Increased sleep leads to better antidepressant response

[Cotcha Yankinov]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27529765/

There has been some evidence suggesting that acute sleep deprivation improves mood, and that chronological therapy should be investigated as a treatment for MDD. I think this study suggests that in the long run, increased time in bed leads to better antidepressant response. Maybe acute sleep deprivation still has its place in treating MDD (at least it seems to increase excitability of the brain in some aspects) but I don't know if that leads to solely a temporary mood boost or if that excitability increase leads to more persistent relief through whatever mechanisms.

 

[Jonneh]

Reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/1592/.

 

[aced126]

Reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/1592/.

I disagree with this and don't think it is overthinking. It is not obvious that increased sleep betters the antidepressant response, especially when it is shown that acute sleep deprivation has a benefit on mood. There's not going to be much advancement if we keep thinking to a simplistic level.

 

[iksaxophone]

I think it depends on the situation. In my own (anecdotal) experience I feel more powerful and motivated after a week or two of eight hour sleeps. However, I am more likely to think provocative thoughts and make life-changing decisions after a short nights sleep. Sometimes. The other times I just feel like shit.

 

[dus_aster]

In my opinion, the issue with acute sleep deprivation (in individuals who potentially have comorbid disorders slathered over their depression; OCD, GAD, SAD, et cetera) is that it can turn into chronic sleep deprivation very easily; in my experience, chronic sleep deprivation completely nullifies any of the benefits obtained from one's medication. While I don't doubt it's utility as a very sporadic method of treatment, there's that whole schwack of nasty effects related to chronic sleep deprivation (including increased mortality rates, welp) that, ime, far outweigh any of the benefits.

On the flipside, I find that my meds* work much, much better when I get seven to eight hours of sleep a night (or, rather, that my meds work the same, and that I am more responsive to them). Simply put: if I do not sleep well, I inevitably find my mental health in decline, which, in turn, leads to poor eating habits and even worse sleep hygiene, which, in turn, leads to increased self-medication with non prescription substances (a symptom of poor mental health, in myself, rather than a catalyst), WHICH in turn leads to worsened depression that my medication does fuck-all to counteract.
Everyone else's mileage may vary, but my unsolicited two cents is that long term sleep deprivation counteracts the relative normalcy that ADs can affect, and that chronic reliance on acute sleep deprivation does more harm than good unless monitored closely and intelligently. I say this as someone who used to self medicate GAD and PDD with acute s/d
With medical supervision/motivational wherewithal, I could see it having some utility, but...ugh, idk, if one were to ascribe a Therapeutic Index value to sleep dep I can't imagine it would be particularly high.

*Citalopram, 40mg/day, Gabapentin 300mg p.r.n.

Just my opinions, though- totally subjective!

 

[bingey]

Better sleep increases every drug response ime

 

[mrburns86]

Wow that's something I discovered a few years back. If I purposely got up at 4am every day I would feel a huge decrease in my depression. But then I'd crash and sleep 10 hours and fall right back into the hole.

 

[asecin]

in my case, if i sleep like 12 hours, usually anything over 8 hours, ill feel super depressed confused and having nasty brain fog. i dont think sleeping too much is very good for you. i wonder if anyone else has this problem oversleeping and having those similar issues. for me, its worst than not sleeping enough. at least undersleeping, you are more aware and on your toes, but going up to 12 hours, you feel like a damn zombie

 

[sekio]

Moderation in all things, including sleep, I guess?

 

[Weltmeister]

Isnt having too much or too little sleep also associated with a decreased life expectancy ?

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

^Indeed, as a caveat one theory was that people who sleep too much or too little may be sleeping abnormally due to some pathology that is the real cause of decreased life expectancy, but I am sure that there is such a thing as both too much and too little sleep which could both alter life expectancy