I recently flipped into a hypomania. It starts with a few (2-3) nights where I don't sleep at all. During this time, my pdoc has given me permission to up my Depakote until I sleep 8 hours per night. Usually takes 4 nights to get me back to 8 hours.

This time, hubby shared 1 mg of Xanax per night for the first 3 nights of no sleep. It worked like a charm. Slept 6 hours those nights - instead of zero as I normally would.

Do you think your pdoc would be willing to prescribe a benzo like Xanax or Klonopin until your sleep gets back to a healthy 8 hours per night?

I agree that it's good to use a sleep aid on occasion. I've found that many doctors refuse too prescribe benzos due to some fear or belief that we shouldn't have help. So I use Valerian which is an OTC herb. I find it works similarly to valium...

Sometimes I try and get more sleep by showering in my dreams

AGAIN, you people are talking about 'sleep'!!!!!

Just what IS this magical shit you keep referring to!!!!????


Medicated, I do really well!!! Usually, about 9 hours!!!

Unmedicated, I stay up for anywhere from 36 hours to 75 hours and then sleep for 5.

Take last night, for instance!!! I stayed up all night!!
Late night is when I feel my best and sometimes I just can't quite make myself take my meds!!!

I feel so GOOD right now!!!! If I play my cards right and FORCE myself to take my meds tonight, I just might avoid a crash!!!! (But staying up again sounds like so much fun!!!)

Dee, how long are you going to give the new meds before deciding that maybe they need to be tweaked so that you can get more sleep!!!!!? Surely not too much longer!!! (((((Hugs)))))

Lately, it's been alternating between 3-4 hours or 9-10 hours. Wished my body would make up its mind.

Before I started the meds I was getting between 3 and 14 depending on what phase I was in, lol. I am happy to say that with the meds I get just about eight hours every night.

from 6 to 8 hours now, doing very well.

i dont get any sleepless nights anymore, thank God, the buzz was always a bummer. least now is about 3 or 4 hours at its worst. i like ambien at that point i can force myself to get a solid 6.

ambien.. did i mention ambien.. ambien.

after i started it, i told my doc, who is an addiction specialist and also serves bp patients, that i can see WHY people with bipolar get addicted to ambien.. they can finally get some real sleep *giggle*. he just looked at me, no comment. what a concept tho, to force sleep upon yourself. its awesome.

i've been getting way too little sleep lately, so i went and bought a bottle of nyquil.
whoaaaaa.....does that shit ever work well.

sorry you're getting such little sleep dee. it's no fun.

Well, since my pdoc Rx'd me Sonata and advised me to only take it every other night b/c it's an addictive sedative.....

I alternate, 1 night I'll sleep a total of about 7-8 hours, waking up every 45 mins-1 hour....

The next night I'll sleep for about 3 1/2 hours straight, take another Sonata and sleep for another 3 1/2 hours straight. (and spend the whole next day with a killer headache)

it really depends on the mood before bad i sometimes get more then i would think that i need and soemtiome it get to the point where all i wnat is more sleep i think it just mood related the only thing that i do is go with it as long as i not tired then i dont fight it

ohhh im well medicated i take 800mg of seroquil, still aint happening!
Cant take anything else, but im gonna add some anxiety meds at bedtime hopefully that will do the trick, thx guys & dolls

HUGS
dee

I take Trazadone, Restroril and Klonopin for sleep and I sleep 8-10 hours a night

I wish I could find something that would truly help me. I either get too little or too much. I've had problems with sleep since a very young age. I'm beginning to think I will never even come close to anything normal as far as sleep is concerned.

My pdoc recently prescribed ambien but it is not working like she said it would. Maybe I need an increase.

I just read a seroquel post in advise that a smaller dosage of it helps you sleep better????

Just a thought. ay not be true, wouldn't hurt to ask your pdoc.

I have nothing to wake up for....so I sleep a lot, wake up, and go back to sleep immediately, so I sleep up to 12 hours sometimes....

If I have an appointment, I an force myself to wake up and I am just fine.

So, my problem is not sleeping, its sleeping too much.....oh, and I used to take 300 mg of Seroquel whited knocked me out in 30 minutes..... I now take 25mg and it does help me sleep.....but I weaned myself off because I could not afford a 400.00 a month med payment. I also take Lithium.

Good Luck

I usually get about 8 hours of sleep with seroquel.. When I started lamictal it was harder to sleep so my seroquel dose was upped 50 mgs... hope you sleep better soon sweetie..xo