Bipolar Disorder: Insomnia Triggers Hypomania and Mania

I woke up this morning after yet another long night of tossing and turning. It was a restless night, and I did not get much sleep. As I tried to start my day, the heaviness set in and I found it much harder to finish my morning routine. Sleepless nights most certainly have physical consequences, but an extended bout of insomnia also has a profound effect on my mental health. This is a problem when I am fighting to remain stable. Balancing mental illnesses with insomnia makes the fight so much harder.

Cycling between sleeping too much and too little

In recent months, I have dealt with more than a couple of issues that affected my mental health. For a while, it seemed I was constantly under fire with an endless barrage of bad news. I began to fight to avoid falling into a rut of feeling sorry for myself.

Throughout the month, I waited to regain some sense of normalcy in my life. I found it very hard to get enough sleep at times. I entered a cycle of sleeping too little and sleeping too much that was unpredictable and greatly affected my mental health.

Insomnia triggers hypomania and mania

As I struggled to stave off a bout of depression, I started getting less and less sleep. The fatigue initially triggered a bout of hypomania. This was a red flag for several reasons.

Hypomania can quickly turn into full-blown mania. Mania is a very bad thing. I often tell people that what goes up must come down, and the higher you go the harder you fall. The worse the episode of mania is, the worse the ensuing episode of depression will be. As I cycled in and out of hypomanic and depressive episodes, I struggled to find balance and remain stable.

How insomnia affects bipolar disorder

I have type 1 bipolar disorder. Sleepless nights and an extended bout of fatigue triggers hypomania or mania in an attempt to fully function despite the lack of sleep. When I notice the first warning sign of a hypomanic or manic episode, I pay close attention.

I have identified many of my triggers, and insomnia is both a trigger and a symptom. If I lose too much sleep, I can become manic, and if I become manic I will lose sleep. If I become depressed, I may sleep more but it is also possible to have a severe bout of insomnia.

Trying to find balance with mental illness and insomnia

Insomnia is tied to my mental health, and my mental health is tied to my sleep patterns. It seems like I am fighting a constant battle to stave off manic or depressive episodes caused by or as a symptom of insomnia.

The answer, for me, does not lie in medication to treat insomnia. In fact, it generally makes things worse. The grogginess I have with every medication eventually causes me to lie in bed longer and longer, triggering a depressive episode. How do I balance out insomnia and bipolar disorder? Very carefully with close monitoring of changes in mood.

How does insomnia impact your mental health? Do you struggle to find balance during extended episodes of insomnia? How do you juggle mental health and sleep deprivation? I would love to hear about your experience.

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