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Hello Psych2goers, and welcome back to another video.
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We'd like to give you all a big thanks for all the support that you've given us.
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It's our mission to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone.
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So, let's begin.
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Have you ever experienced sad moments particularly when you're about to sleep?
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Do you tend to feel more depressed during the night?
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This can be explained by a mood disorder called night-time depression.
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In this video, we'll be talking about the factors that may lead to worsening feelings of depression at night.
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Before we begin, we would like to mention that this video was created for educational purposes only.
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We highly recommend that you consult a mental health professional if you have any questions about your personal mental health.
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With that said, here are six reasons why you feel more depressed at night.
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One, you feel lonelier during night time.
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Do you live by yourself like me?
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Does winding down at the end of the day bring you a feeling of loneliness?
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If you live alone, there may be fewer distractions to keep you from ruminating on negative thoughts especially at night.
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With the lack of interaction or companionship, thoughts of loneliness or isolation may kick in and make you feel worse during the night.
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Two, you ruminate more on before you go to bed.
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Do you stay up thinking about your past mistakes?
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Are you kept awake by thinking about what could have happened if you had made different choices some time ago?
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Oftentimes one of the main reasons we remain awake is negative thinking.
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While reflection is a great way to evaluate yourself to become a better person, excessive rumination may lead to anxiety or depression.
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Number three, there's too much light in your room.
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Do you sleep with the lights on?
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Is there a slip between the curtains that allows light to sneak in or is the light from outside your door shining it?
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According to studies by the American Journal of Epidemiology, the source of light can disrupt your sleep cycle which causes symptoms of night-time depression.
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So it's important to maintain a dark environment so that our brain can adapt to the resting process.
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Four, your circadian rhythm is not coordinated.
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Have you ever experienced jet lag?
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And this is when your circadian rhythm or internal body clock is not used to the new timezone you're in.
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Your circadian rhythm often tells you the time to stay active and the time to rest.
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However, if it's not properly maintained due to sleeping at odd hours or because of jet lag, you may become prone to developing the symptoms of night-time depression.
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Number five, you work or study at night.
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Guilty...
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Does your job require you to work at night, or do you go to night school?
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When you work or study at night, you may end up sleeping at odd hours or getting rest only in the morning.
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Since you can't sleep at night and daylight can interrupt your sleep cycle, you may find yourself having trouble sleeping over time.
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This may increase your chances of unwanted exhaustion and night-time depression symptoms.
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And number six, your chronotype is disoriented.
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Do you feel more awake at night or feel really sleepy during the day?
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Chronotype refers to the signal in your body that tells you the appropriate sleeping time.
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If you sleep when you're not sleepy and stay awake when you are, you may be more prone to the risk of feeling depressed over time.
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This habit can worsen the symptoms at night leading to difficulty in falling asleep, feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and isolation.
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Do you experience feelings of depression during night time?
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Let us know in the comments below.
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Also, if you know someone who may benefit from online counseling, we have actually partnered up with betterhelp an affordable online counseling platform that you can utilize.
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And if you need to get your mind off some thoughts, they're also accessible at night.
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The link will be in the description box below.
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We'll see you next time.