I sometimes wonder if I have the wrong diagnosis. Whenever I read official descriptions of mania, it's always some person staying awake for days and days on end. This has not been my experience. I sleep less when "manic," but I do sleep. At the very least I get 4 hours, but usually more like 5 or sometimes even 6. My sleep quality is typically poor though, with a lot of waking up in the middle of the night. Even so I fall asleep again rather than getting up and running around.

Could the many doctors (5?) who have diagnosed me with bipolar be wrong? Or is it possible to get some sleep and still be manic?

(Just some context... it has been about a year since my last manic episode, so my memory of it is starting to fade. When that happens I tend to question my diagnosis.)