Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that derives its name from its symptoms: The patient has mood shifts between mania (elevated mood) and depression (lower mood). Both mood phases have sleeping problems that range from not needing sleep to oversleeping. Bipolar disorder can also result in fatigue during the day. If the patient has rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, which the Mayo Clinic defines as four or more mood swings a year, her sleeping hours can vary greatly.
Mania: Lack of Sleep
One mood phase of bipolar disorder is mania, where the patient has increased self-esteem, euphoria and racing thoughts. During the manic phase, the patient has a decreased need for sleep; he may sleep for only a few hours each night, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The patient will also have an increase in activity and can be found working when other people are sleeping. Although the patient is not getting eight or nine hours of sleep each night, he does not have any fatigue.
Depression: Difficulty Sleeping
The other mood phase of bipolar disorder is depression, wherein the patient feels sad, hopeless and contemplates death. When the patient enters the depressive phase of bipolar disorder, she can have one of two sleeping disturbances. The first possible problem is difficulty sleeping, wherein the patient has problems falling asleep at night, according to the NIH. The patient may lie awake for hours before being able to fall asleep. As a result, the patient may experience another symptom of depression: fatigue.
Depression: Excessive Sleeping
The second sleeping disturbance, according to the NIH, is excessive sleeping. If the patient is oversleeping, he will sleep for over ten hours every night. Even though the patient is getting more than enough sleep, he can still suffer from daytime sleepiness, where he will have the desire to sleep during the day as well.
