Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSleep and Mental HealthCharacteristicsDiagnosisCauses of Depression NappingTreatment for Depression NapsCoping

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Sleep and Mental Health

Characteristics

Diagnosis

Causes of Depression Napping

Treatment for Depression Naps

Coping

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Depression naps refer to excessive sleeping as a way to cope with low mood, anxiety, or stress.

The use of the term has grown thanks to social media posts that often make light of the behavior. However, experts suggest that such sleeping patterns, technically known as hypersomnia, can be a serious symptom of depression.

This article discusses how sleep and depression are connected, the characteristics of depression naps, and why depression can lead to excessive napping. It also explores treatments and coping strategies that can help.

According toAlex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California, depression naps refer to taking a nap when you’re feeling low, in an effort to boost your mood. But it might not necessarily indicate a serious problem.

“It is important to realize there is a very big difference between feeling tired, sleepy, sad, and depressed,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “A lot of times it can be hard to know your own feelings, and too often in my work, people with fatigue end up thinking they are depressed.”

Characteristics, Traits, and Symptoms

Just like feelings of depression can lead people to want to sleep all the time, being in a general state of sleep deprivation—whether it comes from caring for young kids, dealing with long work hours and work-related stress, or other personal reasons—can also contribute to feelings of depression.

When it comes to distinguishing fatigue from sleepiness from depression, it helps to understand each one in more detail. It pays to recognize that getting an adequate seven to eight hours of sleep per night would likely benefit all three issues, Dr. Dimitriu says.

Sleepiness

If sleep deprivation is the true issue, taking steps to clean up yoursleep hygieneand prioritizing sleep as crucial for your health and well being can truly make a difference.

Fatigue

Fatigue, meanwhile, is different from regular sleepiness. Signs of fatigue include low energy, reduced motivation, and drive, but not necessarily a desire to sleep, Dr. Dimitriu says.

With fatigue, your body may physically feel tired, which can also be a sign of another underlying health issue.This highlights the importance of keeping up with regular doctors’ visits and keeping your provider updated on any and all concerns.

Depression

Alex Dimitriu, MDIt’s worth noting that depressed people can also have an increased need for sleep, as well as symptoms of fatigue, like low energy and low motivation.

Alex Dimitriu, MD

It’s worth noting that depressed people can also have an increased need for sleep, as well as symptoms of fatigue, like low energy and low motivation.

If you suspect you may be experiencingsymptoms of depression, it’s key to seek professional help to navigate the path forward appropriately.

Identifying Depression Naps

It can be hard to pinpoint whether a napping habit is truly a symptom of depression, or if you’re just exhausted, Dr. Dimitriu says. The first step is to confirm whether basic human needs are being met, such as getting enough sleep for at least a week, eating healthy, some socialization, and exercise

Working too much and playing too little can also causeburnoutor depression, which are often used interchangeably, adding further confusion.

“If someone experiences low mood on more days than not, with a loss of interest in pleasure or lack of joy, it may be time to speak to a professional,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “However, thoughts of death or suicide are an immediate red flag that professional help is needed.”

Depression is often tied to insomnia, so if you’re chronically sleep deprived, it makes sense that you would experience feeling low and exhausted all at the same time.

However, people who are depressed also often find themselves feeling alert at the same time and not able to sleep during the day, which adds to the importance of seeking a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you’ve sought professional help for underlying depression, your provider can help you determine the appropriate treatment path, such as regular therapy sessions, prescription medication, or both.

If the problem is tied more to your sleep patterns, seeking help from an expert can also help you to improve your sleep hygiene and develop better sleeping habits and patterns.

In order to improve your sleep habits and ensure that you are getting the rest you need, you should:

Sometimes simple steps like going to bed at the same time every night or refraining from using mobile devices in bed can make a huge difference in restoring a healthy sleep routine.

Once you’ve appropriately identified what you’re experiencing, you can determine if you need to take action to adjust your routine and habits. You may need to limit how often you nap, or you might need to increase your activity level during the day.

Naps, if kept to about 30 minutes long and not too close to bedtime, can be a nice way to recharge and reframe thinking, Dr. Dimitriu says. As long as they don’t interfere with nighttime sleep or result from not getting enough sleep at night, they can be healthy and restorative.

Alex Dimitriu, MDIn a sleep-deprived society, fatigue is all too often the cause of low mood, low motivation, and increased anxiety and impulsivity. In these cases, sleeping more often will help.

In a sleep-deprived society, fatigue is all too often the cause of low mood, low motivation, and increased anxiety and impulsivity. In these cases, sleeping more often will help.

A Word From Verywell

If you’ve felt a bit blue, short naps aren’t a harmful thing—in fact, they can be restorative and help you feel refreshed and better able to maintain productivity during the remainder of your day. As long as you’ve sought professional help where necessary to rule out underlying mental health conditions, an occasional nap can be effective for boosting your mood.

