I have sleep apnea and bipolar depression. Will correcting the apnea improve the depression?
Monday, December 29th, 2008 at
9:40 pm
Free Thinker asked:
I have bipolar, although it’s mild I think. I frequently go back and forth between depressed and normal. I also have obstructive sleep apnea and have always had trouble sleeping. I’m having my tonsils out in 3 months to correct the problem. Will alleviating the apnea help stabilize my moods as well?
I have bipolar, although it’s mild I think. I frequently go back and forth between depressed and normal. I also have obstructive sleep apnea and have always had trouble sleeping. I’m having my tonsils out in 3 months to correct the problem. Will alleviating the apnea help stabilize my moods as well?
Tagged with: Bipolar • obstructive sleep apnea • Tonsils
Filed under: Sleep Apnea
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Probably not…but I’m far from a professional.
Bipolar is a chemical thing…if somehow any possible lack of oxygen can cause the same chemical dysfunction of bipolar it might help but I doubt it…sorry.
Well, sleeping better definitely helps keep your mood stable, as well as helping plain depression. That’s my personal experience and just common sense. So yes, anything that improves the quality of your sleep ought to be good for your disorder. I have read apnea leads to very unrestful sleep even when sleep is achieved.
Probably not. Bipolar is caused by an imbalance of norepinephrine. You might get better sleep and that could help you feel better. I would talk to your doctor about your depression. Have you ever been diagnosed with bipolar? Because you need to have had a manic or hypomanic episode to be considered bipolar. I think you might just have depression. Bipolar isn’t between normal and sad, it’s between manic, normal, mixed, and depression. Talk to a doctor and get some professional help.
Improving your sleep may help. If you get rest it can do a lot for your mood. But the depression is a separate issue and if it is bad enough go the threrapy. Sounds like you dont know if you really are bipolar or not or what you have going on. I suggest talking to a professional.
Sleeping better will definitely improve your mood. It is difficult to say how significantly it will improve it, but you’ll be a different person, that’s for sure.