The Vicious Cycle Linking Depression, Insomnia, and Apnea

I’ve been suffering from insomnia for a couple of years. I can fall asleep but have trouble staying asleep. I typically wake up around 2 AM and cannot get back to sleep. I’ve tolerated it this long because the sleep deprivation has not had a negative effect on my life.

However, since starting my new job this past January as a clinical supervisor, I’ve been working longer hours than ever. I start at 8 AM and go through to seeing clients in the early evenings and then I need to write notes. It’s a long day and I start to feel the effects of not having slept the night before.

It’s a vicious cycle because when I finally get off work, I’m exhausted. Having usually eaten at my desk, I take my dog, Shelby, for her last walk of the night, check my personal emails to see if there is anything pressing and despite myself, sometimes nod off.

I wrote in a recent post about feeling as though I’ve been dealing with a high-functioning depression since the beginning of the year. There is an established link between depression and sleep deprivation. One study from 2015 states, “There is a strong bi-directional relationship between sleep deprivation/disturbance and depression. Although disturbed sleep is associated with psychiatric disorders and is traditionally considered to be a symptom of depression, research suggests that the relationship between sleep changes and mood disorders may work in the other…