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Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

nytimes.com

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Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#81

Post by appleiigs »

nlh wrote: post #38

The section in the article on jet lag mitigation was extremely confusing -- the author wrote of evening light and morning light but was unclear which time zone he was referring to. Can someone explain a bit more clearly? If someone is traveling from SF to Europe or SF to Asia, when should melatonin and light be used optimally?

I don't know what the author is saying. His example of NYC to Rome is flying east and he recommends darkness in the morning.

But then 2 paragraphs later, he says "Travel east and you’ll need morning light".

I find the entire article hard to read, but I am pre-coffee right now.

I find that I can go one night with minimal sleep and function just fine during the next day. So if I was going from NYC to Rome, I'd lift the shades in the early morning in Rome to make sure I'm super tired by the evening and go to bed at the correct time.

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#82

Post by ruvis »

kamaln7 wrote: post #70
pbhjpbhj wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mind me asking what age you are? >last December I became a morning person using early morning light and exercise // Where do you live that gets light on December mornings?

I recently bought a Philips HF3520. I've read great things about it but unfortunately I'm too heavy of a sleeper that it doesn't work for me. Give it a shot, it's definitely worth it in the long run if it works for you.

Can confirm, it's awesome.

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#83

Post by weaksauce »

joecool1029 wrote: post #17
weaksauce wrote: post #14

Earlier 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.

Think of the children!!! EDIT: I should clarify that this is nearly always the argument brought up against year round DST, so that children during winter go to school with sunlight in the morning.

Shift their school cycle to be more in line with the sun.

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#86

Post by always_good »

To chime in among the other comments, most of which don't address the article either:

I was a night owl + stimulant fiend until I started working out in the morning. Decided to pull the trigger on a daily 9am Crossfit habit.

Now I'm too tired to stay awake past 11pm or so.

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#87

Post by douche »

anigbrowl wrote: post #62
douche wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

What's stopping you working those hours now? I'm not a morning person so when I had jobs I would have to fight to start at some (to me) civilized hour like 10, but I don't mind working late. I had the impression that early birds had a much easier time of it since nobody is ever accused of being lazy for wanting to start work at 7am.

There's no problem with coming in at 7. It's the leaving at 3 after you've put in your eight hours that tends to be the sticky wicket.

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#88

Post by digi_owl »

update wrote: post #12

> 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…

From personal experience, sleep deprivation can be likened to alcoholic intoxication.

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#89

Post by taurath »

Kluny wrote: post #77
stretchwithme wrote: post #37

I don't know about sleep and depression. My Mom was bipolar and the topic never came up, other than her being up to all hours when she was manic. But I recently read an interesting article about vitamin D and that lead me to supplement magnesium and vitamins D, A and K. I only do it once every three days to be conservative. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/stop-vitamin-d And I've found I'm much more decisive and lik…

I also did some reading about vitamins last year and ended up taking vitamin d for a while, then magnesium for a while. My method wasn't any more scientific than that, but the vitamin D had no noticeable effect, while the effect of magnesium was dramatic. I was suffering from mood swings, poor concentration and low energy serious enough that I was considering seeing a psychologist about depression. Magnesium seems to…

There's a certain level of orthodoxy in psychiatry now.. I have yet to see anyone try to get any information other than "let's try putting you on this extremely mood altering pill with side effects for a month". No attempt is made to find any real evidence other than anecdotal patient information. Maybe the science isn't there?

Re: Can sleep deprivation cure depression?

#90

Post by barrkel »

update wrote: post #12

> 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…

Extreme tiredness is similar to drunkeness, in most respects, to me.
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