Correlates to Improvement in Sleep Duration in Acute Mania and Depression

Objective: To examine sleep duration at admission and discharge and change in sleep duration during hospitalization in patients experiencing a manic episode and compare these parameters to patients hospitalized for major depressive disorder (MDD) during the same time frame. The correlation between sleep duration parameters in those with mania and MDD with length of hospital stay, after accounting for possible confounders, was also examined. Methods: This retrospective study examined patients admitted to an acute care psychiatric unit from 2018 to 2021 with an episode of mania or MDD. Sleep duration was determined based on nursing observer report. Results: The study included 41 patients with mania (32.9 ± 1.7 years) and 38 patients with MDD (32.7 ± 1.8 years). Mania patients had longer hospitalization and received higher antipsychotic and benzodiazepine doses, but fewer hypnotics (all P < .005). No differences were found in sleep duration at admission (P = .109) and discharge (P = .623) in the mania and MDD groups. Change in sleep duration was 1.14 ± 0.27 and 0.37 ± 0.28 hours (P = .05) in the groups, respectively. In those with mania, sleep duration at admission negatively correlated with length of stay (r = –0.033; P = .03). Sleep duration parameters were not correlated with length of stay in patients with MDD. Conclusion: There was a trend toward greater improvement in sleep duration in inpatients with mania versus MDD. Sleep duration at admission correlated with length of hospitalization in patients with mania. Future studies should examine whether attempts to increase sleep duration can improve patient outcomes.