Research Finds Depression To Be The Biggest Risk Factor For Insomnia

Everyone struggles with a bad night of sleep once in a while, but when it becomes a chronic issue, insomnia can cause a lot of other health problems.

For this study, researchers wanted to identify various risk factors for insomnia using machine-learning and a retrospective, cross-sectional cohort study.

Looking at data from nearly 8,000 middle-aged participants, machine learning assessed everything from mental health, to physical health, to lifestyle factors as they related to sleep disorders.

And based on their findings, depression was the biggest risk factor for insomnia, with 31.1% of participants with insomnia also struggling with depression. Age and exercise were the next most significant risk factors.

Talk your physician and/or a mental health professional if you're experiencing insomnia and depression to figure out the best course of action for improving your mental health—and getting more sleep.

To that end, the essential sleep rules like going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, are a good place to start—along with avoiding caffeine and alcohol too close to bed, which can impact sleep quality.

It may also be worthwhile to consider opting for a quality sleep supplement with ingredients like magnesium and pharmaGABA, which are research-backed to help regulate circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality. (Here are nine of our favorites, all vetted by a nutrition scientist.)