==>>Help with ALL aspects of bipolar disorder<<==
Check out all my resources, programs and information
for all aspects of bipolar disorder by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp
Hi,
How’s it going? This is going to be
kind of a short email today.
The other day I wrote “How to avoid the bipolar
stability lottery”, if you missed it, please
see my blog below to read it.
Several people wrote me and asked about
sleep and bipolar disorder and why it
so important because I referenced that
in my email.
I am here to tell you, it’s super important
for a person with bipolar disorder.
If my mom stops sleeping there is no
question she will go into a bipolar
episode.
This is the same for everyone who works
for me. Actually there a couple of people
who have worked for me that started sending
me emails at like 12:00am and I knew that
was a bad sign. I had a talk with them
and they agreed to check in with the doctor.
Same thing with my mom. She knows for sure
if she can’t sleep to call the doctor
at once and work on it. My mom has said
to me that for her other than medication sleep
is the second most important thing.
Actually in one place that I volunteer at,
there are several people who always would leave
at the same time. I thought it was odd and kind
of rude.
One day I made a joke and was like, “hey, come
you always leave so early? Is it past your bedtime?”
The person said, “yes it is. I have to go to bed
by 9:30pm every day period no matter what for
my stability.” I felt like a total dummy.
What a stupid thing I said. The guy could have
been hard on me for being a dummy but he let
me go. We are good friends now and he’s a really
cool person.
If you are a bipolar supporter, make sure you
help your loved one with bipolar have a plan
that leads to good sleep.
This might mean for those with bipolar
disorder: getting rid of noise at night,
eliminating TV at night (my mom’s doctor
said no more TV after 9pm EST for her),
not exercising so late (if you exercise late,
it will keep you up at night), not drinking
too much at night (to reduce trips to the
bathroom), not eating too much too late (
to cut down on indigestion that will keep
you up) and other
ideas.
In my courses/system many people who
are successful with bipolar disorder
learned how to master the art of sleeping
well as well as reducing stress.
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
As you listen to the audio interviews in
the above courses, ask yourself, “aren’t these
concepts so simple?” Many of them really
are.
There is one interview that is incredibly
revealing in the supporter course where someone
read multiple books on sleep just to master
it. If you have problems you may do this too.
If you are a bipolar supporter you may do it
to offer helpful suggestions to your loved
ones.
Many of the strategies my mom uses to sleep
are indeed simple and she learned most from
her doctor.
One of them is, if she is having trouble sleeping
to count backwards from 1000. I have tried this
technique and it works. Simple but powerful.
Just remember one thing. Sleep is super
important to someone with bipolar disorder.
If you have a story about sleep and bipolar
disorder, please post it below.
Well I have to take off, catch you tomorrow.
Your Friend,
Dave
P.S. Don’t forget to take a look through the
different programs I’ve put together… each one is designed
to help you with a different area of bipolar disorder whether
you have it or you are supporting someone with it.
You can see them all and get the details by visiting:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/catalog.asp
P.P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/
P.P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com
i have a sister with bipolar disorder i realise that sleep is important. but how can she ge to sleep and stay asleep??? she has a regualr plan for bedtime but still doesnt help, she doesnt eat, drink or watch TV late at night so what else can help.
my dr has me on xanax to help me rest but I still wake up 5 to 10 times a night I never sleep all night
i have trouble sleeping as well..Lately it comes and goes, I know now that if i dont get enough sleep i can expect a BAD day the next day..I have started trying to get up early.. 5 am..and keeping myself busy as i can all day, so that i literally fall into bed, sometimes it works sometimes not. Sleep is something average people take for granted…
My dad always went into the manic phase, when he missedmore that one nights sleep. By the second night he was significantly higher, and in less than a week, he could not understand why anyone needed to sleep. One thing that has always given trouble is to get into an animated or controversial discussion that goes into the late evening. It also interferes with my sleep. I can still sleep anywhere, although if things aren;t going so well, an afternoon nap is of immense use, as itmeans that I can stay up fairly late(and stay awake)
The issue of sleep is my most significant one. I CAN sleep – all I have to do is take my night-time meds (esp. Seroquel). The problem is that I resist taking it until very late at night (like 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning). I keep watching TV shows that I’ve DVR’d during the day. Then, of course, I sleep all day, and get nothing done. I’m not in an episode; I really don’t know why I do this. My therapist and I are working on it…
When I’m in a manic episode, it’s not unusual for me to be awake for 36-48 hrs at a time (staying awake day and night). I exhaust myself and sometimes get sick.
To Diana49: Xanax is not a sleeping pill; it is a tranquilizer and it is VERY addictive. You would be better off with an antipsychotic or something like Doxepin or Trazadone. Xanax can actually make you more anxious because you always need more and more. That could be why you keep waking up. It’s actually sold on the street. If you go off of it, it has to be done VERY slowly; otherwise there will be withdrawl symptoms. I know these things because I once took Xanax, and used to be a psych nurse.
