Sleep Deprivation and Advancement of Sleep Period as Treatment for Bipolar Depression.

Background: The onset of therapeutic action for most anti-depressive treatments is usually two weeks. During this period patients suffer from great symptomatic distress. Treatment options that are effective in this period is therefore of interest for psychiatric wards. Aim: To explore if sleep deprivation and three days sleep phase advancement is effective treatment for inpatients with bipolar disorder in a depressive phase. Method: A randomized controlled trial with 24 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Patients will be randomized to treatment as usual in an psychiatric ward, or sleep deprivation and three days sleep phase advancement. Patients in the treatment as usual group will be offered treatment with sleep deprivation and sleep phase advancement after five weeks if they still meet inclusion criteria.