Depression is a state of sadness. People who suffer from depression may feel lethargic. They experience changes in their appetite and in their sleep patterns. In most cases, depressed people have trouble falling and staying asleep. A small percentage of people with depression tend to sleep for long periods of time.

Depression is one of the major causes of insomnia or an inability to sleep well at night. When you are depressed feelings of worthlessness or sadness or other disturbing thoughts may creep in to your mind when you try to sleep. This causes you to wake up at night and you may be unable to get back to sleep. Similarly, depressed people tend to think a lot about their problems, whether real or imagined. Such disturbing thoughts keep them awake at night and they tend to feel sleepy and irritable during the day.

Sleep disorders associated with depression are usually treated using antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used to treat depression related insomnia. Doctors also prescribe hypnotics or sleeping pills for such problems. Lifestyle changes like maintaining good sleep and diet habits, meditation and exercise will also help treat sleep disorders linked with depression.