Insomnia

1 and half years ago I got diagnosed with bipolar. I was on seroquel for a year, until I went off it due to some side effects I had. No symptoms have been present since last spring, when I was a bit hypomanic while reducing the dosage.

One of the benefits of the medication was that it helped me to have a normal sleeping pattern (I have struggled with that since my childhood).

At first it didn't bother me much that I couldn't sleep, it wasn't that bad. But now it has escalated and it is affecting my ability to study and some of my courses are in danger to end because of this. I'm seeing my doctor this week and I hope I'll get some help, but I'd like to know if anyone else has bad insomnia outside of the episodes.

Usually sleeplessness like this is a sign of hypo/mania for me, but now I have no other symptoms. My mood is almost normal, I don't have increased energy. When I'm depressed I tend to have hypersomnia so I don't think I'm depressed either. My mood isn't too bad for me to be depressed and I'm not suicidal.

Well I have lost nearly all of my interest in having a social life, I cannot function as well as I used to, keeping my house clean and things like that, well it takes a long time before I get anything done. I've been able to force myself to do almost all of the school stuff that is mandatory, but now I'm getting desperate.

Every week there is at least one time when I can't sleep for several days. For example during this week the last time I got any sleep was during the weekend, and then today I managed to sleep for 4-5 hours and it stopped me from going to a lecture.

I can't identify any other reason for my insomnia than stopping the meds. But I stopped them months ago so I don't know. Is it normal for people with bipolar disorder to have this messed up sleep even when not having a mood episode? Or is this a sign that something else is going on as well....

Usually when I have sleep deprivation it triggers hypomania, but I've managed to get a few hours of sleep here an there so that I haven't developed hypomania yet. Today morning was the first time in months when I felt like I might be getting hypomanic, but that feeling may have gone away now that I got some sleep.

I've had mild boosts of creativity lately but my house is a mess so the normal signs of my hypomanias: having a lots of energy and cleaning all night long and feeling on top of the world are lacking.

I've struggled with insomnia for most of my life. I think it goes back to the abuse I endured as a child by my step dad at night, when my mom was working; I remember being afraid to go to sleep as a kid. Mirtazapine (Remeron) has helped me sleep (as well as worked for my depression) but has caused weight gain. Doxepin has also helped but I needed to take 30-40 mg, a higher dose than some people take for sleep. The higher doses (50 mg and up) are also prescribed for depression. So for me, sedating meds, not necessarily hypnotics like Ambien have worked best. Hope you're able to get some sleep!

I could have written your post. Seriously; it gave me a chill...my life for the past 5 weeks.


I was also on Seroquel for sleep, for about 5 years. I weaned off of it 2 months ago. Since then my sleep is insane. The most I've been able to sleep in one stretch is 2 - 3 hours. By this past week-end I was a wreck. A complete mess. I finally gave in and have been taking 12.5mg Seroquel the past 2 nights. Finally, I have slept fairly normally. What a blessed relief!

Frankly, I think that Seroquel has a deleterious long-term effect upon sleep, possible especially for those with bipolar disorder who already have wacky sleep tendencies.

I was taking a relatively high dose of seroquel XR to keep my mood stable. It kept me sane and made me tired and fall asleep easily. For once in my life I was sleeping nearly like a normal person.

I have tried a small dose of the immediate release version (which is often used as a sleeping medication), but it doesn't help me to fall asleep, it only makes me feel tired the next day and almost impossible to function.

I'm glad that you are finally sleeping normally. It gives me hope that maybe there's a solution for me as well, something that will help me to sleep. Perhaps not seroquel but something else.

There has to be something that will help you. You'll find it sooner or later.