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somnio and bipolar disorder or epilepsy?

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In this article, you will learn why somnio must not be used with bipolar disorder or epilepsy, and what the background to this restriction is.

somnio was developed to support people with chronic insomnia using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). One central component of this therapy is, among other things, so-called bedtime restriction, in which time in bed is temporarily minimized to a specific sleep window in order to stabilize sleep and improve sleep efficiency.

However, this method is not recommended for certain conditions. For this reason, special restrictions apply if the following diagnoses are present:

  • bipolar affective disorder (ICD-10: F31)
  • epilepsy (ICD-10: G40)

The reason for this is that targeted reduction of total sleep time in people with bipolar disorder can increase the risk of manic or hypomanic episodes. For individuals with epilepsy, a lack of sleep or a change in the sleep-wake rhythm can increase the risk of epileptic seizures. For safety reasons, the use of bedtime restriction within somnio is therefore excluded in these cases.

To take this into account, at the beginning of the "Sleeping Hours" module in somnio, you are actively asked whether you have been diagnosed with epilepsy or a bipolar disorder. 

If you indicate that you have epilepsy or a bipolar disorder, the module will not be continued and bedtime restriction will be skipped. In this way, somnio ensures that no content is used that could potentially be risky for you. If neither of the two diagnoses is present, bedtime restriction is introduced and developed together in the module.

If you suffer from sleep problems and at the same time have a bipolar disorder or epilepsy, it is especially important to plan treatment individually and in close coordination with a health care professional or psychotherapist. somnio does not replace medical or psychotherapeutic advice. Your safety always comes first.

Any questions?
If you have questions about the somnio app – both regarding content and technical issues – you can contact our support team at any time. You can reach us by email at support@somn.io or directly via the support feature in the app. We respond within 24 hours, seven days a week. You can reach us by phone Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 14:00 on 0341 978 528 48, excluding public holidays.