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Good Sleep

Overview

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A good sleep schedule is crucial for managing the symptoms of elevated mood and maintaining good overall mental health. Getting enough hours of good quality sleep can help regulate our moods and keep us functioning on a day-to-day basis. Sleep is an essential part of the body's natural healing and repair processes and is important for maintaining overall physical and mental health. During an elevated mood cycle, such as hypomania or mania, our perceived need for sleep can be drastically reduced. However, it would be a big mistake to think that our bodies don't need it, even if our minds tell us otherwise. The optimal amount of sleep at night is generally considered to be 7–9 hours for adults. This amount of sleep allows the body to fully rest and recharge to be ready for the next day.

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To improve the quality of your sleep, there are several things you can try, such as:

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Establish a regular sleep schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can help regulate the body's natural sleep-wake cycle and improve the quality of your sleep.


Create a sleep-friendly environment

Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool can help create a conducive environment for sleep.


Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine

These substances can interfere with your body's ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, so it is best to avoid them before bedtime.


Relax before bedtime

Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation, can help calm the body and mind and prepare you for sleep.


Seek medical help

If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor or mental health professional, who can help you identify and treat any underlying causes of your sleep problems.

 

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Studies and Videos References

Dr. Andrew Huberman - Sleep Toolkit : Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2aWYjSA1Jc&ab_channel=AndrewHuberman

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Dr. Andrew Huberman - Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm1TxQj9IsQ&t=400s&ab_channel=AndrewHuberman

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Dr. Andrew Huberman & Dr. Matthew Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbQFSMayJxk&ab_channel=AndrewHuberman

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Bipolar Wellness Centre Webinar - Sleep and Bipolar Disorder with Dr. Greg Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xpq3QdxCdc&ab_channel=CRESTBipolarDisorderNetwork

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#TalkBD: Sleep and Bipolar Disorder (w/ Prof. Greg Murray)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1JGlpRKpZ0&ab_channel=CRESTBipolarDisorderNetwork

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Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Performance: A Meta-Analysis
https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/19/4/318/2749842

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Sleep Less, Think Worse: The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Working Memory
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211368116301875


Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444537027000075


Staying Well with Bipolar Disorder
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2005.01542.x?journalCode=anpa


Behavioural sensitization to repeated sleep deprivation in a mice model of mania
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432807004883

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Electroencephalographic Sleep in Mania
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/494254

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Sleep Patterns and Mental Health Correlates in US Adolescents
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347616312355

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Personal sleep debt and daytime sleepiness mediate the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in young adults
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/da.22769

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Sleep and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students with Generally Healthy Sleep Habits
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0156372

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Evolution of Sleep Quantity, Sleep Deprivation, Mood Disturbances, Empathy, and Burnout among Interns
https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2006/01000/Sleep_Behaviors_and_Attitudes_among_Internal.00020.aspx

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Temporal relation between sleep and mood in patients with bipolar disorder
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2006.00294.x

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The role of sleep in bipolar disorder
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935164/

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Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder: Therapeutic Implications
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08010077

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The ecology of bipolar disorder: the importance of sleep
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01612840591008267

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Sleep in Mood Disorders
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1556407X08000106

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