Bipolar disorder linked to inherited differences in sleep patterns

http://goo.gl/PQb5IZ

Sleep and circadian rhythms are also known to play a part in bipolar disorder. Manic phases generally see the individual sleeping less; conversely, during depressive periods, sleep is often more prevalent.

Some researchers have concluded that sleep might be a factor in bipolar relapses, or perhaps an early warning sign of bipolar events on the horizon.

Below is a list of the specific sleep and circadian phenotypes that were found to significantly vary between those with bipolar disorder and those without:

  • Mean awake duration: average length of time spent awake per day
  • Amplitude: a measure of the strength of an individual's circadian rhythm
  • Hill acrophase: time of day at which activity peaked
  • Interdaily stability: the degree of variation in levels of activity each day
  • Interdaily variability: a measure of the fragmentation of circadian rhythm
  • Median activity: average amount of activity per day
  • Relative amplitude: the difference between the least and the most intense periods of activity across 24 hours
  • Mean length of sleep bouts during the sleep period: average amount of time spent in each bout of sleep during the night
  • Mean number of sleep bouts during awake period: average length of naps during the day
  • Time of sleep offset: time of awakening in the morning
  • Mean total minutes scored awake: average time spent awake per day
  • WASO: total minutes spent awake after the onset of sleep.