Sleep deprivation therapy

They are saying sleep deprivation can be used to treat unipolar depression (see this search of biopsychiatry.com)

They also say undernourishment leads to a healthier life. I can't remember where I read this, but lab mice that were fed 50% less lived longer and healthier lives, while those that were deprived of 60% of their food starved to death. Poor things. There must be a fine line between moderation and deprivation.

The danger with a bipolar depressed person is that the antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation has the potential to trigger a manic episode. On the other hand, a recommended means for preventing mania is regulating sleep cycles. Seemingly more than anyone else, someone with bipolar disorder must [i]order[/i] their lives, and sleep in particular.

Foodwise, a low-calorie diet is ideal as long as every calorie is highly nutritious.

I theorize that most of us need less than 8 hours of sleep per night, if we are healthy. But it ought to come at predictable times, consistently.

The real question now is how to guarantee a quality sleep.