Review of Associations Between Sleepiness and Depression

Sleep and depression are so complex that a review article can only describe, not answer, specific questions about their interaction.

Chellappa and colleagues review the evidence on interactions between excessive daytime sleepiness and depression.

More than 40% of adults in the U.S. say sleepiness interferes with their activities, and depression may be the world's most prevalent disease. The physiological timing system modulates both conditions, as exemplified by the short REM sleep latency of patients with depression and by the effects of napping on mood. Sleep and mood share determinants such as seasonal, circadian, and CNS arousal regulators; aging; hormonal profiles; and drugs. Both sleep and mood are altered in depression with atypical features, seasonal affective disorder, shift-work sleep disorder, and delayed sleep phase syndrome.

Both sleepiness and depression may …

Reviewing Author

Quentin Regestein, MD

Review of Associations Between Sleepiness and Depression

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Reviewing Author