Why Do Depression Often OCCUR At Night? Here's The Scientific Answer

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YOGYAKARTA - Depression is a mental disorder that affects millions of people around the world. This situation can happen at any time, but many people tell you that indications of depression often worsen at night. This phenomenon raises the question, why is depression more intense at night? This post will discuss various reasons why depression is often more dominant at sunset.

One of the main reasons why mental stress symptoms are more pronounced at night is the lack of distraction. During the day, a person is generally busy on schedule with various activities such as work, relationships with other people, or carrying out household tasks.

These activities can play a role as a form of diversion from negative thoughts. However, at night, the rhythm of activity begins to shrink. With the absence of external disturbances, thoughts often focus on individual problems, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness that exacerbate indications of depression.

Depression is also closely associated with hormonal imbalance in the brain. 2 hormones that often participate, namely serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is a hormone that helps regulate mood, while melatonin works in sleep cycles and wakes up. At night, serotonin production generally decreases, while melatonin increases to prepare the body to sleep. This decrease in serotonin can cause feelings of sadness, despair, or anxiety, all of which are typical symptoms of depression.

Not only that, stress hormones such as cortisols, which often do not balance people with depression, can affect moods at night. Cortisols generally decrease at night to prepare the body to rest, but in people with depression, their levels may always be high, causing increased anxiety and sleep disorders.

Depression and insomnia are often related to each other. Many people who experience mental stress are also experiencing difficulty sleeping, either in the form of insomnia or sleep that is not good. At night, what should be the time for rest and recovery, is even a time when a person struggles with feelings of anxiety, anxiety, and inability to sleep.

This lack of quality sleep then worsens symptoms of depression, resulting in cycles that are difficult to break. The harder it is to sleep, the greater the chance someone gets caught up in negative thoughts, worsening their mental state.

Nights are often associated with loneliness. When others have rested, the environment becomes quieter, and this can stimulate feelings of deep loneliness in those who experience depression.

This loneliness can strengthen feelings of worthlessness, despair, and isolation. Without existing social support, a kind of chat with friends or family, people who experience mental stress tend to be trapped in the circle of repeated negative thoughts.

At night, when nothing disturbs attention, it is more likely for someone to get caught up in overthinking. Negative thoughts and anxiety that may be overlooked during the day often come back stronger at night.

This excessive thinking can include regrets about the past, fear of the future, or feelings of incapacity in tackling the challenges of life. The longer a person gets caught up in overthinking, the heavier the mental burden he feels.

Natural light from the sun plays an important position in regulating the rhythm of the body's sirkadian, which is a biological cycle that affects when we feel tired or awake. At night, our body receives a signal when it's time to sleep.

However, for people who experience depression, the darkness that arrives at night can strengthen feelings of depression and despair. Some people may feel more vulnerable at night due to the lack of exposure to natural light.

7. Lack of Direct Social Support

At night, access to social support is generally limited. Friends or family may be asleep, as well as professional services such as therapy or counseling are also not available. This can make a person feel alone and has no place to turn when they really need support. Lack of access can exacerbate feelings of isolation and increase the intensity of depression symptoms.

How To Deal With Depression At Night

Although the depression that worsens at night can be very scary, there are several steps that can be taken to relieve it. Some ways that can be tried include:

In addition, read also: Often Headaches After Waking Up? Could These 8 Things Cause

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