The relationship between biological rhytm and sleep quality in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a chronic and serious disease, seen frequently and can cause lifelong disability. The aims of this study are to determine biological rhythm of euthymic bipolar patients, to research the relationship between biological rhythm and sleep quality and to research whether there is a correlation between sleep quality point and subcompenents of biological rhythm. In this study 31 euthymic bipolar patients were included and evaulated in four months. At the beginning of the study, patients were evaulated using the sociodemographic data form and structured clinical interviewing for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders (SCID-I). At the evaulation process, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Biological Rhythm Interview (BRIAN), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Young Mani Rating Scale (YMRS) were applied to participants. According to biological rhythm points of patients, there is significant difference (p=0.031) between whose has good sleep quality and bad sleep quality. It has not seen significant difference between whose has good sleep quality and bad sleep quality in terms of sleep, activity, eating pattern and prodominant rhythm points (the subcomponents of BRIAN) (p=0.131). There is positive weak relationship (r=0.396, p=0.027) between BRIAN points and PSQI points. This study showed that there is a relationship between biological rhythm and sleep quality of euthymic bipolar patients and the subcomponents of BRIAN may not be decisive separately on good sleepers and bad sleepers except social subcomponent of BRIAN. Thus; the biological rhythm is an important variable to take into consideration in medical and therapeutic interventions of bipolar disorder.