Contents:
- Medical Video: 8 Signs You're Suffering from Depression Without Knowing It
- The atmosphere is dark, quiet, and calm triggering symptoms of depression at night
- Symptoms of depression often appear at night because you don't get sunlight
- Watching TV and playing cellphones before going to bed can make depression at night
- Symptoms and signs of depression at night
Medical Video: 8 Signs You're Suffering from Depression Without Knowing It
Depressed people often look normal - even cheerful - at most times they move. But for some people, their symptoms of depression can recur only at night. Depression is a mental disorder that is different from stress and should not be underestimated. So, what causes depression to recur at night? Are the symptoms different from depression in general?
The atmosphere is dark, quiet, and calm triggering symptoms of depression at night
After a lot of work here and there throughout the day, most people will take advantage of the free time at night before going to bed to relax and relax their minds. But in some people who have depression, this calm and quiet atmosphere can trigger recurrence of depressive symptoms at night due to lack of activity before bedtime.
Towards the evening, activities that can be carried out will be less due to limited time as well as the body's natural response requesting rest. The lack of activity at night leaves plenty of time for the brain to contemplate. Thoughts left untouched without focus can lead to a feeling of loneliness at night which makes the brain unable to control negative thoughts and emotions, such as disappointment, fear, until neglect and despair, which causes recurrence of symptoms of depression.
Moreover, a British study reports that loneliness can make it difficult for you to sleep well, which can worsen depressive symptoms at night. The longer you wake up at night, the more time the brain continues to focus on thinking about the negative things it fears. The more the brain is busy thinking, the more difficult it is for you to sleep well. Insomnia has been reported to worsen symptoms of depression.
That's why depressed people tend to rarely experience symptoms during the day when they're busy. Various busyness during the day makes the symptoms of depression more controlled because their brain continues to be forced to focus on working or thinking about other things.
Symptoms of depression often appear at night because you don't get sunlight
Depression symptoms at night can also relapse due to the body that is less exposed to the sun such as during the daytime activities. Research shows that people who lack sunlight tend to be more prone to depression and often experience emotional disturbances.
As is well known, sun exposure is the biggest source of good body vitamin D. Adequate vitamin D intake can help relieve depression. In addition, the sun's UV rays also stimulate keratinocyte cells in the skin to make beta-endorphins, a hormone that makes your mood better. The serotonin hormone which also helps improve mood and stamina also reacts positively to sunlight.
What happens at night is just the opposite. The calm, cool, and dark atmosphere triggers the body to increase the production of the hormone melatonin which causes you to feel more sleepy and tired after sunset. This melancholic mood at night can trigger a recurrence of depression.
Watching TV and playing cellphones before going to bed can make depression at night
Who, who has never watched TV, opened a laptop, or played cellphones before going to bed? It seems almost everyone must have done this at least once in a lifetime. Even so, this habit seems to be stopped especially if you have depression.
Reporting from Healthline, exposure to blue light from the gadget screen at night does not only make it difficult for you to sleep, but also risks causing depression to recur.
When you spend time watching TV or playing cellphones before going to bed, the bright rays of the screen mimic the nature of the sun's light which makes you even more excited because the body increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Excessive levels of cortisol in the body can increase the symptoms of depression at night, getting worse.
Symptoms and signs of depression at night
Depressive symptoms often appear close to bedtime, when the brain has focused only on sleep without any other intruder.
Signs and symptoms of depression at night include:
- Sad feeling.
- Restless.
- Irritability.
- Feel lonely.
- Feelings of despair and worthlessness.
- Feel loss of pleasure from things that were fun.
- Lack of energy or not powerful.
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
- In serious cases, you may feel suicidal or think about death.
