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AllanfromWales1 t1_j684vrd wrote

One way to sort out which way the causation lies would be to look at people with obstructive sleep apnea - a sleep disorder with a medical cause not obviously related to depression or suicidal ideation - and see whether they are more prone to depressive/suicidal thoughts.

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-downtone_ t1_j68adep wrote

This is also my thought. I have RBD and do not have depression. It's a medical issue due to low GABA. These may be sleep disorders related to psychological problems.

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AllanfromWales1 t1_j68b169 wrote

I've been using a CPAP every night for the last 25+ years, and still wake up about five times a night. I deal with it by spending longer in bed, which is a pain but worth it. I'm not depressed.

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-downtone_ t1_j68bngw wrote

Glad to hear the CPAP is helping you. I tried it and still had the RBD. I made a quick gif to show my sleep behavior so people can see how crazy it is: https://imgur.com/gallery/qSYqDvN . I get injured from this all the time and it happens many many times per night. I usually can't sleep through it so barely sleep.

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AllanfromWales1 t1_j68cio3 wrote

I went to a sleep lab when I first noticed problems (like falling asleep on the motorway/freeway) and they found I was on average waking up once every three minutes. Not good. CPAP definitely helps me - I find the best way is to use nasal pads rather than a full mask, and to sleep with the covers over my head and with my face down in the pillow (which you can do with an external air supply).

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wHDpVQjPu9Dkgk4FwN5T t1_j68ahtt wrote

Anyone with a chronic disease has more of a tendency to suicide. Maybe connecting a lack of suicides to narcolepsy would lead to anything, but honestly, the question would be what came first, lack of sleep or depression. And that is impossible to answer.

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