Are you ever tired when you're (hypo) manic?

Hey,
I was wondering about this a while ago because I was showing a lot of the symptoms of hypomania (feeling wired, giddy etc.) and I was highly energetic, but I still felt physically tired sometimes during the day and was yawning a bit.
I just didn't want to sleep at night because I was so hyped and had a thousand more interesting things to do than sleep. When I finally forced myself into bed it took me forever to go to sleep, but I still slept 6-7 hours.

So do you not feel tired at all during your (hypo)/manic episodes? Or does anyone relate to this? Is it still a hypomanic episode if I get bouts of tiredness and yawning during the day??

I know exactly what you are talking about. Earlier in the year I became hypomanic, bordering on manic for 3 weeks. Everything I was doing/experiencing was the same as when I had been hypomanic in the past. I had tonnes of ideas, everything was awesome, was out running till midnight every night, getting heaps done, drinking more, no need to eat or bathe, and I was starting to become delusional.

I saw my psychiatrist who could see that my mood was high, but when she asked about sleep I said that I was having trouble convincing myself to go to bed, but once I was there I was sleeping 8hours. She said that it didn't make any sense, but everyone around me could tell that I was unwell. She increased my meds and after a few days I had gone back to 'normal'.

I have thought before that since I have been on medication (a few years) I'm not sure that sleeping is as good an indication of my mood as some other markers. For me one of the first things I notice is that I have no need to eat at all. Like there's no time, or I have enough energy without needing to eat. I sleep better on my meds than I ever have in my life, and I think that stretches into a mood episode too.

When I was in hospital a few years ago it was the same thing. Sleeping all night and hospital-grade mania all day.

Yeah, I get tired. At least in body. It's frustrating because mind does not want to rest in such state.

Your psychiatrist sounds weird.

Little need for sleep is just ONE of the seven criteria for hypo/mania. You only need to meet 4 of those criteria in order to be considered hypo/manic. (Then the severity of your symptoms or the presence of psychosis will determine if you're hypo or manic.)

I've never slept a normal amount when hypo/manic, though. It's always 6 hours of sleep or less, but it averages about 3-4 hours of sleep a night... and I don't feel tired. My eyes will hurt like hell, though. They'll get all sore and stuff.

Sometimes when I'm hypo I feel tired but wired and I can sleep for 6 hours a night. At the same time I am euphoric, have racing thoughts, irritable no end and full of ideas plus other symptoms. You don't always have to be alert and sleepless to be hypo.

I never want to go to bed either when I'm hypo/manic. But I do, or try to anyway. On average I've always gotten four hours. Well really, two to four. I like my sleepy time. I always have to get at least a little bit. When I make myself go to bed I can usually fall asleep fine.

However, I'm not tired during the day. I feel pretty energetic.

(I'm normally a eight hours a night girl, and if I get less, while not in an episode, I get the tired headache and feel like **** during the day.))

I've always been a good sleeper I guess. I always like sleeping because in the above states I have the coolest dreams ever.

I always sleep, if only a little bit, when I'm hypo or manic. I had a severe episode where I was taking seroquel (not enough apparently) and I was able to sleep 5-ish hours. Fitfully, though. Quality of sleep is as important as the sleep itself.

No I don't think I sleep at all and I don't think I get tired. After a few days I am so psychotic that I am not sure. I don't have very good track of time after that. Usually the first sleep I remember getting is when the hospital knocks me out.

This is me except I'll end up with 4-6 hours (even if I'm in bed for 8 - takes me forever to fall asleep).

I lay in bed for at least 8 hrs hypomanic.

My body gets tired if I am not sleeping. My mind stays active, which creates insomnia.

I do still get tired and sleep when I'm hypomanic, even though it may not be as much as usual.

I get tired when I am relaxed. I can go days without sleeping, but once I am relaxed and comfortable I just drift off, no matter what day it is. So even though I am hypo and just all over the place, I do still yawn and get tired.

I get hypomania but get exhausted during the day. It's usually because I've been up running around. Sometimes I can even take a nap. I do tend to get less sleep and feel fine, but less sleep for me is like six hours. Sometimes I can be sleeping fine and still know it's hypomania by the way I'm behaving. Even when full blown manic I still sleep, although then we're talking four hours. Everyone is different.

I always shoot for 7-8 hours, but it usually ends being 4-5.

I relate.to.this too, I thought I was the only one who'd not sleep at night, but get a few hours of sleep during the day, or just feel physically tired, and mentally awake when hypomanic. It's nice to know I'm not the only one, and my hypomanias are still real, even if I do sleep a little.

Of course I get tired; I'm not invincible

The easier to tell if I'm hypo is when I wake up. When wake up, regardless of how long I slept - if I can't go back to sleep or don't have that "just woke up" disorientation

But I tend to average 3-4 hours hypo. 2 hours for a week average was my worst. I'm doing 5 the past 3 days and feel fine but I wake up groggy so not sure what's up yet.

I tend to get more "wired" rather than tired while hypomanic, but it's probably that I'm not noticing how tired my body is.....until it eventually catches up with me where it's impossible to ignore. I also noticed that I have the habit of not taking my "sleepy meds" on time when I'm hypomanic. I'll stay up all night since my mind is active and I don't want anything to get in the way of all my plans, feeling a pressure to stay up, so I'll take the meds at like 4-6 AM, if at all. Not good....but I'm not exactly reasonable when hypo/manic. Now that I have insight again, I'm trying to take care of myself by taking my PM meds at a reasonable time. I'm not fully stable, but it would be much, much worse if I delayed taking the meds.

In mania or hypo-mania, sleepiness is never the case - for me.

But in mixed states, mania/hypo-mania and depression/anger, it isn't iunsual for a person to feel tired form that kind of output.

Oh my god yes same thing!! My doctor is so hung up on sleep, it's really frustrating! She takes sleep as the be all end all of mood indicators and it frustrates me to no end because I know I'm hypo and she's so sceptical!

I feel the same about food too! Eating is a really good indicator of what state I'm in. That, and which music I listen too/how loud strangely enough.

Wow thanks everyone for your responses! I always thought I was the only one who doesn't go sleepless when I'm hypo and it has really been frustrating me.

It always makes me doubt if I am really going up, cause according to my doctor you absolutely have to go with very little sleep and not feel tired at all when you're hypo/manic. That makes me doubt myself so much, I hate nothing more than not being sure of how I feel.