Morning Depression - Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Treatment

Introduction:

Have you ever heard about feeling depressed in the morning? It would be interesting to know about this typical health issue, which was never commonly heard about earlier. Morning depression is a symptom of diurnal mood variation. In this condition, the person feels very low as soon as they wake up, and then they experience positivity throughout the day once the morning has passed. Depression presents in different ways, but diurnal mood variation is the hallmark of clinical depression.

What Is Morning Depression?

Morning depression is a characteristic of depression. They have feelings of sadness, loss of pleasure, and low mood. The main additional problem, apart from the normal signs of depression, is that they find trouble getting out of bed and an extreme lack of energy in the morning. The affected individuals will find their mornings more difficult when compared to the rest of the day. They lack motivation for the rest of their day. These feelings don't lift even after rising from the bed. They try to forget some important morning actions, such as brushing their teeth, bathing, and eating breakfast. These are the specific signs of these conditions. But contrarily, the mood elevates after the morning, and the individual will reach a stage where their mood has changed for the better. By the afternoon, they might feel very good compared to the morning. The signs of depression are too high in the morning, and they get better throughout the day.

What Are the Causes of Morning Depression?

It is informative to know some causes behind this morning's depression. People with morning depression have variable lows and highs throughout the day. An imbalance in heart rhythm can be a factor. The causes of morning depression are:

• Sleeping Problems - Those who do not have a proper sleep cycle are prone to this. Depression itself can make it very hard to sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the common causes of poor sleep. OSA happens when something blocks the upper airway during sleep. The breath becomes very shallow, and the person may stop breathing heavily. The natural sleep cycle is called the circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates heart rate and body temperature, keeps the mood stable, and maintains good health. It affects mood, alertness, and energy levels.

Melatonin is the hormone that induces sleep. The body produces melatonin when the sun sets. The body makes more cortisol in the morning to prepare the body for the day. When the rhythm is disrupted, the body makes hormones at an inappropriate time of the day. This leads to a negative effect on physical and mental health. When melatonin is made during the day, the person becomes tired during the day.

• Stress Hormones - This hormone increases blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar. It is also linked to depression, anxiety, and inability to concentrate.

• Inflammation - High levels of interleukin-6 are found in people with depression and other mental disorders. The interleukin-6 peaks during the nighttime and early morning.

The other factors include trauma, life events such as a person’s death or divorce, alcoholism, and a family history of depression.

What Are the Signs of Morning Depression?

The signs of early morning depression include:

• Staying asleep for longer hours than expected.

• The desire to eat in the morning goes down. This includes skipping other meals also.

• They like to curl up on the sofa and watch a good movie rather than leave the house.

• They feel they don't contribute anything significant to society, which makes them not leave the house. Leaving the house in the morning becomes a battle for them.

• No energy to start the day.

• The feeling of excessive guilt or worthlessness.

• Difficulty in concentration and making decisions.

• Recurrent thoughts of suicide.

• The feeling of restlessness.

• No enjoyment in day-to-day activities.

• Oversleeping and frustrated in the morning in bed.

They find it hard to follow the activities below:

• Doing regular morning tasks.

• Avoiding oversleeping.

• Waking up in the morning on time.

• Ability to think clearly.

• To develop a sleep hygiene routine.

What Are the Symptoms of Morning Depression?

People having depression due to diurnal mood variation seem to have a low mood and have depression symptoms worse in the morning, and they seem to improve in the rest of the day. Along with depression symptoms like low mood and profound sadness, people with morning depression present with symptoms such as

• Irritability.

• Feeling tired and lethargic on waking.

• Difficulty in completing daily tasks such as brushing, showering, preparing breakfast

• Have little to no activity and interest in doing pleasurable activities in the morning.

• Problems with focusing.

• Poor concentration.

• Having difficulty getting out of bed.

• Sleeping longer than normal.

What Is the Diagnosis of Morning Depression?

Morning depression is not a separate diagnosis from depression and does not have diagnostic criteria. The following questions are asked during the examination:

• The severity of symptoms? Is it decreased or increased?

• Any trouble concentrating?

• Has the daily sleep routine changed?

• Do they have trouble getting out of bed?

What Are the Complications Faced Due to Morning Depression?

Morning depression can result in several complications when left untreated. The complications faced are,

• Worsening of mental health with suicidal thoughts and anxiety disorders.

• Impairment in doing daily activities, like struggles in waking up and being less productive.

• Irritability and withdrawal symptoms are affecting personal and professional relationships.

• Sleep troubles due to changes in circadian rhythm can lead to depression.

• Insomnia or hypersomnia can develop.

• Heart problems and high blood pressure can develop due to chronic stress and anxiety.

• Chronic depression affects cognitive function and memory.

• Social withdrawal and isolation from family and friends might be noticed.

What Is the Treatment for Morning Depression?

Can this condition be treated in several ways? Let us see the morning depression treatments. Some of the treatments are:

Depression makes it hard for anyone to stay awake. Sleep trouble is due to low levels of serotonin. Serotonin is a feel-good hormone that is released in the brain, which promotes good quality sleep. The treatment for morning depression is serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), such as Effexor (Venlafaxine) are helpful with morning depression.

1. Getting Quality Sleep - Small shifts in sleep patterns can make a huge difference. The regulation of the sleep cycle can reduce the symptoms of morning depression. The following methods can be followed:

• Eating food at the appropriate times.

• Avoid substances like caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol.

• Avoid heavy exercises for four hours before bedtime.

• Refraining from long naps during the day.

• A silent and cool room will promote sleep.

2. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) - It is a treatment for some mental illnesses. In this procedure, electrical currents are passed through the brain. There are two types of ECT:

• Unilateral - One electrode is placed on top of the head, and the other is placed on the right temple.

• Bilateral - The electrodes are placed on both sides of the head.

3. Talk Therapy - Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy treat morning depression. It is a type of psychotherapy focuses on targeted action and behavioral changes required to overcome depression. It involves the development of constructive and balanced ways to respond to stressful situations. It is a coping defense mechanism to recover from challenging conditions. It requires 20 sessions and can continue depending on the cause. The therapist identifies patterns of distorted perceptions that are no longer useful to the affected person.

4. Light Therapy - Exposure to light has an impact on the hormones and chemicals produced in the body that enhance the mood.

How Do You Prevent Morning Depression?

Though morning depression is curable, it can be prevented by the following steps. Can we try to know about it? Morning depression can be prevented by following a sleep pattern by going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding intake of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco before bedtime, doing exercises four hours before bedtime, putting electronic devices away from you before an hour of sleep, following a relaxing bedtime activity like reading, taking a warm bath, stretching, meditation, and keeping the bedroom cool, dark and comfortable at bedtime.

Conclusion:

The doctor or psychiatrist can only help improve the symptoms and give an appropriate treatment. Mental health is greatly influenced by physical health. So, maintaining a balanced diet, following a consistent morning routine, and getting good sleep at night builds overall health and performance. Talk therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes help to manage morning depression. Also, working with a healthcare provider to develop an individualized treatment plan is essential.

Keynote from iCliniq

If you need professional help to get back on track with your sleep-wake cycle, reach out to a family physician on an online platform or try to find a therapist who can support you on your journey. It is assurable that morning depression symptoms can be managed effectively with clear and consistent routines followed by professional guidance and support.