Any advice on sleep?

Darling Daughter has been in a rapid cycling state for about 2 months. She is starting to level out but she is still having a really hard time with sleep. I have done everything I know to do. She didn't sleep at all last night.Also, her nights are pretty bad because she gets really low when she is alone and has time to think about her life and stuff, SO in turn she has a time with suicidal thought at night. She is good about waking me up if she gets too down, but then guess what, I am dying the next day because I have been up with her all night.

She has used Ambien, benadryl, tylenol PM.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[therese83]

You shouldnt let this go on, her Doctor should be able to give her something to sleep.

When I was like this my Doctor gave me Rivotril 'till zyprexa started working.  I slept straight through that very night.  After a while (i think 2 months) I reduced the Rivotril, tapering and did well on the Zyprexa.

I'm not recommending these particular drugs, I am just saying there are treatments that work and why does she not have access to them?  She must be suffering.

[Amyjo101]

The doctor helping with her treatment says it is normal for her sleep pattern to be off. She is actually a little nervous about giving her anything extra to sleep because it takes so much to put her to sleep.

She is on 600mg Lithium AM and 900mg Lithium PM, 150mg Lamictal, 80mg Geodon.

When she takes the Ambien it take 20mg to get her to sleep or like 75 mg of Benadryl. Then she is drugged all day the next day.

Not sleeping didn't bother her so much when she was really manic but now that she is in a depressed state it seems to be make the depression that much worse. And it ***** for her because she is 15 it is hard enough to try and act normal when your 15 and not bipolar.

[therese83]

I remember beeing like this and not sleeping it really beings you down to the depths of depression.

For me 'natural remedies' or any sleep medication just did nothing.  But the Rivotril put me straight to sleep.  It is an anti epileptic drug and it just slowed down my brain activity.

I hope she settles down.
Maybe someone else has a suggestion for you?