My experience is that sleep deprivation leads me into a manic episode, but any benefits are outweighed by the inevitable crash. My depression is generally treated effectively by a rigid sleep schedule and lots of sunlight.
Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
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Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#22My father, brother and I all only need about 5 or 6 hours of sleep. We all just wake up, no matter when we go to bed or how light or dark the room is at night or in the morning. I strongly suspect we have that gene that lets you sleep less, but NYT is indicating that they think I'm depressed based on the embedded interactive. I don't feel depressed. Short of a genomic test, how can one differentiate?
Why is there a comment like this on every single HN post lately? Yes, you fall outside of the fat part of the bell curve. Congrats. What's your point? A single outlier does not disprove the post. edited to add: fat part of the bell curve , since being outside of the bell curve entirely is not what I meant.
> fall outside of the bell curve
You know that Gaussian distributions specifically include outliers.
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are definitely measurable population-level effects, like increased traffic accidents [1] and heart attacks [2]. And given that its purported benefits are completely unsubstantiated, it's amazing that DST still exists. [1] https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20140100 [2] http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc0807104
I wish we would all go on DST and be done with it forever. The extra hour of usable daylight after work is a net win for societies mental health. We have farming machines that do the heavy lifting and are mostly automated now anyway. Unlike when it was enacted, there simply are much fewer farmers.
I will never understand this argument. Noon should be when the sun is roughly directly overhead. And there will be no increase in daylight compared to businesses adjusting working hours to open an hour earlier.
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wish we would all go on DST and be done with it forever. The extra hour of usable daylight after work is a net win for societies mental health. We have farming machines that do the heavy lifting and are mostly automated now anyway. Unlike when it was enacted, there simply are much fewer farmers.
I'd rather have the hour of daylight in the morning, so why not just stay on standard time? I'd also much rather work 7-3 than 9-5.
I would prefer 7-5 and only work 4 days a week.
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why is there a comment like this on every single HN post lately? Yes, you fall outside of the fat part of the bell curve. Congrats. What's your point? A single outlier does not disprove the post. edited to add: fat part of the bell curve , since being outside of the bell curve entirely is not what I meant.
> fall outside of the bell curve You know that Gaussian distributions specifically include outliers.
You know it's just an expression right?
If we change it to "fall outside of 2-sigma", will you allow us to return to the actual point, or will you continue with your passive-agressive hair-splitting?
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#26> Tübingen who was hospitalized for depression and claimed that she normally kept her symptoms in check by taking all-night bike rides. He subsequently demonstrated in a group of depressed patients that a night of complete sleep deprivation produced an immediate, significant improvement in mood in about 60 percent of the group. I thought this bit was neat. I'd heard that sleep deprivation can bring on a feeling of eu…
I've noticed this too, I don't think this is specific for people with a depression though. If I have about 4/5 hours of sleep I will be less smart the next day, but engaging with others or completing tasks despite the tiredness results in a huge boost to mood and a feeling of exhilaration and happiness. That is not to say you don't feel tired, especially when the work has not yet been completed, and the day is just starting. YMMV, N=1 and all that...
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#27I wonder what damage our twice yearly clock changes do. An hour doesn't seem like much but, giving an entire population a little bit of jet lag simultaneously has to be bad for us, right?
Clocks should be a means to measure time, not manipulate when people do things.
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#28Que: people who deprive themselves of sleep and then fall into depression because that's what happens when you don't get enough sleep over a long enough period
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#29I know the answer without even reading the article. NO.
Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?
#30I wonder how much coffee plays into this. I've yet to meet someone who sleeps consistently more than 8 hours per night who feels the need to drink coffee. edit: 8 quality hours of sleep, e.g. you wake up and you're not tired.
On the flipside, it's kind of crazy that there are people who are able to function consistently with very little sleep. A friend of mine says that if she gets eight hours of sleep, she feels incredibly groggy. But five hours? Perfect. She's been like that her entire life. I was astounded. She directed me to Ying-Hui Fu's study of DEC2.