-Susan H.
thank you first of all for this website.my question is not about sleep,its about sex,it has not happend here in years ,is there help?is this normal?im very frustrated about alot of things,i feel bad that i actually told him that this was the most selfish disease ive ever knowm of,we are allways working on his needs emmotionally such as anxiety and panic disorders. he seems so far away, and has a lost look in his eyes thank you for listening
Due to my wife’s work schedule, (nights) she is taking rozerom on a nightly basis, however, if that doesn’t work she does take ambien on an as needed basis. Sometimes she gets home around 11pm but when she has to work a double, she is not home until after 3am. She will get up usually around 12 or 1 the next day. Is it possible to get too much sleep????
My psyc prescribes geodon for my sleep. I go to bed at 8/8:30 and sleep very well. He wants me to take 160 miligrams, but I only take 80. Has anyone had experience with geodon?
i can not sleep at all i take ambien and sometimes i will take rozerom but it only last for about 2-3hrs i take mirapex for my rls and that makes me tired but i just can’t sleep even my psyc meds don’t help with sleep so i just continue every day tired but sleepless any suggestions
Dave, you really nailed it on the head. Sleep is probably just as important as my meds in keeping me balanced.I take 1/2 mg of clonopin after dinner, and make sure I get to bed early. This works great for me.
Looking back at all the associations I made when I was addicted to amphetamines, I realize that there is definitely a link between bipolar disorder and amphetamine abuse.Amphetamines deprive an already unbalanced system of that essential ingredient for life-SLEEP! No wonder I was so screwed up in the head!!
I no longer use illegal drugs,I get my rest,eat properly, take my meds. Life is not anywhere near perfect, but soooooo much better
I am understanding that sleep is important, but my wife goes to sleep at 9 and will not get out of bed untill around 10 in the morning. stays up till our 3 yearold goes down for a nap around 2 and then sleeps till 4. Isnt too much sleep bad?
In response to the last post:
grimlin65 said…
I am understanding that sleep is important, but my wife goes to sleep at 9 and will not get out of bed untill around 10 in the morning. stays up till our 3 yearold goes down for a nap around 2 and then sleeps till 4. Isnt too much sleep bad?
Check with your doctor but I would ask, is your wife stable? If so, I would personally be okay with that much sleep if the doctor didn’t see a problem. Don’t break what’s not broken so to speak.
Dave
Sleep is a very important part to this Bipolar. But I find myself tryin to sleeping all the time. The reason i sleep all the time is i never really fall asleep so i’m drained all the time. Even w/all the meds i take and the sleeping pillls i never really sleep. It’s frustrating.
I have the same problem as grimlin65. All my partner does is sleep. when i do manage to get him up & about he thanks me for it & says he feels heaps better but 9 times out of 10 he just gets angry when i try to get him motivated. It is incredibly frustrating as i am working full time & he still expects me to work my butt off when i get home while he just stays in bed. As far as “is he stable” concerned who knows, he is definately nowhere near as anxious as he used to be but he still tells his doctor he is not good. I love this man very much & just want him to be happy but oh so frustrating that I dont know what to do.
i ahve bipolar and i agree that sleep is very very important! i just came out of a manic episode where i was only sleeping 2 hours a night for 3 weeks straight. i was hallucinating and everthing. im stable now but even with sleeping pills, seroquel, and my meds i still constantly wake up about every hour or so. im begginig to think i was just programed that way! i dont know how to get better sleep.
My husband is bp and he doesn’t sleep much when he’s in a manic episode. And that seems to make him more “high”. But it’s interesting that the one with the “problem” has to be the one to recognize when they’re going up and go get help. That scenario NEVER seems to happen in our house. Once he starts going up, he thinks he’s fine and won’t listen to anyone.
I don’t EVER have a problem getting to sleep and STAYING asleep. I regulate my weekly sleep times – last night, I pulled an all-nighter, working on emails, etc., because I had an 11:30AM DR appt (with fluoroscopic injection of corticosteroid), and I didn’t want to miss waking up in time.
This may sound strange to those with sleep problems and being a bipolar, like I am, but my therapist says, if I keep my “ebb and flow” (i.e., get extra sleep on those nights I DON’T get enough – I slept ’til 3PM Monday afternoon), then she sees no problem with an all-nighter once a week, and getting up at 4AM to shower and do laundry on another day.
I don’t have a job (I’m on Social Security Disability), so my waking and sleeping times are pretty much up to me. I KNOW that if I go DAYS without sleep, I WILL go into a manic episode – it’s as simple as that. SLEEP is as important as meds AND breathing to a bipolar. I am going to take my meds as soon as I finish this blog – unfortunately, my meds give me a “rush” for about an hour after I take them, so I eat yogurt and read until I get sleepy. I think my head will just hit the bed tonite, and I’ll sleep like a baby. Probably wake up sometime tomorrow afternoon!!
BIG HUGS to all bipolars, and those who love them. God loves you, and so do I.
I have the problem of not being able to get enough sleep. I work at 3 jobs and go to college full-time (18 hrs). I sometimes get in way after midnite and because I haven’t seen or talked with my wife all day we usually discuss our day, bills and whatever. I hardly ever get to see my 13 yr old daughter anymore. The loss of sleep has got me teetering on the edge for awhile so my doc upped my depakote till after all the stress is gone. All I want to do is take one day and not have to get up for anything until I am ready.
