Sleep deprivation psychoprophylaxis in recurrent affective disorders

Administration of prophylactic 36 h total sleep deprivation to 9 manic-depressive patients (5 bipolar and 4 unipolar depressives) reduced the frequency of relapses and increased the duration of normothymia in 5 patients, left the course of illness unchanged in 3 patients whilst in 1 patient the effect could not be evaluated. Sleep deprivation appeared to be more effective in women, 'rapid cyclers', patients with a positive family history of mental illness and patients with recurrent depression. These observations confirm previous impressions and suggest a possible prophylactic effect of sleep deprivation.