Bipolar Insomnia

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It’s no secret that sleep and bipolar mood stability go hand-in-hand. Here’s what the experts recommend for balancing your body clock—especially in preparation for Daylight Saving Time. #1 Monitor Your Sleep Clinical psychologist Mary Fristad, PhD, recommends tracking your nightly sleep and corresponding mood states to understand your patterns and sensitivity to sleep disruptions. Use...

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Sleeping less than seven hours may not be the best because you miss out on hitting your ‘power sleep’ stride––where a restorative type of sleep called rapid eye movement thrives. Sleep involves several distinct stages with special functions at work. Slow wave sleep (meaning our brain waves are slow) is a time for tissue growth...

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Without restorative sleep, life is tough for anyone. Managing sleep is the absolute number-one priority in the ongoing maintenance of bipolar disorder. Most of us find stability in the predictable patterns of our daily lives. We begin our work, our studies, or our household tasks according to a routine: the children want breakfast, the dog...

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Adapting to time changes—traveling across time zones, or Daylight Saving Time (DST)—can be challenging with bipolar. Here’s how to adjust to the change: Ben Franklin first mentioned what we now call Daylight Saving Time in a 1784 essay, somewhat satirically proposing an idea to conserve candles in the early morning hours. While DST has been...

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Rhythms comfort us with their soothing predictability, and our natural circadian rhythm can help bring restorative sleep and a sense of order to our lives. To everything, there is a season, and a corresponding rhythm. I guess it is the musician in me, but I can’t help but observe that, just as there is timing,...

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Changes in my sleep patterns can be an early indicator that my bipolar symptoms are returning. Monitoring and addressing these patterns reduces my symptoms and makes me feel empowered. Lying awake in my bed at night with my head spinning out of control is something I used to think was just common for me. I...

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A new study is the first to provide evidence that not getting enough sleep can make anger stronger and more pronounced in frustrating situations.   November 27, 2018, AMES, Iowa – Losing just a couple hours of sleep at night makes you angrier, especially in frustrating situations, according to new Iowa State University research. While...

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Excessive nighttime eating is associated with heightened anxiety and can interfere with healthy sleep, according to new research specifically examining bipolar. August 1, 2018, FORTALEZA, Italy—People with bipolar disorder who also have night eating syndrome (NES) experience more disorder-related problems, a new study says. Brazilian researchers found that people with bipolar were more likely than...

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Those who get less than 8 hours of sleep per night have a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety, according to new research   Sleeping less than the recommended eight hours a night is associated with intrusive, repetitive thoughts like those seen in anxiety or depression, according to new research from Binghamton University, State...

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Listening to yoga music at bedtime is good for the heart, according to new research. August 27, 2018, JAIPUR, INDIA—Listening to yoga music at bedtime is good for the heart, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2018. Dr Naresh Sen, study author, Consultant Cardiologist at HG SMS Hospital, Jaipur, India, said: “We use...

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Newswise — SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Let sleeping dogs lie … in the bedroom. That’s according to a new Mayo Clinic study that’s sure to set many tails wagging. It’s no secret that Americans love their dogs. According to the American Veterinary Association, more than 40 million American households have dogs. Of these households, 63 percent...

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Sleep is important to stability when living with bipolar disorder, and there are some simple strategies you can use to catch those vital z’s.   There are two things that I must do to take care of myself, and they are related: getting enough sleep and avoiding stress, with sleep being the most important. If...

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The study shows that only 10% of American adults prioritize their sleep over other aspects of daily living. WASHINGTON, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Sleep Foundation’s annual Sleep in America® poll finds that among U.S. adults with excellent sleep health, nearly 90% say they feel very effective at getting things done each day,...

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While getting enough sleep may seem overwhelming, there are some small aspects of your sleep environment that can make a big difference. I’ve learned the secret to peaceful sleep: no sugar, junk food, or caffeine; no stimulation at least three hours before bed; no relationship issues; a calm home environment; no work problems; no time...

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Insomnia often goes hand-in-hand with bipolar disorder, and it can have dangerous consequences for bipolar symptoms. One well-known companion of bipolar disorder is the lack of sleep.  It is something that I’m very familiar with.  Since about 2000, I have been dealing with insomnia in some form; I can honestly say that my time in...

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Overall amount of sleep and a variable sleep schedule appear to contribute to cognitive deficits in people with bipolar disorder, according to a new study. January 5, 2017, BERKELEY, CA—Overall amount of sleep and a variable sleep schedule appear to contribute to cognitive deficits in people with bipolar disorder, according to a new study. American...

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When you live with bipolar disorder, getting adequate sleep is vital. Sleep restores and rejuvenates the brain and body, with effects on alertness, mood, cognition, body weight, and overall good health. But when things like medications or moods disrupt your sleep, there are some practices you need to keep in mind. #1  DON’T Panic Anxiety...

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Tips for keeping your wellness & recovery progress static while the time changes. Time changes—whether due to daylight saving time (DST), or shift work, or travel—can be difficult for people to adapt to. With the end of DST on November 1, 2015, what better “time” to talk about sleep and circadian rhythms? I find the...

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Travel is fun, but the way it messes up your sleep schedule is not. So take care to maintain regular sleeping habits, and avoid any unwanted mood episodes. The answer is…… changes in sleep patterns. I call travel the all purpose bipolar disorder trigger. Even short trips can affect our moods. This is especially true...

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Sleep is an extremely important part of your wellness plan, even when your brain is telling you you don’t need it. Here’s how to conquer disrupted sleep. How important is sleep, really, if my brain seems to be telling me I don’t need it? Sleep is critical for a healthy balance in the brain and...