10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lopez R, Barateau L, Evangelista E, Dauvilliers Y. Depression and hypersomnia: A complex association.Sleep Med Clin. 2017;12(3):395-405. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2017.03.016Harvard Health Publishing.Sleep and mental health.Fang H, Tu S, Sheng J, Shao A.Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment.J Cell Mol Med. 2019;23(4):2324-2332. doi:10.1111/jcmm.14170Son CG.Differential diagnosis between “chronic fatigue” and “chronic fatigue syndrome”.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(2):89-91. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2019.04.005American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Tileva A.How to douse chronic workplace stress before it explodes into full burnout. Society for Human Resource Management.St-Onge M-P, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE.Effects of diet on sleep quality.Advances in Nutrition. 2016;7(5):938-949. doi:10.3945/an.116.012336Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170Dolezal BA, Neufeld EV, Boland DM, Martin JL, Cooper CB.Interrelationship between sleep and exercise: a systematic review.Advances in Preventive Medicine. 2017;2017:1-14. doi:10.1155/2017/1364387Triantafillou S, Saeb S, Lattie EG, Mohr DC, Kording KP.Relationship between sleep quality and mood: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.JMIR Ment Health. 2019;6(3):e12613. doi:10.2196/12613

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lopez R, Barateau L, Evangelista E, Dauvilliers Y. Depression and hypersomnia: A complex association.Sleep Med Clin. 2017;12(3):395-405. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2017.03.016Harvard Health Publishing.Sleep and mental health.Fang H, Tu S, Sheng J, Shao A.Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment.J Cell Mol Med. 2019;23(4):2324-2332. doi:10.1111/jcmm.14170Son CG.Differential diagnosis between “chronic fatigue” and “chronic fatigue syndrome”.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(2):89-91. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2019.04.005American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Tileva A.How to douse chronic workplace stress before it explodes into full burnout. Society for Human Resource Management.St-Onge M-P, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE.Effects of diet on sleep quality.Advances in Nutrition. 2016;7(5):938-949. doi:10.3945/an.116.012336Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170Dolezal BA, Neufeld EV, Boland DM, Martin JL, Cooper CB.Interrelationship between sleep and exercise: a systematic review.Advances in Preventive Medicine. 2017;2017:1-14. doi:10.1155/2017/1364387Triantafillou S, Saeb S, Lattie EG, Mohr DC, Kording KP.Relationship between sleep quality and mood: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.JMIR Ment Health. 2019;6(3):e12613. doi:10.2196/12613

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Lopez R, Barateau L, Evangelista E, Dauvilliers Y. Depression and hypersomnia: A complex association.Sleep Med Clin. 2017;12(3):395-405. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2017.03.016Harvard Health Publishing.Sleep and mental health.Fang H, Tu S, Sheng J, Shao A.Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment.J Cell Mol Med. 2019;23(4):2324-2332. doi:10.1111/jcmm.14170Son CG.Differential diagnosis between “chronic fatigue” and “chronic fatigue syndrome”.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(2):89-91. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2019.04.005American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Tileva A.How to douse chronic workplace stress before it explodes into full burnout. Society for Human Resource Management.St-Onge M-P, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE.Effects of diet on sleep quality.Advances in Nutrition. 2016;7(5):938-949. doi:10.3945/an.116.012336Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170Dolezal BA, Neufeld EV, Boland DM, Martin JL, Cooper CB.Interrelationship between sleep and exercise: a systematic review.Advances in Preventive Medicine. 2017;2017:1-14. doi:10.1155/2017/1364387Triantafillou S, Saeb S, Lattie EG, Mohr DC, Kording KP.Relationship between sleep quality and mood: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.JMIR Ment Health. 2019;6(3):e12613. doi:10.2196/12613

Lopez R, Barateau L, Evangelista E, Dauvilliers Y. Depression and hypersomnia: A complex association.Sleep Med Clin. 2017;12(3):395-405. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2017.03.016

Harvard Health Publishing.Sleep and mental health.

Fang H, Tu S, Sheng J, Shao A.Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment.J Cell Mol Med. 2019;23(4):2324-2332. doi:10.1111/jcmm.14170

Son CG.Differential diagnosis between “chronic fatigue” and “chronic fatigue syndrome”.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(2):89-91. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2019.04.005

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

Tileva A.How to douse chronic workplace stress before it explodes into full burnout. Society for Human Resource Management.

St-Onge M-P, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE.Effects of diet on sleep quality.Advances in Nutrition. 2016;7(5):938-949. doi:10.3945/an.116.012336

Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170

Dolezal BA, Neufeld EV, Boland DM, Martin JL, Cooper CB.Interrelationship between sleep and exercise: a systematic review.Advances in Preventive Medicine. 2017;2017:1-14. doi:10.1155/2017/1364387

Triantafillou S, Saeb S, Lattie EG, Mohr DC, Kording KP.Relationship between sleep quality and mood: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.JMIR Ment Health. 2019;6(3):e12613. doi:10.2196/12613

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