Good sleep hygiene, on the other hand, is one of the most effective ways to regulate your mood. Did you know that not getting enough sleep can actually trigger a manic episode? And once, triggered, continuing to not get enough sleep can perpetuate it, and make the manic phase more intense, and longer lasting. Conversely, getting too much sleep can cause depressive episodes. More than 80% of people who suffer from unipolar depression complain of insomnia--they don't feel like they're getting enough sleep at night, or the quality of their sleep isn't good.But interestingly, people with bipolar depression tend to have the opposite problem. They have hypersomnia, or excessive sleeping during their depressive episodes. Getting too much sleep may cause a depressive episode to last longer!
Also, bad sleep habits can literally be a pain. People who have poor sleep habits, whether too much, or too little, or complain of poor quality of sleep, sometimes develop a condition called fibromyalgia which is a painful, nondegenerative, muscle disorder.
Good sleep hygiene means talking with your doctor about how much sleep you need each night. For patients who are in a manic phase, a doctor may recommend getting more sleep. For patients in a depressive phase, a doctor may recommend getting a bit less sleep. So speak with your doctor about what the optimal amount of sleep would be each night, given your current mood. Then try to go to bed every night at the same time, and set an alarm so that you can get out of bed every day at the same time. And avoid taking naps.
Stabilizing your sleep is one of the easiest ways of stabilizing your mood.
So practice good sleep hygiene!
Sweet dreams !
thanks
ReplyDeleteFibromyalgia can be develop if you have poor sleep which is a painful, non-degenerative, muscle disorder. Get enough sleep people.
ReplyDeleteThat's right! Healthy, regular sleep is one of the best natural mood stabilizers. Unsurprisingly, it's also one of the first things to get disrupted when a mood episode begins to loom on the horizon. Unfortunately, because unhealthy sleeping habits are so common, bad sleep hygiene often gets dismissed and is not viewed as a major cause of concern. But if you pay close attention to your sleeping cycle you will see a clear difference in your mood, your energy level, and your overall physical well-being once you clean your sleep patterns up. It won't do any harm to try, and it may bring a wealth of good to your mind and body!
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