RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance has been implicated in both prodromal and syndromal phases of bipolar illness. METHODS: Charts of bipolar disorder (BD) patients who had been euthymic for at least 2 months were reviewed for mood symptoms, Clinical Global Impression scores, Global Assessment of Functioning scores, and sleep. RESULTS: Among 116 patients, 10 never achieved a euthymic interval of 2 months' duration. Among the remaining 106 euthymic patients, 59 (55.6%) had BD I, 23 (21.7%) had BD II, and 24 (22.8%) had BD not otherwise specified (NOS). The mean age was 43.3±SD 14.6, and 35% were male. A total of 25 patients (23.6%) had a clinically significant ongoing sleep disturbance (27.1% of those with BD I, 21.7% of those with BD II, and 16.6% of those with BD NOS). Of 16 patients for whom a sleep description was available, 25% had difficulty falling asleep, 81.25% had middle insomnia (2 patients experienced both), and none had early morning awakening. Eleven patients (10.4%) received sleep aids, and 33 (31.1%) received sedating antipsychotics (3 patients received both). CONCLUSIONS: Sleeping aids and sedating antipsychotics can potentially disguise an underlying sleep disturbance. Thus, it is possible that study patients taking these medications (n = 58; 54.7%) suffer from a sleep disturbance that is being adequately or inadequately treated.
