What is circadian depression? It may be the reason why you cant sleep

Depressive symptoms may look similar, but there are various underlying causes.While depressive symptoms like fatigue, low mood or low energy can look similar in many people, the complex condition can be caused by a combination of factors, leading to different subtypes of depression.Recent research identified a new subtype that may be driven by the body’s internal clock, disrupting sleep and creating a perpetual state of jet lag.Since depression is caused by several factors, researchers have been looking into biological issues that could be causing symptoms, including the circadian rhythm or clock.The circadian clock is the body’s internal 24-hour rhythm, managing hormones, digestion, mood and sleep-wake cycles.“When it’s off, you feel jet-lagged all the time,” lead researcher Ian Hickie told ScienceAlert.“You feel tired, you feel exhausted, you gain weight, you can’t concentrate, you sleep poorly and your behavior changes.”The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that one in four people with depression could have “circadian depression” caused by a dysregulated body clock.Looking at data from 11,380 participants in the ongoing Australian Genetics of Depression Study, the researchers found a quarter of participants met at least three of six criteria that defined the circadian depression subtype.One is that symptoms will change with the seasons, due to the length of days and natural light shortening.The second criterion is that the midpoint of sleep (the exact time halfway between the moment you fall asleep and the moment you wake up) is delayed compared to the general adult population, roughly between 2 and 4 a.m.Those with circadian depression also experience social jet lag, with their sleep midpoint differing by several hours on workdays than on non-working days.

This means their sleep patterns don’t match the typical timing that society is designed around.A fourth criteria point is having an evening chronotype, which p...