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Use this chart to track trends and changes.

Download a Free Chart

Depression:
Depression is typically easy enough to spot. It simply feels bad and there's a whole host of negative symptoms that go along with it (depressed mood, low energy, poor self-esteem, low motivation, etc).

Mood Elevation:
However, when you're in the early phases of mood elevation (hypomania) you typically find that you feel good; and thinking that feeling good is actually something not-so-good is pretty counterintuitive! Unless you're very attuned to your own mood changes, the onset of hypomania can be difficult to identify.Use of the Sleep, Mood and Energy Chart may help you in this endeavor.

Typically, during episodes of hypomania or mania, as the amount ofyour sleep decreases, your mood and energy tend to increase.

Example Case:
The following example illustrates a hypomanic episode progressing towards mania over the course of one week's time (click here). The only unrealistic aspect of this example is that the person who has progressed into full mania would probably not be able to chart his or her experience during the last two days of the week. But, nonetheless, the week's charting provides a clear example of the correlation between sleep, mood and energy for the bipolar individual.

Chart Your Own Changes:
To do your own charting, first print a blank chart (click here). Next consider your experience across the following three variables:

• Sleep: Simply reflects how many hours you slept during the preceding night.
  
  
• Mood: How you have felt emotionally over the course of your day. Normal reflects what is generally normal for you when you are not in an elevated or depressed mood state.
  
  
• Energy: The amount of physical energy that you generally feel over the course of your day. As with mood, normal reflects what is typical for you when your energy is not elevated or depressed.

Instructions for charting:

1. Enter the date range of the week in the top of the chart.
2. Think of your previous night and identify the cell which most closely identifies the amount of sleep that you had the night before. Place a mark in that cell.
3. Beginning with Monday, preferably around late afternoon or early evening, take a few moments to reflect upon your mood and energy during the course of your day. Even if you've experienced some variability in mood or energy, try to identify an average which reflects your experience of the day and place a mark in the cell of each row which coincides.
4. Track these trends over time by placing the second week's chart under the first so the first week's chart overlaps the first column of the second week, the second week overlaps the first column of the third week, etc.

Results Over Time:
By stapling or taping your charts together you will gradually develop a longer progression of data.This will not only assist you in managing mood changes, but it will also give you a clear picture of your longer-term trends and patterns. This is important information for the bipolar individual.

For additional blank Sleep Mood and Energy charts,click here.