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Insomnia, Stress, and Depression

By: Michael S. Broder Ph.D.

Insomnia can be the inability to fall asleep at night, a tendency to awaken regularly in the middle of the night, or to wake up much earlier than you need to, without being able to fall back to sleep. Insomnia can have many possible causes. Your sleeping habits themselves as well as your daily schedule could be the problem. Some people mistakenly use bedtime as a time to worry, or to think about issues that can wait until tomorrow. Instead, try to clear your mind by breathing deeply, relaxing and thereby your tensions. One of the most common ironic themes of bedtime worry is about how you will cope the next day with not having enough sleep. This is needless concern, since the body has vast energy reserves. Endless worry or anything will only raise your anxiety level and contribute to the problem. With a combination of learning how to relax, and effectively managing the underlying anxiety, that kind of insomnia can usually be overcome quickly. Depression on the other hand is major reason why people have trouble staying asleep at night.