Leveraging Contemporary Digital Technologies to Monitor and Treat Sleep Difficulties in Bipolar Disorder: A Review

Sleep disturbances (eg, insomnia, hypersomnia, poor sleep quality) are a prominent feature of bipolar disorder (BD). Furthermore, sleep difficulties are present across all phases of BD, includ-ing euthymia, and these difficulties con-tribute to the risk and maintenance of depressive and (hypo)manic episodes. Although existing pharmacological and psychosocial treatments offer hope for ameliorating sleep difficulties in BD, conventional treatments are limited in their ability to accurately capture de-tailed sleep patterns, detect early onset of sleep difficulties, and deliver per-sonalized interventions. Widely acces-sible contemporary digital technologies show promise for mitigating these limi-tations and advancing sleep treatment for individuals with BD. We summarize and synthesize research examining the use of three digital tools for sleep assessment and intervention in BD: smartphone applications, ecological momentary assessment, and actigra-phy. We also discuss the benefits, risks, and limitations of these technologies.