What is the difference between euphorica hypomania sleep problems and insomnia?

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What is the difference between euphorica hypomania sleep problems and insomnia?

This is the newsletter I sent out yesterday. If you're not on the newsletter list, you can subscribe to the right. I plan to put more contests on the newseletter and it's always filled with great infomration!

Newsletter: The difference between euphoric hypomania sleep problems and insomnia:

I often have questions about bipolar disorder sleep problems. This newsletter addresses the question. I have also included information on my coaching at the bottom of the newsletter. Thanks for all of the great comments on how my books have helped you manage the illness or how they have helped you learn more about the illness in order to understand and help a loved one.

Julie, what is the difference between sleep problems caused by euphoric hypomania and sleep problems cause by insomnia?

Some background: Hypomania is the milder form of mania that comes with bipolar II. Of course those with bipolar I can have hypomania at the beginning as well, but those of us with the bipolar two form of the illness stay a bit under the mania radar. That doesn't mean we don't have the same manic symptoms in many ways, it just means they are not usually as disruptive or destructive.

Here is the main difference in terms of sleep between euphoric hypomania and insomnia:

People who are euphoric hypomanic don't want to sleep. (It's such a waste of time!)
People with insomnia truly want to sleep and can't. (Oh no, I am going to be so tired at work tomorrow!)

Euphoric hypomania:

People with hypomania don't lie in bed trying to get to sleep. They would rather be cleaning their entire kitchen or working on a great new work project at 2:00 AM. Sleep is such an incredible waste of time when you're manic! A friend of mine just told me that she polished her shoes and jewelry in the middle of the night when she was manic! Funny. I have the thought: "It's only midnight, I can get in the car and go to karaoke right now!" I would never think that when I'm stable. Thanks heavens I've learned not to listen to my manic voice too often. (It still tricks me sometimes.)

People with euporic hypomania are often so awake and it feels so good, the thoughts of how it will affect them the next day are not really paramount!

Insomnia:

People with insomina are tossing and turning and looking at the clock and feeling miserable and just hoping that they won't be too tired the next day. They may get up in frustration and then get back in bed and hope they can sleep. Their brain is racing with how not being able to sleep is going to cause them problems. It's very uncomfortable. They are not depressed or manic, they simply can't sleep that night. Chronic insomnia is a big problem that may be diagnosed as a sleep disorder.

What about you?

So, if it's 2:00 AM and you're feeling good (or your loved one is feeling good)- and you have written five blogs, commented on five other blogs, answered most of your email and started to draw a mind map of how you want to redesign your kitchen. Beware! It isn't insomnia!