Take care and be kind to yourself

Sleeping

When my sleep routine was disturbed, I forced myself to drink a herbal tea in order to move into a sleepy mood.”
Paul*
“I found that being in a warm, comfortable place and having a regular
routine helped when I had sleep problems.”
Helen*
“When thoughts are keeping me awake during the night I know I have too much stress on me. I need to cut something out.”
Alma*

Key points

Sleep issues are common in depression1,2
Sleep disturbance is both a symptom of, and also a risk factor for depression1,3
Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night4

Insomnia and sleep disruption are common symptoms of depression and around 90% of people with depression experience sleep problems.1,2 Scientists and doctors know that sleep disruption and insomnia are risk factors for depression.3 And, when people feel depressed they can get into poor sleeping patterns; difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night and being unable to return to sleep or, conversely, they might experience prolonged sleep episodes at night or increased daytime sleep.1

Think about how much sleep you get on a daily basis. Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.4 If you experience sleep problems, it is important that you discuss these with your doctor who can offer help and advice on how to overcome them.

This section is related to the benefits of sleep which may have an impact in people with depression.

Be mild and gentle and “go with the flow” – don’t be hard on yourself if things don’t go as planned
or you don’t reach your goals. When this happens, lower your goals and give yourself a second chance.
Start today with a first step, and remember that different things work for different people at different times.

Taking care of myself and helping myself was crucial.”

Helen*
“At a certain point in time, I realized that being depressed is only a condition. Just to accept it for what is and think “let it simply be and don’t worry, it is only a temporary condition ” helped me to survive.

Paul*

Do not change or stop your treatment without advice from a healthcare professional, such as your referring doctor.
If your symptoms worsen, please consult a healthcare professional, such as your referring doctor.

This document has been cocreated by GAMIAN-Europe and Servier.
* Quotes shared by the patients reflect their own experiences and do not necessarily reflect medical and scientific evidence or practice.

¹
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press 2013.
²
Tsuno N, Besset A, Ritchie K. Sleep and depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66(10):1254-1269
³
Franzen PL, Buysse DJ. Sleep disturbances and depression: Risk relationships for subsequent depression and therapeutic implications. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2008;10(4):473-481.
⁴
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: Final report. Sleep Health. 2015;1(4):233-243.