Do you find that you constantly seek out the comfort of your bed and always want to sleep more, even to the point of an excessive amount of time between the sheets? Why do depressed people sleep so much? It can be baffling to witness someone who craves so much sleep, but it can be a sign that someone has depression. Robles Ranch knows that depression stops people in their tracks and often causes them to want to stay in bed and sleep as much as possible. We provide life-changing treatment from licensed mental health experts to help you regain control of your life and feel more vitalized. 

Learn more about our residential mental health treatment programs in California or verify your insurance now. 

What is Depression?

Before we answer the question, “Why do depressed people sleep so much?”, let’s talk about depression itself. Depression is a mental illness that can happen to people of all ages. It is characterized by sadness, crying jags, hopelessness, and a lack of energy. People with depression typically lose their enthusiasm for a social life and may have trouble just getting out of bed. This typically negatively impacts their careers, education, and personal relationships.

The most common types of depression include:

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
• Postpartum Depression
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Experiencing periods of depression can also be a symptom of other mental health disorders, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder.

What Causes Depression?

Some people can easily point out a specific event or experience that caused the onset of depression in their lives, while others aren’t sure why they feel depressed. Genetics can play a part for many people because if one family member has a mental illness, it increases the likelihood that others in the family tree will develop one. Adverse childhood experiences that go untreated or unresolved can also cause depression well into adulthood. 

Depression can also be triggered by substance abuse, an event that happened during adulthood, or having a serious accident or illness. Finally, when a person has brain chemistry that doesn’t naturally produce enough endorphins and other feel-good chemicals, it may turn into depression.

What is the Link Between Sleeping Too Much and Depression?

Why do depressed people sleep so much? Depression is exhausting emotionally and also tires a person out physically. Sleep can be a way to escape from painful emotions and thoughts, and feel like a safe place to escape when the world feels overwhelming. Even the act of lying in bed can feel like self-care, which leads the person to seek solace with a favorite blanket and pillow. While this can help in the short term, when it’s a sign of depression, the person needs to be evaluated and treated for this.

Other Symptoms of Depression

Besides sleeping too much, other signs of depression include:

• Crying for specific reasons or no reason at all
• Feeling guilty
• Hiding how the person feels
• Changes in weight or appetite
• Constantly feeling sad and hopeless
• Feeling suicidal
• Isolating from others
• Loss of sex drive
• Medical symptoms with no explanation, such as body aches, headaches, nausea, and diarrhea
• Drinking alcohol or using drugs to ease the symptoms of depression

Tips for Coping with Depression

When someone has depression, they need to seek help from a licensed therapist or treatment center. The therapies and prescription medications provided help minimize a person’s symptoms, but is there more they can do on their own time? Absolutely. Engaging in yoga and meditation helps center a person’s thoughts and emotions and puts them more in control of them. Aromatherapy can be helpful, and often includes scented candles, incense, or oils for aromas like lavender.

Many people find keeping a journal helpful because they can organize their thoughts and feelings on paper or a screen. This helps them pinpoint triggering moments, people, or situations, which helps them prepare to deal with these issues using healthy coping skills learned during treatment.

Treatment for Depression

People with severe symptoms of depression often respond well when they enroll in a residential program. This level of care provides a homelike environment for them to live in while they focus on healing their depression and having hope again. Different types of therapy are available, including individual, group, family, and holistic therapy. A typical stay in a residential program lasts about 30 days, though an individual may stay longer if they need to continue this type of focused care. Options for prescription medications will be discussed, and their usage will be monitored by the staff.

Begin Depression Treatment at Robles Ranch

Because the reason why some people sleep so much can be that they have depression, it’s important that the individual gets a diagnosis from a mental health clinician. The team at Robles Ranch gets to know each person we treat to allow us to prepare a menu of therapies that addresses their specific needs. We also offer options for prescription drugs to help minimize their symptoms.  

Contact us if you have trouble getting out of bed and facing the day. Let us help you overcome your depression and feel more motivated.