Can sleep deprivation help treat bipolar disorder?

People diagnosed with bipolar disorder are commonly treated with a variety of drugs. They aren’t always effective and can come with a range of side effects.

For several decades, an Italian psychiatrist has been pioneering a different approach. By asking his patients to stay awake for 36 hours three times over the course of a week – and combining the counterintuitive idea with bright light therapy and lithium – he has found that some of them demonstrate a remarkable improvement in mood, which can last indefinitely.

The therapy has caught the attention of researchers across the world, and new trials are being carried out, but the idea is not without its critics.

Sam Judah spends a week with a cohort of patients as they undergo sleep deprivation treatment at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, and tries to find out if it is effective.

Producer: Sam Judah

(Photo caption: Francesco Benedetti / Photo credit: BBC)