Family & Friends of Bipolar Support Group

This community is dedicated to parents, siblings, grandparents, other relatives and friends of someone who is Bipolar. The purpose of this community is to help families and friends develop greater patience and understanding, as well as maintain a positive, caring relationships with those diagnosed as Bipolar.

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Mental Health
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Sleep

deleted_user
deleted_user
My husband sleeps an awful lot; but then he also has periods where he doesn't sleep at all or very little. Any one else experience this?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Classic BP...in times of mania, the person will require very little sleep, engage in risky behaviors, etc. In times of depression, they will sleep more, and become withdrawn. This is a good site with lots of information to help you track your husband's moods:

http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_bipolar_overview
deleted_user
deleted_user
I can relate to you. My husband sleeps a lot when he is depressed. Now when he is manic he is all over the bed. He snores really loud and his body twitches. One night he hit me in the eye. I woke up the next day with a slightly bruised eye. He felt really bad. Hubby cant remember hitting me with his flying hands. He also wakes up about every two hours when he is manic. Take care.
deleted_user
deleted_user
That pattern is very typical bipolar, it seems like everything is all or nothing. All sleep, all the time, or no sleep at all.

I find this all or nothing pattern in alot of BP behavior. Everything is one extreme or the other. When things are good, they are very very good... When things are bad, they are horrid!
deleted_user
deleted_user
It's a nightmare sharing a bed with someone up half the night!

when my bf was unwell I gave up going to bed & would just sleep on the couch, I slept better just knowing that he was around, even if he was on the go with 50 million projects.

He's not too bad when he gets depressed, he sleeps well & we find things to keep busy & give him a reason to get out of bed.

It's hard to keep up when you don't have bp.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Thanks for your comments. I guess I shouldn't get mad at him for sleeping all day then.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Medications can also be extremely sedating.
deleted_user
deleted_user
this is pretty typical for BPS, however a regular sleep schedule is important to help stablize BP. Is your husband on meds? see if you can both agree to have a steady sleeping schedule. you will find that it will help stablize his moods.
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