I’ve always struggled with sleep one way or another. I can’t get to sleep easily, I can’t stay asleep, and I wake early. Often all 3 in a night.
My mood is fairly routine. It starts out bad in the morning, picks up during the day, and peaks at night. This is common for people with bipolar. It means that bedtime comes at the worst time – when my mind is at its best. Throw in my lack of self control, and my sleep pattern is terrible.
Sound familiar?
The link between circadian rhythm and mood disorders is very real – sleep problems are both a trigger and symptom for bipolar and other mood disorders. I want to write a separate post on this.
For now this is my list of things I have to do, habitually, for a good night’s sleep:
- Stop working 2 hours before bed
- Don’t read RSS feeds in bed
- Exercise during the day
- Don’t exercise just before bed
- Don’t repair the coffee machine
- Get sunlight in the morning (go out and buy a coffee)
- Don’t drink alcohol late at night
- Don’t get jet lag.
What do you do?
Lea B. 26 Nov 2011 @ 9:52 am
I always try to stop working a couple hours before bed, then find myself working up until the moment I planned to be in bed. And falling asleep hours later than planned. Its weird because sometimes exercising before bed makes me tired enough to fall right asleep.
carole 27 Nov 2011 @ 1:54 am
Hi This is the first time i post anywhere.lol I have bipolar and i am starting a manic phase(which is great)kind of. i dont know how to prevent it from getting any worse any suggestions?
Darren 27 Nov 2011 @ 3:57 am
Hi I am of the habit of doing hard exercise before going to be and I always wonder why I didn’t the the sound sleep. Thanks to your post and now I have the solution with me.
Ray Tyler 29 Nov 2011 @ 3:48 pm
I was diagnosed with bipolar type 1 in 1982. For all intents and purposes I have learnt to manage my disorder. There is no doubt that regular sleep is important for us bipolar’s.
Sleep is the one area where I probably have my greatest problem. Even then I generally have a simple solution for it.
I simply take my nightly dose of 150mg of seroquel. Heaven help me, though, if I do not take it for whatever reason. It becomes a case of no sleep that night unless I get up and take it after going to bed.
Marla Jo Zeller 11 Jan 2012 @ 2:57 am
I take my nightly meds which is basically 2 mg resperidone 1 hr before I want to be asleep. I stop all the noise and activity 2 hrs before I want to be asleep and turn the lights down and get into bed. I spend that hour talking to my husband and maybe writing or researching something. Then after I take my meds I snuggle down into my bed and turn the tv on real low and listen to it while I get sleepy. It really doesn’t take the full hour before I’m asleep most of the time. My husband says as soon as I take my meds I ‘conk’ out. If I don’t have the nightmares, I sleep very welll. Please check out my blog at expressionsofdepression.com and give me your input. But taking my meds is something of a ritual that I never forget to do. Sleeping is my most favorite sport!
Marla Jo Zeller 12 Jan 2012 @ 11:34 am
I have insomnia without my meds so I have a ritual with taking them every night as explained above. With them I sleep like a baby, if I take the correct quantity. If I don’t take the correct quantity, I have nightmares. It took a long time to get the correct combination & correct quantity & type. But now its been worth it. I went to many many doctors psychiatrists. I just didn’t give up. So…don’t give up. Keep looking, asking and trying to find that which works great for you! You are worth it!
Candida Abrahamson 1 Feb 2012 @ 2:17 am
Those are great ideas on how to get yourself to sleep. I just wrote a post today on your point about how lack of sleep itself can precipitate a manic episode. Feel free to check it out at http://candidaabrahamson.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/knitting-up-the-raveled-sleave-of-care-sleep-and-bipolar-disorder/ to give you some ideas. Sleep is crucial for the bipolar person–keep taking yours seriously. Best, Candida
Terra 10 Sep 2012 @ 10:20 am
I think there are so many things we can do for a good nights sleep. I am always trying new things to help me get the sleep i need for my health. I have learned that certain things can affect sleep. The lights emitted from LCD tv’s, and computer monitors are not good for us to exspose ourselves to before bed. It disrupts the hormone that tells are bodies to go to sleep and instead stimulates the “wake up” hormone thus preventing us from feeling drowsy. I don’t do any kind of computer work, tv watching, e book reading, iPad work for two hours before bed and when I do I always have a harder time falling asleep. I also have removed all the light emitting devices from my vision in the bedroom, things like the digital clocks, nigtlights, the light from my cable box all fall into that category. The darker a room is at night the more your body is able to achieve a deep sleep. I use black out shades on my windows and a eye mask if I am not able to change my sleeping environment. It is amazing at how these little changes can affect your sleeping patterns.