The ecology of bipolar disorder: The importance of sleep

Abstract

Although much of the emphasis on treating Bipolar Disorder patients is pharmacotherapy, sleep loss is an important trigger for mania and plays an important role in the condition. The purpose of this paper is to fully explore the chronobiological, environmental, social and genetic factors that contribute to the sleep disruption that is characteristic of mania and bipolar disorder. This review is important because sleep, chronobiology and genetics are under-emphasized content areas in nursing education. As a result many practicing nurses are unaware of the importance of sleep for mental health or what to teach patients to improve both the quality of their sleep and the management of their condition.