In the course of bipolar disorder, various types of sleep disorders often occur (difficulty falling asleep, and maintaining sleep continuity); it may also be accompanied by insomnia or excessive sleepiness during the day. The patient may wake up multiple times during the night or, which is characteristic of depression, in the early morning hours. Then, they may fall asleep again or – when the disease intensifies – have difficulty doing so.
These sleep disorders also gradually disappear with the disappearance of depression symptoms during treatment or with the introduction of appropriately selected antidepressant treatment that takes into account sleep disorders.
In the case of insomnia in bipolar disorder, the role of the family may consist of helping to maintain sleep hygiene, for example, by ensuring that the patient goes to bed at the same time and avoids (as much as the severity of depression allows) laying around in bed and dozing off or napping during the day, avoids activities in bed that are not related to sleep, avoids drinking coffee or energy drinks in the evening, stays in bright light in the morning and the first half of the day, and dimmer light before going to bed, have comfortable conditions in the bedroom (quiet, moderate temperature, clean bedding).
