I havn’t been able to sleep on my own for about two years- and no, I am not talking about a relationship! I mean that I can’t sleep without sleep meds. This is a concern as my body is eating up the dose I’m on now and I’ve had to increase my amount.
When I say I can’t sleep, I mean that my eyes simply won’t close. It’s not insomnia. I’m not rolling around in bed getting upset that I can’t sleep, instead I just lie there and have the thoughts, “I’m not going to sleep tonight am I? It’s very worrisome, so I take the meds.
I know that there are many things I can change to help myself get to sleep naturally:
1. Stop ALL caffeine – and that means all: tea, chocolate, cola, etc etc. I rarely have regular coffee, so that is not a problem, but I sure do drink tea [ Read More ]
Thanks to everyone for such amazing and insightful comments on the Mania and Sleep blog post. The topic is obviously so important. It really is such a chicken and the egg problem. I can be in bed and unable to sleep and I have to go through my list- am I just wound up because I stayed out late? Will I get to sleep eventually? Is it possible it’s agitated depression? What if it’s hypomania?
Then I have to truly assess if I will actually get to sleep if i just lie there. I listen to my Ipod podcasts – which helps a lot. I do sleep exercises (counting something!) and breathing. I do it all! And if I’m still awake, I say to myself. “Ok Julie, it’s essential that you sleep at least seven hours. Take your sleep meds!”
Why is it such a struggle? I think we all want to just sleep normally [ Read More ]
Manic sleeping problems are different from insomnia in many ways- with insomnia you’re tired, you want to sleep, you toss and turn, you worry about how tired you will be in the morning, you want medication relief.
With mania! Whew! you want to stay up, you’re wide awake and doing something, you have unlimited energy, a racing mind, lots of creative thoughts (whether they are truly creative or not, they feel creative.) You have no desire to get in bed and sleeping feels like a real waste of time. It takes more meds to knock you out and there is a chance you will be even more manic the next day.
Here are some of the things you may think when you’re manic at night:
Sleep is SUCH a waste of time. It’s only 1:00 AM. I could go to the grocery store right now! The tile really needs to come [ Read More ]
It’s a great night when I can get to sleep without sleep meds. I go through long periods when I’m fine and then I have nights where I simply won’t sleep unless I take my Ativan. It’s not that I don’t want to sleep- and it’s not that I’m manic. I just won’t sleep. I just lie there. Then I start the brain tug of war:
Brain #1 Julie, you really should be able to just go to sleep on your own. Other people don’t need meds to sleep. You will be too tired in the morning if you take the Ativan. Just keep trying to get to sleep on your own! Just put on some calm music. Smell some lavender!
Brain #2 Julie, this is not a joke. You have bipolar disorder and that means you have sleep problems. TAKE YOUR MEDS! It’s not like you’re drinking wine or smoking pot to sleep. These [ Read More ]
Sorry guys, I am going to be a broken record for a few days about my travels and how they affect bipolar disorder. I’m on the East Coast and wow, I have had sleep problems. Last night I stayed up late (midnight) to watch the football playoffs and when I finally got to bed I had visions of Payton Manning (quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts) throwing the ball all night. Then I heard words from the game and words from the conversations with my friends. I really love being with people, but I easily get overstimulated. It’s not good for me.
This brain chatter is like having a train go through my head. It just won’t turn off. I have a section in my book Get it Done When You’re Depressed called Expect Brain Chatter. I just read that strategy again. It’s true- the running commentary in your head that keeps going even when you’re [ Read More ]
Well, nine hours of sleep is so amazing for me I actually woke up and wanted to do a little jig. I’m what I call an undersleeper. I was actually talking with my friend Kristin yesterday- she’s the author of Bipolar and Pregnant, and we spent a long time talking about bipolar disorder and sleep. Here are all the ways it affected our sleep:
#1. Issues due to meds. Kristin talked about Topamax. She has no idea if it affects sleep- but she’s pretty sure it affects memory. Kristin uses Lunesta to sleep.
#2. When I’m depressed, I have agitated sleep which means my brain doesn’t shut down at night. Bother! I use Ativan to sleep when it gets bad.
#3. Of course, mania is the biggest problem. I rapid cycle almost daily, so on the nights I can actually fall asleep normally and get 7-8 hours of rest is pretty great!
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