Is anyone else's cycling basically like clockwork?

I've been trying to actually thoroughly track my moods for over a month now, and a pretty distinct cycle has popped up: 2-4 days up (and/or mixed), 2-4 down, and 2-4 days at baseline. Repeat.

It. Never. Stops.

I guess my question is, basically, wtf? This is exhausting... Sometimes I can be basically normal for a couple of months straight, and then BOOM. Back to cycling. I also think they lasted longer, like months longer, when I was younger (especially the depressions, since the more manic-y stuff didn't start until mid/late teens for me), but lately it's like these 2-4 day swings, like clockwork (not without exceptions, sometimes they run longer, but still).

How do your cycles work?

I wish I could give you a better answer but here goes....

Around 12 this all started (22 now) It used to be pretty much just crushing depression for months, it would lift (whether that meant I was [hypo]manic or not IDK). But It would go away, and then a few months later it would return.

I can testify to that because I actually wrote and dated papers while depressed, and have them all in a folder. It would be that way til I was like 18- afew months depressed, a few months normal/[hypo]manic.

It wasn't until around 20 when I knew that it wasn't just depression, that there was a manic side to my match my depression, this would later explain my psychosis/delusions/unrealistic goals.

After getting a correct diagnosis I tried to watch my symptoms more closely, and noticed that while I can go months without a major problem - once it hits - it hits me hard.

This can mean many things 1) straight mania 2) straight depression 3) gradual cycling from depression-mania (or vice versa) 4) rapid cycling from depression-mania...

Usually it will last about 2 weeks before I end up a) normal b) in a hospital c) suicidal and/or on a roof.

Sometimes I can wait it out, other times I end up doing something really irrational or for lack of a better word - dumb.

My really noticeable depression started around then, too, and I've only become really aware of my mania issues since 19/20 as well. It used to be a couple months being really bad, and a couple months being normal (or possibly hypomanic? I can't tell), just like yours. I do know that I thought I was really special and came up with some ridiculous goals, plans, and ideas out of nowhere during the "normal" times. Lately the cycling is so rapid, though, it's so much harder to deal with than just having one mood for a few weeks or months; at least then I could develop a strategy and routine. :/ Maybe it's just because my sleeping schedule has been so out of whack these past few months.

I guess that's another question I have: does your sleeping pattern change the way you cycle?

Well... It gets worse the more I don't sleep. So if I've been up for 2-3 days without sleep, I get paranoid and my mood swings switch more.

Last week for example, that happened. I was fine one moment, then I just felt like crying in the dark for a few hours. Then I got extremely uhm... lol. horny.

After that, more crushing depression followed by anger and back to normal.... Repeat. lol!!!

I have to work on sleeping before I go to class, because I've noticed that if I don't my paranoia skyrockets and I start thinking people are talking about me/reading my mind.

In my rational state I know this isn't true, but it seems very real when I'm sleep deprived and my moods are shifting.

Hmm. Maybe it is my sleep pattern speeding it up. I dunno, I'm having a really hard time being so all over the place, though. It's 5am here, and I still haven't slept, which is pretty unusual for me. I usually take melatonin to sleep around 1am, but I just decided not to tonight, and I'm worried that I'll never get tired and will just keep getting weirder... Ugh. I know this was a bad idea. I was crashing today, and it just occurred to me that sleeping was sort of optional, and if I didn't sleep maybe I wouldn't crash...

It's $#%^ like this that really lets me know I can't be the only one in charge of my mental health all the time. I play with it too much when I'm not stable.

Yeah, if you actually care about your stability, someone else should help you out with that (thats not you) .. because often bipolar's don't have great insight to where they are on the mood spectrum.

This is especially true of [hypo]mania. You might think you're just more productive/outgoing. Which isn't a bad thing, but can get worse if you're disregarding the need for sleep.

Staying up may make the crash postpone, but it will come, and it might be worse. Because you keep going up, and what comes up must come down (cliche, i know. Lol.)

Clock work. Not even close. Mine can change from one minute to the next. I can say if i been feeling good for awhile, im due for the crash. I was i could predict mine like a clock. I could prepare for the changes. I try to prepare but it usually blows up in my face.

Heres what happens
1.Fine for months
2.depression out of nowhere
3.cycle on anti-depressants(cycles are very regular,weirdly regular)
4.introduce mood stabaliser (epilim,ie valporate).
after this cycles change as epilim is increased.
5.where i am now,still cycling,depressed at the mo.waiting
To see where i go from here.Peaks and troughs of cycle
Appear not be as bad.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Mine WAS like clockwork for a few weeks, but now I've been "moderately elevated" for 8 days straight... Ugh. It feels awesome in some ways, but I'm spending more than I should and get really irritable and don't sleep enough, and then end up in a state of sensory overload and can't leave the house. :/ Plus, my partner is getting pretty annoyed. Psych appointment tomorrow, though, maybe they can level me out a little.