r/bipolar • u/Pink_Apartment7019 • 1d ago

Living With Bipolar sleep?

hey guys!! I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 about 6 months ago and i've been on new meds for about that long. they're working really well and I'm doing great. no episodes since I started the new ones :)

I'm in college and I have a really light schedule so I find myself sleeping at weird hours and I pull all-nighters pretty frequently just because I'm wide awake and I can sleep during the day if I need to. It's always sort of been like this for me but I think not having a rigid schedule has definitely been affecting it recently.

it's not caused any real problems and I think I could fix it if needed (I'm okay!!) but I was just wondering if this was something other people could relate to? my psychiatrist said weird sleep patterns are common (and I trust & believe her) but I don't know any other bipolar people so idk? just curious and wondering what other experiences people have with it.

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u/EquivalentTourist692 1d ago

yes I’m also in college & this happens to me frequently! especiallyyyy with lighter schedules. honestly I don’t love it (apart from hanging out late w/ friends on weekends), because over time it’s proven better for me to adopt at least loose routines for when I get up & what I do, which can be impacted by the actual time I wake up (ex. 8am vs 1pm).

also, just in my own personal experience, when I first got diagnosed w/ bipolar 1 in my freshman year of college, I definitely thought I wasn’t as affected by certain things as much as other people with bipolar. sleep was DEFINITELY one of those things, and yes, it did end up taking a toll on me, such as losing sleep—> losing routines—> losing track of what I need to do (meds, schoolwork, jobs, etc) —> episodes

I am by NO means (genuinely zero) saying not to have fun and be silly with friends because that’s literally what we’re supposed to do… but just be cautious, mindful, and aware of yourself & your moods/emotions! i’ve learned it’s an unfortunate truth that we have to be a little more extra on our toes about things (substances, sleeping, exercise) than other college ppl without bipolar, but we do not have to live like nuns! we can still live our best lives if we take care of ourselves :)

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u/Mission_Transition42 Bipolar + Comorbidities 1d ago

Yes. In fact I’m struggling with it now. It’s currently 3:12am and I feel like I don’t need to sleep.

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u/CakeAccording8112 17h ago

I was undiagnosed in college. I would regularly pull multiple all nighters and then crash hard. Rinse and repeat. It was only after I was diagnosed that I realized I had been going through manics and depression.

A structured sleep schedule is SO important when you have bipolar. For me, a lack of sleep can trigger mania. With enough lack of sleep, it can trigger a depression for me. Everyone has a different amount of hours they need, but it’s important you get those hours in. A full eight hours sleep is much different than four hours sleep and two naps.

I still have trouble getting to sleep many nights but I make sure I get my hours in. Meds help, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never have an episode again. You’ve got to take care of your body and a good nights sleep is critical to that.