I sleep during my depressed episodes. And I mean A LOT.
I stop everything and just wallow in bed because I can no longer function. And I hate myself and I'm fed up with life.
After 4-5 days of this I actually get tired of it..and start to move around. Just a little bit. Eventually I'm functioning enough to call my pdoc. He usually just ups one of my ADs a bit.
There is no WRONG or RIGHT. Do what makes you feel better.

Your doing the best you can. Sometimes you need a rest during depression. No harm there. In my opinion accomplishing the little things in those energy zapping times is a great validating action. Do things little by little and praise yourself. We can't compare outselves to others who don't endure this disorder. It's okay to do what you can..but try and do something. Reading sounds awesome. Your taking a brief vacation from your situation in a healthy stimulating way. Your little tasks sound fantastic. See you do have very effective coping skills already. ;)

Hope you feel better soon

i agree with that there really is no wrong or right with that. to me the issue is, would it help me to get up and do a little chore and see how it goes? I have litterally folded two shirts and ran back to bed sobbing, but hey , that is ok, that is " one of those days"....i do sleep off certain kinds of depressions with good results.

Sleeping to deal with depression is a coping mechanism .

I think before I was DXed as BP, I slept ALL the time, except for the 15 hours a week I worked.

I mean, literally, I would work, come home .Sleep until my next shift.

I did this for several years........ I wouldn't recommend THAT much sleep , but do what feels right

I sleep away depression, but I also make it a point to workout on the days I sleep in. I feel better after the workout. But after the adrenaline goes down I'm all drowsy and depressed again. I guess the goal for me is to ride it out until I feel better, doing small things here and there is good, sometimes we have to praise ourselves for doing those little things like eating and showering.

I sleep a LOT when I'm very depressed, too.
Like about 18 hours a day or even almost completely around the clock.
I always have the TV on and I put 'bullshit' on and just drift in and out of consciousness, only getting up to go to the bathroom.

At my very, very, very worst, if and when the depression is truly unbearable, I take extra sleep meds and really knock my ass out for a day or two or three.

I've got my Pdoc's okay on handling it that way.
He said the brain 'resets' when you sleep.

I've got to say, though, that when I'm really down like that, I don't think I can force myself to stay up and do stuff, as you describe yourself of doing.
I feel so leaden. Pretty much physically unable to get up at all.

If giving in to the desire to stay in bed makes you more suicidal and/or even more depressed then I think you are doing the right thing by fighting it!!!

Whatever works best for us is what we should do, I guess.

(I'm sorry to see you have a red face right now. I hope you feel better soon!!!)

(((((Hugs)))))

no, it's not wrong

short of hurting oneself or others, anything that gets a person safely through those 3 AM dark nights of the soul is great.

sorry you're struggling. the cruel taskmaster needs to give you a big, warm hug, and if that's sleep, then sleep well.

This would be different for each person. Those of us who work and battle Severe Depression can't just crawl in bed to sleep it away. If your spending tons of time alone, esp. when the depression is deepening that's not a good thing. Trying to get out and do something, even if it's just to take a walk would be better than hiding in bed.

The more you isolate yourself during a Depression Episode, the deeper the Depression tends to get.

Take care,

Kat

When I sleep it away it does seem to make it worse for me. Everyone is different and have to deal with it differently. My family knows that if I am sleeping too much that I need a push because I find it so hard to push myself. It helps to have them around for that. But I totally get it, at this very moment I am counting the minutes until I can take my meds and go to sleep.

My last depressive episode that lasted about 3-4 months was awful. All I did was cry and sleep and roll out of bed to go to my PT job. I didn't have the option of staying in bed.

My poor kids and husband felt horrible for me but allowed me to work it out.

Thankful I have not had an episode like that in years and I'll take the lack of sleep, manic mind over that!

I believe whatever gets someone through than so be it.

Good luck on this journey.

Unless I have a reason to get up I don't. Today I got up at noon, ate breakfast, went back to bed till 3 got up for prayer time, back to bed, up at 4 to sweep the drive way across the street (after Hubby mowed it) came home and I am still up on DS. I do very little around the house, my husband does it all. I just sleep away my day. It is awful, but I really have nothing to do. I will get up early tomorrow to meet with my pdoc. she will be unhappy with me. She wanted me up by 9:30 every day and to do an activity for 30 min a day. Well, I didn't live up to that!

Lots of Hugs!

I vote sleep too.

Don't feel bad about sleeping. Remember these meds make us sleepy, too! It is true what someone else mentioned, the brain resets with sleep.

When I'm depressed the way your are describing I have to sleep it away, or go to the hospital. If I am not able to sleep it away, then I make attempts on my life. It's not a choice for me :(

I've read stuff that suggest that sleeping too much makes bipolar depression worse - just as sleeping too little can trigger mania.

It was an inform source, Dr Phelps but I haven't seen it mentioned much elsewhere.

So while I don't think it's wrong I think it could make it worse.