1 study says your sleep a lot because your depressed and a 2nd says your depressed because you sleep a lot. What?

So the 1st study says kinda suggests that if you get over your depression you wont need to sleep so much.
But the 2nd suggests, that if you set you alarm clock for 1 hour shorter then you normally would. you wont feel depressed.

🤷🏼‍♂️ I'm confused, which is it?

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Graylight · 51-55, F

No study likely said that. Depression is extremely complex and thought to be both situational and genetic. Yes, depression can cause a person to sleep more and yes, sometimes interrupting that cycle inappropriately can make things worse.

Depression can't be distilled into an article written for the masses on a media outlet. There's a large and rapidly growing body of research and no one's figured out anything definitive yet.

Thevy29 · 41-45, M

@Graylight There is always new evidence from recent studies. They never say from who. and From where? We probably shouldn't believe everything we read online.

Graylight · 51-55, F

@Thevy29 Yeah, I know that very large and complex studies with outcomes that are subtle or suggestive at best about one part of the process suddenly become "3 Ways Scientists Say You Can Live Longer!" It's shady at best.

We like to say that everything we tell you from within this field is half right. We just won't know [i]which [/i]half until we learn more down the road.

Donotfolowme · 51-55, F

Hahahhaha exactly

Renaci · 36-40

Both. That's why it can form a vicious cycle. But sleep deprivation can boost mood temporarily. Probably from just being wigged out on lack of sleep.
Also sleeping more during depression can be a secondary effect. It could actually as an escape mechanism to avoid a painful waking state. So it will be different for each person and even then can be complex even within that individual.

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