Dave,
Curently, I have had less than 7 hours of sleep in the last two nights. I do not want to go into an episode. I have tried to count backwards, and for me my mind keeps wandering to other topics. I have tried some relaxation techniques, such as imagining myself somplace very relaxing, on the beach at my favorite campground in the warm sun. Since I have not slept well the last two nights, I will be taking Zoloft tonight before I go to bed. Sometimes these tequniques work sometimes they do not. I thought I would try tossing meditation or relaxation techniques into the mix of ideas for helping a person go to sleep. Honestly I have never figured out why my husband is able to shut everything out and fall asleep quickly, while I lay awake for hours on end. I have that answer since I have been diagnosed.
Thank you
ann
My late father ,God rest his soul, had bi polar disorder and had a really hard time sleeping with out self medicating himself with alcohol and sleeping pills. I supported him and myself the last year and a half of his life so I worked early in the till late at night and didn’t know how bad it was until it was too late. I wish I would have had these emails back then maybe I could have saved him at least for a few more years. I miss him so much. If you are struggling with bipolar know that your family wants to help, you just have to let them in. Don’t ever think that you and your family would be better off if you were dead. That is just selfish dispair talking. You will leave behind more pain and questions than you could ever imagine, trust me on that.
My 29 yr old (adopted) son is in the hosp for the 3rd time since May. He was given Seroquel for the first time and slept alot. Here’s hoping!
My daughter seems to go through spells where she is up and awake and hardly sleeps if she sleeps at all, then she has phases where she can’t or won’t wake up / get up.
She has been known to sleep for 2 days solid when I’ve been caring for her son (age 7years) when he’s with her he forces her to get out of bed but pays for it with her anger, which turns easily to physical violence.
She’s not in treatment. She won’t even admit there’s anything wrong with her, even though during his school holidays my grandson is left to fend for himself all day and has to scavenge whatever food he can.
How can I get someone who is in denial of her condition into treatment?
my husband and i are adopting a newborn this dec. i was diagnosed 15 years ago and am stable on lithium. However i still struggle in different areas, especially with SLEEP!! The baby is due in 7 weeks so i am working on a better sleep and exercise schedule. Please send any advice on successful sleep strategies, etc. my way!!! I am fearful of ending up in the hospital with 2-3 days missed sleep with a newborn! This is a very real concern! Send your thoughts and experiences my way! I welcome them. Thanks.
-a hopeful mother to be with bipolar disorder
i have a husband who is bipolar and he doesn’t want to admit to it. i called his psychotrist met with him and my husband and the doctor concluded that i should make an appointment for myself to meet with him. all the doctor asked my husband was “how do you feel”? my husband said he felt fine. but i knew that he wasn’t so i called his primary doctor and cried for help. his doctor said that he was bipolar and that we needed to get another psych dr.the doctor also called in a script for my husband and when i told my husband that the doctor called in a new script. he said he was not going to take it and that he doesn’t even take his xanacs or lexapro cause the psych doctor told him he didn’t have to take them no more. my husband said that i need to go talk to a doctor and i need to take pills.i the doctor he was my last resort for all of this because i am ready to divorce him. my husband was never like this. i am ready to lose it!!!!!!!!!!!! what do i do to get him to the doctor? please help!!!!
I can NOT stand it when I can’t sleep. It’s one thing that drives me so crazy. I can definitely see how lack of sleep can make me go into an episode. I am on sleeping medication now. They’re trying to ween me off of it, but i don’t know if i want off. I know that they don’t want me on it for too long because of the risk of dependency, but I am already dependent on my other medications, why not this one too?? :[ I’m terrified of not being able to sleep.
It’s true, not enough sleep kills you and causes a lot of stress and problems later on.
My daughter has always been a night person. She’s had evening jobs.She goes to sleep at 1 or 2a.m. and sleeps for 12-14 hours. Is this ok and is this normal for her?
About sleep and bipolar: I went back to this letter you sent and realized how really important. My body has been trying so hard to adjust to new meds and I’ve been SUFFERING from sleep deprivation and the classic symptoms of jet lag. I have had jet lag before and it can be horrible; but this was the worst ever. Now my body is settling down nicely. I was having the worst anxiety attacks where my muscles were clenching constantly when I wasn’t breathing or taking Klonopin. I got horrible charlie horses and was freaking out. On my doctor’s advice I was able to switch to taking my medicine at night. I am finally sleeping regular hours somewhat and am able to cope better. Sleep does matter a lot.
Hi to whitelighting18,
When I was trying to kill myself it was during many severe depressive cycles and this was not due to being selfish. Despair, yes, but not at all selfish. This is why I call depression “irrational”. It’s then that the person with depression needs no blame put on them and needs someone whom they care for to remind them over and over that they are loved. I won’t blame you because you probably could not have known or understood. Depression is a horrible thing to live with for the sufferers on both sides, do you see? Thinking of you and hoping you can heal from the death of your father. Cindy