lesser-known trace mineral that appears to work with the HPA - the sleep center complex of the brain where it regulates hormones that inhibit or interfere with sleep, such as epinephine, adrenaline and cortisol.

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Next step? Visit http://www.SomniacAM.com or http://www.TheNaturalSleepAid.com to learn more about Somniac PM, a natural sleep aid with 12 active ingredients, icnluding indium sulphate.

These statements have not been reviewed or evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a physician before taking any dietary supplements.

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