Subclinical hypomanic experiences in young adults after sleep deprivation are independent of depressive disorders, chronotype or 5-HTTLPR polymorphism.

Introduction: The acute antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation (SD) in patients with depressive disorders has been studied for more than 60 years. However, hypomanic mood swings after partial or total SD have also been described in people without diagnosed mental disorders. Studying this phenomenon in the general population may yield insights about the mechanisms of therapeutic SD, mania and bipolar disorders.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of young adults was recruited and classified into those who described having regularly occurring subclinical hypomanic experiences (ROHE) after SD and those who did not. History of psychiatric and physical illness, with screening for depression and mania, as well as alcohol or drug consumption, family history of depressive disorders or suicide, 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, and MEQ-SA chronotype were collected.

Results: A total of 251 participants were included; 39.0% indicated regularly having subclinical hypomanic experiences after SD. These experiences were not associated with depressive or mania screening, history of psychiatric illness, family history, 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, or MEQ-SA chronotype.

Conclusions: ROHE after non-therapeutic SD seem to be a relatively common phenomenon in young adults, independent of depressive mood state. Our results suggest that therapeutic SD may depend on a physiological phenomenon of subclinical affective disturbance after SD that affects a part of the general population, independent of psychiatric diagnosis. Further studies could elucidate associated factors and contribute to our understanding of (hypo-)manic mood states.