Sleep problems? One more thing to keep you up, they increase the risk of depression

Frequent pauses in breathing, labored breathing or reduced breathing during the night are hallmark signs of sleep-related breathing disorder. This disorder has already been linked to a variety of negative health consequences, including cardiovascular disease and difficulty functioning during the day. With this latest study (as reported in Science Daily) we learn that people with even minimal cases of the condition are 1.6 times as likely to be depressed than those without the sleep disorders. For those with mild or moderate cases it's 2 to 2.6 times as likely. Furthermore, people whose breathing problems worsened over time increased their risk for depression.

Suggestions?

If you or someone you know is being treated for a sleep-related breathing disorder, make sure that their health-care provider is aware of the possibility of depression particularly if the patient has a history of depression or if it runs in the family. Any untreated depression could complicate adherence to the sleep-related breathing disorder mitigation strategies and treatments.

While on the subject of sleep problems (e.g., insomnia), according to scientists at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (part of the National Institutes of Health), over 1.6 million American adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat insomnia or trouble sleeping. The big categories are herbal remedies or relaxation techniques. Since insomnia peaks in middle age (45-64 years old) and a second increase appears in people 85 and older, these are the groups that might benefit from investigating such techniques especially if their primary techniques prove less than successful.