Sleep And Bipolar Disorder – Your Sleep Hygiene Will Make You or Break You

*Photo by Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash

If you want to successfully manage your bipolar disorder once and for all, you need to make it a top priority to protect your sleep.

Sleep is a gauge to help you determine your level of stability and overall ability to function. It can also be a big trigger for a mood episode.

For example, if you get too little sleep, you can go into a manic or hypomanic (if you are bipolar type 2) episode. However, just because you get a few hours less sleep one night compared to a normal night does not guarantee you will become manic or hypomanic.

The opposite can occur, as well. If you get more sleep one particular night, you can trigger a depressive episode. Again, this is not a guarantee but something to keep in mind when you create your sleep and wake schedule.

Everybody’s biology is different. Some individuals are more sensitive to changes in their sleep schedule as opposed to someone else.

How Many Hours Of Sleep Do I Need Each Night?

The actual number of hours of sleep you need each night is different for everyone. Ask yourself this question: “How many hours of sleep do I need each night to function at my optimal level the following day?”

You should have an idea of how many hours of sleep you require each night. The recommended minimum is 8 hours. This is just a general rule, though. You may need more than 8 hours of sleep per night (or less).

Personally, I need more than 8 hours of sleep each night. I used to feel bad about needing more sleep – almost like I am lazy because I need the extra rest. However, I dropped that self-imposing guilt long ago.

Remember, many of the psychotropic medications used to treat bipolar disorder are extremely sedating. This sedating effect simply means that we need more sleep. I personally fall into this category. If you do, too, try not to beat yourself up for needing the extra sleep.

Under the supervision and counsel of my doctor, I take my sedating meds in the evening. This may be a great option for you, as well. Just remember – talk to your doctor before making any changes to your medications. It is imperative that you discuss any possible changes with him or her first.

Figuring out how much sleep you need each to function on a daily basis is essential if you want to improve your sleep hygiene and, therefore, successfully manage your bipolar disorder.

Maintain A Consistent Sleep And Wake Schedule

Once you determine how many hours of sleep you need each night, you are now ready to build your “sleep and wake schedule.”

I am going to assume since you are reading this article that your goal is to improve your ability to manage your bipolar disorder. Stability goes hand-in-hand with how you manage each day. Stabilizing your bipolar disorder will improve your ability to manage it.

A consistent and daily routine has been shown to help manage bipolar disorder. The best way to build a routine is to schedule the tasks you need to accomplish each day. Assign a task to a particular time. For example, when do you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Everyone’s situation is different. Create your daily routine, and be sure to take into account what is going on in your life.

My Life As An Example

Each morning, I wake up at 6 a.m., and I immediately take my morning medication. From there, it takes me about 1.5 hours to take Starla (my dog) out and get her fed, feed my son breakfast, take care of the kitties, and prepare myself for the day.

Based on my lifestyle and medication regimen, I need an average of 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Generally, I do not have an issue falling asleep, as my night-time meds help slow down my thoughts to a crawl. Then I am out like a light. My target bedtime is 9 p.m., and I always hit that mark, if not earlier.

If you have kids at home, you know the importance of having flexibility in your schedule. It has always been a work-in-progress for me to find the right balance between flexibility and a firm schedule. I make sure to leave enough time to account for their bedtime routines and other activities.

In the past, I used to be extremely sensitive to surprises in my schedule. The unexpected stress could be quite triggering. However, consistently following my treatment plan throughout the years has provided me flexibility in case of surprises to my routine, which are bound to happen, at least occasionally.

What If My Job Dictates My Sleep Schedule?

Having a job or pursuing a career with a varying schedule requires flexibility. This can be potentially problematic without the proper planning.

Use the same process as I explained previously. First, determine the total amount of hours you need each night to function the following day. Next, build your routine around the amount of sleep you require.

If your schedule changes from day to day, make sure that you at least get the minimum amount of sleep you require for the night.

If you do have a changing or rotating schedule, it is even more important that you consistently follow your treatment plan as closely as possible. This will better prepare you for the extra stress associated with your changing sleep schedule.

Following these recommendations should help you. If they do not, please consult your doctor, therapist, or another medical professional. They can provide you with recommendations and insight into your individual circumstances.

Last Thoughts

In your battle to manage bipolar disorder, you need to be as proactive as you can in your treatment. Make sure you advocate for yourself, ask questions, seek out help, and prepare a plan of action on how you will manage from day to day, week to week, and year to year.

Do everything in your power to be self-aware of the symptoms of your bipolar disorder, what your triggers are, and what helps to alleviate those troublesome symptoms.

In an effort to become more self-aware, check in with yourself multiple times throughout the day and during the week.

If you start sleeping more and more and cannot feel refreshed, no matter how much you sleep, it could be indicative of an oncoming depressive episode. My suggestion is to contact your doctor as soon as possible when this happens to you.

The opposite is true for mania. If your need for sleep becomes less and less, but you feel refreshed, that could indicate a possible oncoming manic episode. Quickly contact your doctor in this instance, as well.

Take your treatment plan seriously. Tweak it when needed to give yourself the greatest possibility of success. You can do this by focusing on those things that you can control and learning to let go of the things you cannot. It is extremely empowering when you do everything in your power to improve your health and well-being.

The bipolar battle is a daily fight. With the proper tools and your desire to better yourself, it is well within your reach to successfully manage bipolar disorder.

Try these suggestions regarding sleep, and let me know if they help you by commenting down below.