Can Lack of Sleep Worsen the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder? continued... The problem for those with bipolar disorder, however, is that sleep loss may lead to a mood episode such as mania (elation) in some patients. Worrying about losing sleep can increase anxiety, thus worsening the bipolar mood disorder altogether. Once a sleep-deprived person with bipolar disorder goes into the manic state, the need for sleep decreases even more. In one study, researchers interviewed 39 bipolar patients with primarily manic or depressed episodes to determine the presence of social rhythm disruptions during the two months prior to the onset of the mood. (A social rhythm disruption is a disturbance in routine that affects the sleep/wake cycle.) When comparing the results with volunteers in the control group, researchers concluded that most people with bipolar disorder experience at least one social rhythm disruption prior to a major mood episode. In addition, the researchers found that social rhythm disruption affected more bipolar patients with mania than the patients with depression. Their findings concluded that 65% of the patients with bipolar disorder had at least one disruption in their daily rhythm in the eight weeks before the onset of a manic episode. Talk to your doctor if you have difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep. There are several non-addictive sleep medicines available that can help resolve sleep problems. Also, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be a helpful treatment for patients with bipolar disorder who have poor sleep or anxiety and fears about poor sleep.Previous
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 09:38:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015