So, a study in Schizophrenia Research has found a relationship between insomnia and paranoia in both the general public and people with psychosis. That's hardly surprising.
But here's something I hadn't heard before:
Sleep has an interesting relationship to mental illness. While sleeplessness and disturbed circadian rhythms have been linked to mood disorders for many years, sleep deprivation is known to have an antidepressant effect and is sometimes used to treat the most severe cases of depression.Sleep deprivation in short bursts only, I assume they mean.
When I slide into depression, my sleep decreases. Maybe that is nature's way of controlling it. On the other hand, during a manic episode, I just plain do not sleep. Maybe bipolar is a sign of lacking some part of that balancing mechanism?
ReplyDeleteI'm perturbed by the statement. I've never before read any suggestion that sleep deprivation can have a helpful affect on someone going through a depressive episode.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that sleep deprivation can induce psychosis, not to mention paranoia, hallucinations and so on - it's used as a means of torture for good reason! - would tend to suggest that lack of sleep couldn't possibly perk-up someone's dark and tortured mood.
Any such statement is also tempered by the fact that depression can be accompanied by severe inability to sleep, causing significant distress to the individual, but it can also be accompanied by excessive sleeping. Either can signify a depression.
Of course the statement begs the question of just what is "sleep deprivation". Our modern society insists that we're all more or less sleep deprived, but by what measure? Studies suggest that we really only need around 7 hrs a night. Does six hours constitute sleep deprivation? Or does it need to be only 4 or 5?
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