A Novel Home Sleep Monitoring Device and Brief Sleep Intervention for Bipolar Disorder: Feasibility, Tolerability, and Preliminary Effectiveness

Sleep disturbance is common in bipolar disorder and negatively impacts its course of illness. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and tolerability of a novel EKG-based home sleep monitoring device (M1) as well as a brief (two session) psychosocial sleep intervention for individuals with bipolar disorder. The sleep intervention is individually tailored for patients with insomnia or hypersomnia and extends skills designed for non-psychiatric populations as well as includes specific considerations for sleep disturbance in bipolar disorder. We found that both the M1 device and the sleep intervention were feasible and well tolerated. Participants’ sleep duration improved after the brief sleep intervention, but their sleep was more unstable as measured by the M1. Self-reported sleepiness, sleep quality, and mood symptoms improved; however, only some measures reached statistical significance (i.e., duration of sleep, dysfunction due to sleepiness). These data suggest that the M1 device is a feasible means to obtain objective sleep quality and quantity data in individuals with bipolar disorder. A brief sleep intervention may be helpful in improving sleep in a bipolar population at risk for substantial sleep disturbance, but larger, longitudinal studies are warranted.