To determine whether a person is in a state of depression, early morning awakening is often an important indicative symptom. What time of waking up can be considered as "early awakening"?
Generally speaking, waking up during the time from night sleep to the next morning can be regarded as early awakening. The most common situation is waking up between 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the early hours of the morning and then being unable to fall back asleep. If one wakes up due to the urge to urinate, and after finishing, they can quickly fall back asleep, this kind of waking does not fall into the category of early awakening.
People who experience early awakening have similar feelings:
After sleeping for a while, they suddenly wake up inexplicably, feeling very alert but without any intention to go back to sleep. Then comes a flood of thoughts: some are memories, some are speculations, others are repetitive considerations on certain topics. In short, their minds wander aimlessly, chaotic and restless. The more they think, the hotter they feel, the more agitated their hearts become. They then suffer through the wait for dawn, almost every day, leaving them utterly exhausted.
People who experience early awakening definitely lack sufficient sleep:
The next day, they will feel fatigued, disoriented, irritable, distracted, with poor concentration, and low efficiency in handling tasks. Long-term early awakening can also cause physical discomfort such as palpitations, chest tightness, soreness in the lower back, abdominal distension, and loss of appetite. Thus forming a vicious cycle of "poor sleep, no appetite, and lack of energy," which poses serious stress on both mental and physical health.
Early awakening is a manifestation of sleep disorder and can also be a concomitant symptom of depression.
If early awakening frequently recurs accompanied by symptoms such as low mood, listlessness, reduced interest, emptiness, boredom, pessimism, distraction, indecisiveness, loss of passion, irritability, etc., it should be considered that one might be entering a depressive state or suffering from depression, requiring further diagnosis and treatment from a doctor at the hospital.
To treat early awakening, anti-depression therapy should be initiated.
This is fundamental to eliminating the root cause of early awakening. However, anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives can also be used in combination. As the saying goes, "One night without sleep makes ten nights unrestful," which exactly indicates the difficulty in adjusting insomnia. It requires a process and needs patience. Strictly following the doctor's formal treatment plan is the prerequisite for treating early awakening.
Many patients with early awakening worry about drug dependence or adverse side effects before receiving treatment. Actually, there is no need to worry because China now has many specialized drugs with obvious efficacy and fewer side effects available for selection. As for the issue of drug dependence, it can be completely overcome through close cooperation and joint efforts between doctors and patients. Early awakening is a major issue concerning mental and physical health and a signal of depression. Do not take it lightly and miss the best opportunity for treatment.