Thread: Sleep And Depression

Congrats on finding an answer to your problem! Is Lexapro something you will need to be on long-term, or will you be able to go off it in the future?

Lexapro, as far as I know, is a weaker anti-depressant. The doc said that I could stop taking it whenever I wished with minimal effect. Apparently, once the seratonin level is corrected, it takes a long time for the levels to come down again. Chemical levels in the brain change slowly, which is probably why it takes 4-6 weeks for the Lexapro to take full effect.

It's not addictive at all, so maybe it's worth a try if everything else fails and you have signs of depression.

Then you may be able to take smaller amounts less often after the initial 6 weeks, just to keep your levels high enough to control symptoms. That way you're not over-medicating yourself in the long term. Good luck it!

That is great Richter! Nice sleeping to you....

Lexapro and many other anti depressants I believe are in a class called SSRI. (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
I had the same issues falling asleep. Usally an hour or so, sometimes more. In my case depression was not part of the problem.
I learned a lot about many different prescribed drugs.
I am on a class now considered benzodiazepines.

* In either case, from what I understand both classes of these drugs should not be immediately stopped!
Also they are to be taken on a daily basis.
I am not a doctor. If your doctor says differently then that is so. This is just what my doctor had said and the result of my own study of these drugs.

Sounds like a very interesting class, Howetzer. Though I have no idea what benzodiapines are; sounds like diaepam, the drug in Metal Gear Solid that relaxes bodily shaking. lol

A daily dose is one pill a day at the same time. The pills are very very small.

Interesting.
Richter - it's also likely that melatonin supplements would have solved your problem as well then.
Melatonin levels are also linked to serotonin, and melatonin is the hormone that leaves you drowsy at night.

Just a thought. Glad you found something that worked for you.

BTW, I just had the opposite - I found a cure to NOT be drowsy at night. Careful doses of thermogenic supplements like Phedra-cut XT
Of course most people don't want to avoid drowsiness at night. Consider me wierd.

Placebo and depression

A brain-imaging study found that depressed patients who responded to the placebo effect showed changes in cerebral blood flow, which were similar to the changes in brain function seen in patients who responded to anti-depressant medication. (Leuchter 2002) Other studies argue that up to 75% of the effectiveness of anti-depressant medication is due to the placebo-effect rather than the treatment itself. (Khan 2000) [/b]

according to this wikipedia article based on placebo effect that studies have shown anti depressant are 75%percent placebo effect so the drug proberly didnt cure your insomia it just your expectation that your going to work which made you fall asleep not the anti depressant. so the drug didnt technically work it just your belife that it going to work and put you too sleep which says that all you needed was the belife you were going to fall asleep to fall asleep.

Well then, I'm either part of the 25% where the drug actually helps, or I have an extremely weak mind. I honestly don't know which it is.

I truly have always tried to go to bed with the honest expectation of falling asleep quickly, but it never happened. My insomnia used to keep me up for 2 hours or more, but now I fall asleep within a half hour, usually. I'd LOVE to fall asleep quicker, but have much trouble doing so, and cannot seem to do it consisitently.

So, if I wanted to fall asleep within 10 min, I would just go to bed with the expectation of doing so, right? I've tried that; I'm DOING that NOW! Unless I'm going about "honestly believing" wrong, I don't see what else has changed in my life except the lexapro.

If the lexapro is really a placebo, then I'm gonna try something tonight. I'm going to take a valerian pill, something I haven't done for quite a while, and fully expect to fall asleep withing 20 min. I say to myself as I lay down "I will fall asleep now".

I'll post my results tomorrow.

Well if anybody cares I actually fell asleep with about 30min when I took a Valerian pill AND my lexapro. There's good news and bad news; good news first.

I set my alarm for 4 hours after my I went to bed, which was at 1:00am. I really remembered to try and recall my dreams when I woke, as I used the alarm-clock-across-the-room-so-ya-gotta-get-to-turn-it-off technique. It was my first waking thought!

Bad news is that I didn't remember anything... I took about a half hour to fall asleep, so my REM period presumably ended at 4:30am... 30min before my waking at night. Next time I'll set my alarm for 4:30; I overestimated the time it would take to fall asleep.

So, I guess if I can at least fall asleep within consistent time, I will be able to time my REMs better. It doesn't matter how quick I fall asleep, as long as that time stays the same! Woohoo!

Maybe it is a placebo, maybe not... I sure works though!!!