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Nighttime depression can be exhausting. For instance, you lie down in bed, exhausted after a long day, hoping for some relief but you can’t fall asleep because your thoughts are racing. The weight on your shoulders seems to be almost physical, pushing you deeper into your bed. You begin to scroll through your phone to distract yourself, but it has the opposite effect. You end up feeling worse, seeing how happy everyone else seems to be.
Instead, you find yourself ruminating again, unable to escape the maze of negative thoughts. If there is someone in bed with you, you’ll try your best to hide your emotional state, because you don’t want to drag them down. If it’s just you, the empty space on the other side of the bed reminds you of how lonely you are. The shame becomes overwhelming. You toss and turn while hopelessness begins to seep in. Night after night, you get stuck in a vicious circle, terrified of having to wake up the next day and having to do it all over again. This is only one depiction of nighttime depression and it can affect us all differently.
Coping with Nighttime Depression: What Can You Do?
Major depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders and can strike anyone, at any age, at any time. Some individuals experience nighttime depression. As a result, they may suffer from insomnia, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. To stop the loop of evening negative thoughts and reduce the symptoms of nighttime depression, try these techniques:
1. Problem-Solving
People who ruminate frequently relive incidents and think, "Why does this continually happen to me?" and "Why can't I cope? What's wrong with me?". Feelings of powerlessness result from such thoughts.
Instead, take a minute to gather your thoughts and decide on at least one action you can take to address your issues. It could even be as easy as calling a friend to try to come up with a solution. You can retake control of the situation and feel less powerless with the help of this mental diversion and constructive action.
2. Practicing Gratitude
A particularly effective strategy for raising happiness and lowering depressive symptoms is gratitude.Think about three to five things for which you are grateful or thankful each night (you might want to include this in your pre-sleep ritual). You might want to record them in a "gratitude journal." Things you might be thankful for on a specific day include:
- Love and support your partner, family, and friends as you deal with depression
- Having access to clean running water so you can take a warm bath before bed
- A smile from a stranger as you walk home from work
3. Stress-Relieving Activities
You can manage your depression at night by engaging in calming hobbies that lower your blood pressure, such as mindful baking. Cooking for other than functional purposes is growing in popularity, although it is not a common therapy. In a recent study, CBT and culinary therapy were used to aid hospice patients in coping with their grief. Losing a loved one can be difficult, but the study's findings were encouraging and suggested that culinary therapy might avoid or at least lessen the difficulties that come with grieving.
Before going to bed, you can also relax by practicing yoga or meditation. Any artistic endeavor that does not require excessive effort and dedication can also be helpful in dealing with nighttime depression.
4. Exercising
After work, going to the gym might lift your spirits because exercise releases endorphins or the "feel-good" chemicals. You'll feel exhausted after a tough workout, which can make it simpler for you to fall asleep. Your capacity for stress management can also be improved through exercise. According to research, working up a sweat can be as helpful as antidepressants.
5. Letting Go of Your Gadgets
Bright screens disturb your sleep cycle by affecting melatonin production. At night, try to stay away from bright screens. Try relaxing with a nice book the old-fashioned way. As an alternative, relaxing music can also be helpful before going to sleep. The more time we spend on screens, the more likely we are to continue staying awake. Even if it's an e-book, it may not disturb your sleep cycle and lead to rumination. Constant rumination and social comparison on social media can worsen our nighttime depression.
6. Writing It Down
Get a notebook and write down your thoughts and feelings if you find yourself on the couch or at the dinner table and find your nighttime depression is getting worse.
Try to think of closing the journal and setting it aside as "saying goodbye" to your troubles as you do so. Now that you have chosen a worthwhile pastime for the evening, you can start to unwind.
Takeaway
There are numerous approaches you can use to deal with nighttime depression. Finding a mix of techniques that work for you and your way of life is probably what will help you the most. Consult a medical or mental health professional first.
They will counsel you on the next steps and develop a treatment plan, which is likely to include counseling and alterations to your lifestyle and schedule. A doctor may also recommend medication if you have been diagnosed with depression in order to help.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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