Sleep alterations as a predictor of bipolar disorder among offspring of parents with bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder (BD) has a high heritability rate. Current studies have been dedicated to identifying prodromes of BD in the offspring of parents with BD (BO) and the sleep patterns of these individuals have been considered important factors. OBJECTIVE: To describe changes in sleep parameters among offspring of parents with BD when compared to offspring of controls and to identify if changes in parameters and quality of sleep predict the onset of BD among these individuals. METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase were systematically searched with no year or language restrictions, up to August 18, 2020. We searched for a combination of the following search items (“sleep*”) AND (“bipolar disorder*” OR “mania” OR “hypomania” OR “bipolar depression”) AND (“ultra-high risk” OR “high risk” OR “offspring” OR “first degree relatives”). RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were included in the systematic review and 4 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis showed that the BO had greater daytime sleepiness as compared to the offspring of control parents. The systematic review indicated that shorter sleep duration, sleep disorders, and other related features can differentiate the two groups. Finally, some sleep patterns such as decreased sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and overall sleep problems might be predictors for the development of BD. CONCLUSION: Results from the meta-analysis indicated that BO had greater daytime sleepiness. Qualitative results showed that the offspring of parents with BD have an increased likelihood of experiencing an adverse sleep pattern.