More and more research is emerging directly tying insomnia and sleep disturbances to depression and other mental illnesses

Today, we will look at the real reason sleeplessness causes depression and what you can do to beat back the effects, which is especially important this time of year.

In many countries, the actual number of hours of sunlight can diminish so much in the winter months that residents have to gather around alternate light sources and increase their intake of vitamin D in supplement form.

This isn’t just so the body can stave off the ravages of osteoporosis- it’s a critical step in keeping the body happy in all of its systems.  Trouble in one will always lead to trouble in another.

Specifically, lack of sleep- chronically- will almost surely lead to depression, as evidenced by an already large but still growing body of scientific evidence.

People need sleep.  It’s critical in so many functions throughout the body because a LOT happens when we are in this stage of unconsciousness.  Chemicals are produced that heal muscle tissues, others are released that bathe the brain in healing neurotransmitters only released in sleep.  The list goes on and on.

One of the chemical dances that occurs in the wake and sleep cycle is the production of serotonin and melatonin.  Serotonin is the “happy” chemical that binds to the receptors in our brain to tell us all is well.  This is built up in the body in two ways- through sleep, and through exposure to sunlight.

When we wake up at the start of our day, (whether you are a daytime waker or nighttime due to work schedules) we start using up the serotonin we accrued during the sleep cycle before waking.  It keeps us going; helps us think clearly.

As the day progresses and we metabolize serotonin, it breaks down into its sister chemical, melatonin.  This is the chemical that tells us we are sleepy and to close our eyes.  It gets us to sleep and keeps us there through the first couple of stages of sleep. After that, the deeper stages take over and the real restoration of the body takes place.

If there is a deficit in either of these chemicals, we’re going to pay the price.  Not enough melatonin will cause sleep to be difficult to find and keep- leading to a reduced amount of serotonin produced.  Serotonin is critical in keeping the clouds of depression away.

Diminished levels of serotonin make the availability of melatonin drop off, thus perpetuating the cycle.

If you are already in the throes of chronic sleep deprivation, there is hope, and it doesn’t have to involve anti-depressants or sleep aids.  Get your sleep cycle back on track and you won’t need either of those in the first place.

This simple audio has been used by thousands of readers – some suffering chronic insomnia – to fall asleep in 24 minutes… the very first night…