When I am manic I believe my thoughts are real, but there's always a tiny part of me that knows they're impossible. When I come down i realize the thoughts were delusional. As for the difference between mania and hypomania, for me I can tell by energy. When I am hypomanic I have more energy but I still sleep relatively well. When I am manic I generally don't sleep as much and I also start getting the delusional thoughts, such as believing I have magical healing powers. I also act fairly normal when I am hypomanic but when I am manic I will start doing weird things like going for a walk at midnight or tapping my feet constantly.