The first thing to realize is that fighting depression is a full-time job. Depressed people sleep a lot because their brains get tired from fighting negative thoughts and feelings all day.6 Depressed people also have lower quality of sleep, meaning they get less energy from eight hours of rest than a nondepressed person does. When you’re severely depressed—particularly if you’re suicidal—sleep can be the only escape from misery you have. In a very real way, the apparent “laziness” of depressed people is a sign that their bodies and minds are protecting them and working to help them heal.
