Scientists find that a night without sleep can improve mood in people with depression

Lack of sleep can temporarily improve mood in patients with depressive disorders because it helps strengthen the connection between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, according to a study conducted by Chinese and American researchers and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

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Usually, a sleepless night is perceived as a negative and depressing event, but in some people, especially those with depressive disorders, it can temporarily improve their mood. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not yet fully understood, which prompted researchers from Shanghai Foreign Studies University and their American colleagues to investigate this topic.

The study involved 54 healthy volunteers and 30 people with depressive disorders. For five days, the participants underwent three sessions of functional magnetic resonance imaging, during which their brain activity was measured. Some sessions took place after a night's sleep, others after a full night of sleeplessness. During the day, participants were also asked to fill out questionnaires to assess their mood.

The results of the study showed that healthy participants' moods deteriorated after a sleepless night. At the same time, 13 out of 30 participants with depression had improved mood. This improvement was attributed to the strengthening of the functional connection between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, the areas of the brain responsible for controlling emotions, motivation, and decision-making. Researchers suggest that the neural network that connects these areas and affects people's moods may be a target for new antidepressants.

As for the reasons why lack of sleep improves mood, it may be an increase in the proportion of the REM sleep phase in depression, which affects the activity of the amygdala. Temporarily regaining control over the amygdala, especially in the absence of REM sleep, may explain the antidepressant effects of a sleepless night in patients with depressive disorders.

We also invite you to learn the advice of sleep experts who told us what makes a person wake up at night.

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