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Sleep disturbances in bipolar disorder during remission
Julie St-Amand1, Martin D Provencher, Lynda Bélanger
1École de psychologie, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|August 14, 2012
Summary
Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) in remission experience sleep issues similar to those without mental health disorders, yet report more daytime sleepiness and activity variability. Stable routines may improve sleep complaints in bipolar disorder patients.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Bipolar Disorder Research
Background:
- Sleep disturbances are well-documented in bipolar disorder (BD) depression and mania.
- Sleep patterns during BD remission phases are less consistently reported in existing literature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the nature and severity of sleep difficulties in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) during remission.
- To compare sleep parameters in BD patients during remission with control groups.
Main Methods:
- Actigraphy, sleep diaries, and self-report measures were used.
- Fourteen participants with BD were compared to 13 with primary insomnia and 13 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Bipolar disorder patients' sleep architecture resembled healthy controls, differing from those with insomnia.
- Despite similar sleep patterns, BD patients reported sleep complaints, daytime sleepiness, and greater variability in daily activities.
Conclusions:
- Psychological interventions promoting stable sleep and daily routines may help manage sleep complaints in BD.
- Medication use and limited sample size precluded comparisons between bipolar I and II subtypes.
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