Depression, a condition experienced by one out of every five adolescents, has been observed to have two spikes, one during adolescence and the second during mid-late 20s, said psychology teacher Brandon Quick. 

    “Lack of sleep can cause confusion, disorientation, a feeling of being overwhelmed, all of which can contribute to depression,” said health teacher Susan Fitch.

    Allison Harvey, a clinical psychologist at UC Berkeley, leads a research team at the university’s Sleep and Psychological Disorders Laboratory, which specializes in finding a link between lack of sleep and depression.

    The team is currently recruiting 60 middle and high school students for the study to see if depression can be alleviated with enough sleep.  “We think the causes of depression in teens (are) very complex and multifactor,” said Harvey . “Sleep is one important contributor.”

    The inability of getting the recommended eight or nine hours of sleep leads to students feeling overwhelmed, both physically and emotionally, said Fitch.

    “From my experience and observations, lack of sleep negatively affects students’ ability to function the next day,” said junior Brian He.

    During sleep, the brain restores itself by processing the information received throughout the day, and restores the necessary chemicals back to their normal levels, said psych teacher Quick.     “Obviously if there’s no sleep, there’s no restoration," he said.

    This is why when people don’t get enough sleep, they often feel irritated and cranky throughout the whole day,  Quick said.

     While there is often a genetic component, depression is believed to be associated with lowered levels of brain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine.

    Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that regulates a person’s mood and sleep patterns, and norepinephrine is a chemical that controls a person’s arousal. Irregular levels of either chemical often hinders people from becoming happy or excited, said Quick.  

    “I think both academic and social reasons contribute to the lack of sleep seen at Cal,” said health teacher Joe Sussman. “Students need to disconnect from their TVs and computers a couple of hours before bed in order to allow their bodies and minds to wind down and prepare to rest,” he said.

    Many teens may be over stimulated by technology, be it television, computers, or texting on the phone. Others are overextended by too many activities, whether it’s school related, sports, or social, as well as lack the ability of relaxing and winding down, said Fitch.

    Trying to juggle advanced placement classes or even regular classes, a high GPA, and extra curricular activities, leaves many students sleep deprived. “A lot of people at Cal are sleep deprived,” said health teacher Fitch. “I would say about 65 percent of freshmen get less than seven hours of sleep.”

    Freshman Aditya Jalihal said school work and extracurricular activities such as swimming limit his sleeping time to about five to six hours a night. "I'm not really depressed," said Aditya. "But I do feel tired."

Freshman, Erica Pang at times feels depressed, mostly due to the buildup of homework and tests, but she doesn’t see a counselor, because, she said, she doesn’t feel comfortable talking about her feelings with someone she doesn’t know.

    Finding a friend or trusted adult to confide in, however, should be considered as a possible remedy from anxiety or depression, said Quick.

    Psychotherapy, talking with a therapist or participating in group therapy, utilizes conversation in order to identify the root of the problem and is also an effective method for handling depression, said Quick.

    While talking may help some students, many turn to drugs to self medicate and improve their state of being. “People take drugs and feel relief for a short period, but once the drug wears off, they feel even worse than before taking the drug, needing the drug even more,” said Quick. 

     Kay Smith, Cal’s registered nurse, said a possible  remedy for depressed or anxious students is to try and commit to a schedule that includes at least eight hours of sleep.

    Another solution suggested by Smith for students’ lack of sleep is turning their cell phones off at night because repeated calls and texts interrupt their sleeping cycles.

    “Too many students overlook the value of their health,” said Smith. “The world can wait, get your sleep.”