Study: Insomnia, depression go hand in glove

Chinese and British scientists have identified a neural connection between depression and sleep problems, potentially helping health professionals to better understand and treat the conditions.

Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai and Britain's University of Warwick found a link between the areas of the brain associated with short-term memory and negative emotions that may cause sufferers to dwell on bad thoughts and lead to poor-quality sleep.

"These findings provide a neural basis for understanding how depression relates to poor sleep quality, something that has been observed for more than 100 years," said Feng Jianfeng, head of Fudan University's Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence.