During the deepest level of sleep, the body restores itself, muscles and tissues are repaired and the brain processes the day’s activities and files them away.  Studies have shown that Fibro patients fail to achieve this deep level of restorative sleep due to regular bursts of ‘awake’ brain activity.  This means you may wake up feeling unrefreshed and lethargic, or suffer bouts of fibrofog and pain.

 

Certain sleep disorders have been linked with Fibromyalgia including insomnia where you may find it very difficult to fall asleep in the first place, and may lay awake for long periods of time.  Sleep apnea, a disorder causing irregular gaps in breathing, is another problem that is linked with Fibro.  This is where a person may stop breathing for a few seconds and will wake up as a result – this can happen ‘hundreds’ of times during the night depending on the severity of the sleep apnea.

 

Another common complaint is Restless Leg Syndrome, which is a neurological disorder whereby a person may experience pain in the legs and need to move them around to try and reduce the pain.  This syndrome can be aggravated by long periods of inactivity, long car rides or aeroplane journeys.  Sensations may be itching, burning, twitching or aching and generally affect the calves and lower legs (although it is not limited to these areas).  The pain and discomfort quite simply will wake a person up and make sleep very difficult.

 

Finally, teeth grinding (bruxism) often affects people with Fibro.  It is thought to be linked to TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) which causes muscle pain in the face, jaw, neck and shoulders.  Bruxism not only means that you may grind your teeth but you may clench the muscles in the face, most especially the jaw, which in turn causes soreness or aching sensation on waking.  In more severe cases it can also result in dental problems including loosening teeth.

 

In the first instance it’s worth talking to your GP to see what he or she advises.  Amitryptiline is often prescribed as this has been found in low doses to help relieve pain and encourage sleep.  Alternatively other antidepressants such as Citalopram can be prescribed to raise low serotonin levels which will, in turn, increase the production of melatonin which is required to aid restful sleep.  

 

Zopiclone is another medication that can be prescribed, which can really aid sleep and even more importantly it doesn’t (or at least it shouldn’t) cause any side effects the next day. Unfortunately it is not recommended on a longer term basis due to its addictive nature and a GP can be reluctant to prescribe it. 

 

There are a number of natural supplements that can help. Most notably, in my own experience (and recommended by my consultant) Melatonin can help, more specifically, the “timed released version”). Other options include valerian or a Montmerency Cherry supplement.  An essential oil mix can help relax the body, especially lavender, frankincense, chamomile and Valerian (although this can be very smelly!).

 

There are a number of self-help tactics you can adopt to help improve sleep patterns, such as making sure the room is well ventilated and cool, set regular patterns and routines and use relaxation therapies such as deep breathing.  Another good idea is to keep a sleep diary, where you write down how well you slept and any triggers you can identify that may have interfered with your sleep.  If you review your notes after a few weeks you may be able to start noticing patterns.