Prescription sleep aids slightly increased from June to December 2008 suggesting that more people may be having trouble sleeping during the current economic crisis. According to researchers, poor sleep can increase the risk for depression, weaken the immune system and affect concentration, functioning and judgment. In studies, people who sleep six hours or less a night have an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.

Recent evidence now suggests that poor sleep may actually precede some mental illnesses, in particular depression, mood and anxiety disorders. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Medical School have shown that lack of sleep amplifies our emotional “brain state.” The amygdala is the emotional part of the brain and is linked to depression and other psychiatric conditions. The amygdala appears to become more active when deprived of sleep.

Last year, another study published in the journal SLEEP involving nearly 591 young adults followed for 20 years showed that those who reported insomnia lasting two weeks or longer were significantly more likely to develop a major depressive episode. The lead author Dr. Daniel Buysse, of the University of Pittsburgh, said that insomnia “seems to be followed by depression more consistently than the other way around.”

Researchers feel that a significant problem with sleep should never be taken lightly. Persistent sleeping problems that last weeks or months and impact daily functioning should be addressed.