Originally Posted by
plastic rose
Has anyone who has MDD noticed that when they are sleep-deprived, their mood improves? About 40-60% of sufferers of unipolar depression see a remarkable improvement in their mood after just one night without sleep. Unfortunately, the effect wears off when the person goes back to sleeping normally. But it's still really interesting.
Yes - this has worked for me on occasion, often through a real crisis- although as said it's short lived. Just feeling ok (though tired) even for a few hours can be a huge relief.
Of course in manic phases the sleep deprivation accelerates the mania.
There is a technique called "phase advance sleep deprivation" which is meant to maintain the lift for longer. I haven't been able to use it because you have to sleep/wake at such odd times and I haven't got the self-discipline - but you could google it if you're interested.