{"id":27482,"date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-staging.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/?p=27482"},"modified":"2023-03-29T21:18:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T21:18:32","slug":"antidepressants-and-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/blog\/antidepressants-and-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"How Antidepressants Affect Your Sleep (and What to Do About It)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are many things that can affect sleep, from caffeine<\/a> to blue light<\/a> to the foods you choose to eat right before bed<\/a>\u2014but one of the causes you\u2019ve perhaps overlooked is medications. One class of medications that can impact sleep is antidepressants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering about the connection between a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and sleep, read on and explore how antidepressants affect sleep. Plus, learn what you can do to mitigate any unwanted side effects, with the help of your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The link between antidepressants and sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Antidepressants can actually change the chemistry of the brain in an effort to decrease the symptoms of depression<\/a>\u2014and in the process, they can change the chemicals that impact sleep. In fact, studies<\/a> show most antidepressants change sleep. And it\u2019s something physicians should be aware of, whether the antidepressant is affecting sleep quality or worsening certain sleep disorders, such as nightmares<\/a>, restless legs syndrome<\/a>, bruxism<\/a>, and sleep apnea<\/a>, as a 2017 study<\/a> points out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDepression is almost always accompanied by disordered sleep and many antidepressants affect sleep architecture independently,” says Thomas Franklin, MD, president and CEO of MindWork Group<\/a> and member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry<\/a>. This means depression can negatively affect sleep while the antidepressants to ease that depression can also influence sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some antidepressants can negatively impact sleep, some can positively change it\u2014especially when antidepressants resolve a depressive episode and the sleep problems that can go along with it. This can include sleeping too much or sleeping too little. People may find that finally, their sleep has equalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, as Franklin says, antidepressants are either sedating or activating as a side effect. Some common SSRIs \u201cwill often activate patients at first and cause temporary insomnia<\/a>,\u201d adds Franklin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, a group of antidepressants called serotonin\/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors can be quite activating. Finally, Franklin says older antidepressants called tricyclics can be very sedating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, Franklin says sleep-related side effects often resolve in a few weeks. But for some patients, these side effects can be long-lasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to keep antidepressants from ruining your sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your antidepressant is causing you to experience insomnia\u2014or if it\u2019s having a sedating effect and you\u2019re sleeping too much, leading to a groggy, fatigued feeling\u2014you should know there are things you can do to improve your sleep.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n