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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on March 15, 2012, at 10:31:54
I already knew that sleep deprivation can bring on mild hypomania in me. But apparently it can reset my circadian rhythm to help depression as well.
When I was feeling so depressed, I noticed that I was waking up early and feeling most capable in the morning. I'm a night person (or at least I'm not a morning person) so this wasn't my normal pattern. After a few nights of little or no sleep, I'm back to feeling incapable of anything until late morning, but not particularly depressed. I'm still feeling a bit apathetic and my concentration is poor, but that's not so bad.
I think I glanced at a news article saying that Lithium may work by regulating circadian rhythms of people with bipolar disorder. I'm sort of bipolarish, if not actually meeting the criteria of I or II. It's an interesting thought that I might be able to change mood trends by trying to reset my personal clock.
Posted by sleepygirl2 on March 15, 2012, at 18:50:16
In reply to Sleep deprivation, posted by Dinah on March 15, 2012, at 10:31:54
sleep is so important isn't it?
It must be why seroquel can be helpful to me.
Posted by raisinb on March 15, 2012, at 21:47:13
In reply to Sleep deprivation, posted by Dinah on March 15, 2012, at 10:31:54
As soon as I was diagnosed BP, I read the books they gave me about controlling it. These books all said to make sure you get enough sleep, so you won't get manic. In my head, that meant: "If I am depressed, sleep deprivation should help!" I've done it with success a few times.
Posted by Dinah on March 16, 2012, at 14:13:03
In reply to Re: Sleep deprivation » Dinah, posted by sleepygirl2 on March 15, 2012, at 18:50:16
Apparently it does far more than I realize...
Posted by Dinah on March 16, 2012, at 14:14:47
In reply to Re: Sleep deprivation, posted by raisinb on March 15, 2012, at 21:47:13
My therapist says a psychiatrist once told him that sleep deprivation helped depression. For some people, I suppose.
I admit to occasionally using sleep deprivation to stimulate a very mild hypomania when I'm in a deadline situation. But somehow it never occurred to me to use it in this situation. Now I know. :)
Posted by emmanuel98 on March 16, 2012, at 18:59:43
In reply to Re: Sleep deprivation » raisinb, posted by Dinah on March 16, 2012, at 14:14:47
I take parnate which causes insomnia. I take xanax to help me sleep. Once I ran out of the xanax with a week before my p-doc appointment and figured, maybe by now I'll be alright and don't need it anymore. Instead, I went 4 days without sleep. I don't know if it helped with depression, but by day 5, I realized that I shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car. My response time was so slow, I might as well have been drinking. I felt like a menace on the road.
Posted by Dinah on March 17, 2012, at 9:51:15
In reply to Re: Sleep deprivation, posted by emmanuel98 on March 16, 2012, at 18:59:43
Yes, definitely at that point I wouldn't be safe to drive a car. I'd probably be having interesting temporal lobe experiences as well.
Insomnia isn't one of my issues, thank heavens. I'm actually pretty good at putting myself to sleep. If I did have that issue, I might feel differently about lack of sleep. I imagine the benefits of Parnate must exceed the costs?
Posted by emmanuel98 on March 17, 2012, at 19:24:09
In reply to Re: Sleep deprivation » emmanuel98, posted by Dinah on March 17, 2012, at 9:51:15
I imagine the benefits of Parnate must exceed the costs?
With sleep aids, the costs aren't that high. The only other lasting se is dry mouth. I use this special mouthwash for it and sip water constantly. But that's tolerable. The benefit is that, before I started taking it, I had spent two months in bed except for getting up once and trying to hang myself. I haven't been okay/non-depressed since then, but that catatonic/vegetative depression has not recurred.
This is the end of the thread.
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