How Sleep and Bipolar Disorder Interact

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What do you need to know about sleep and sleep patterns when you havebipolar disorder? If you’ve found that your sleep patterns are abnormal, for example, if you either sleep 12 to 14 hours at a time or stay up all night, you may find that changing the way you sleep can substantially improve your condition. Studies tell us that sleep issues can have a profound impact on those with bipolar disorder or even those at risk for bipolar disorder.

Before talking about how sleep habits affect bipolar disorder, however, let’s look at this from the other side. How does bipolar disorder affect sleep?

Bipolar Disorder, Depression, and Sleep Problems

Sleep disturbances are very common in people with bipolar disorder and appear to play an important role in the cycling of the disorder.

It’s clear that bipolar disorder can lead tosleep disorders, but what about the opposite scenario? Can sleep problems lead to or precipitate bipolar disorder in those at risk for the condition?

Sleep as a Precipitant of Mania with Bipolar Disorder

What may surprise you is that reduced sleep isn’t just a symptom of mania—a short night can actuallyprecipitatemanic and hypomanic episodes.

Studies have found that 25 to 65 percent of people with bipolar disorder who had a manic episode had experienced a social rhythm disruption prior to the episode. “Social rhythm disruption” is some disturbance in routine affecting the sleep/wake cycle; it can be as simple as staying up extra late to watch a movie on television or getting wrapped up in an interesting online chat session, or as serious as being unable to sleep due to a family member’s serious illness or death.

“For reasons we have yet to learn, people with bipolar disorder seem to have more delicateinternal clockmechanisms,” said Dr. Ellen Frank, who has extensively studied these issues.

Could Sleep Disorders Actually Lead to Bipolar Disorder?

While a causal relationship hasn’t been proven, sleep disturbances in people with bipolar disorder have also been linked with changes in the microstructure of the white matter of the brain.

How to Cope

Just as sleep disturbances due to bipolar disorder need to be addressed, those sleep disturbances which could worsen bipolar disorder need to be addressed as well.

If you’re suffering from insomnia, goodsleep hygieneis critical. Experts recommend that you:

Psychotherapy and medications can also play an important role in improving sleep habits, and in doing so, bipolar disorder symptoms as well.

Involving Your Family in Your Sleep Habits

Bottom Line

If you or a loved one suffer from any type of mood disorder, pay attention to the sleep/wake patterns of the person involved. If you identify insomnia, hypersomnia, poor-quality sleep and/or reduced need for sleep, this should be brought to your/your loved one’s doctor’s attention right away.Treating the sleep disorder is likely to significantly help the mood disorder as well.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvey AG, Talbot LS, Gershon A.Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan.Clin Psychol(New York). 2009;16(2):256-277. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01164.xNg TH, Chung KF, Ho FY, Yeung WF, Yung KP, Lam TH.Sleep-wake disturbance in interepisode bipolar disorder and high-risk individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;20:46-58. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325–332. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006Harvey AG, Kaplan KA, Soehner AM.Interventions for Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder.Sleep Med Clin. 2015;10(1):101–105. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.005Benedetti F, Melloni EMT, Dallaspezia S, et al.Night sleep influences white matter microstructure in bipolar depression. J Affect Disord. 2017;218:380-387. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.008National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar Disorder.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Sleep Disorders: In Depth.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvey AG, Talbot LS, Gershon A.Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan.Clin Psychol(New York). 2009;16(2):256-277. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01164.xNg TH, Chung KF, Ho FY, Yeung WF, Yung KP, Lam TH.Sleep-wake disturbance in interepisode bipolar disorder and high-risk individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;20:46-58. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325–332. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006Harvey AG, Kaplan KA, Soehner AM.Interventions for Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder.Sleep Med Clin. 2015;10(1):101–105. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.005Benedetti F, Melloni EMT, Dallaspezia S, et al.Night sleep influences white matter microstructure in bipolar depression. J Affect Disord. 2017;218:380-387. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.008National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar Disorder.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Sleep Disorders: In Depth.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Harvey AG, Talbot LS, Gershon A.Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan.Clin Psychol(New York). 2009;16(2):256-277. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01164.xNg TH, Chung KF, Ho FY, Yeung WF, Yung KP, Lam TH.Sleep-wake disturbance in interepisode bipolar disorder and high-risk individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;20:46-58. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325–332. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006Harvey AG, Kaplan KA, Soehner AM.Interventions for Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder.Sleep Med Clin. 2015;10(1):101–105. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.005Benedetti F, Melloni EMT, Dallaspezia S, et al.Night sleep influences white matter microstructure in bipolar depression. J Affect Disord. 2017;218:380-387. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.008National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar Disorder.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Sleep Disorders: In Depth.

Harvey AG, Talbot LS, Gershon A.Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan.Clin Psychol(New York). 2009;16(2):256-277. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01164.x

Ng TH, Chung KF, Ho FY, Yeung WF, Yung KP, Lam TH.Sleep-wake disturbance in interepisode bipolar disorder and high-risk individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;20:46-58. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006

Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325–332. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.006

Harvey AG, Kaplan KA, Soehner AM.Interventions for Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder.Sleep Med Clin. 2015;10(1):101–105. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2014.11.005

Benedetti F, Melloni EMT, Dallaspezia S, et al.Night sleep influences white matter microstructure in bipolar depression. J Affect Disord. 2017;218:380-387. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.008

National Institute of Mental Health.Bipolar Disorder.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Sleep Disorders: In Depth.

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