Fibromyalgia and Sleep Problems
The link between Fibromyalgia and sleep deprivation was key to finding my Fibromyalgia cure. One of the main symptoms of Fibromyalgia is poor sleep. For anybody who doesn’t get enough shut-eye for whatever reason and at any stage during their lives it can be stressful, exhausting, physically debilitating and depressing. Young people studying for exams, new parents coping with a wakeful baby, hospital patients on a busy and noisy ward, coughing, sneezing and sniffling with cold symptoms - all of these events can mean a few days or weeks of disturbed sleep.
But for the Fibromyalgia sufferer sleep deprivation goes on for months and years and it becomes a chronic sleep problem. The aches and pains associated with Fibromyalgia prevents good sleep. This lack of sleep in turn exacerbates pain. So it becomes a vicious circle of pain and sleep deprivation. The less sleep you get the more pain you feel, the more pain you feel the less good sleep you get and so on. So you can see that Fibromyalgia and sleep deprivation is an area that needs attention.
Researchers found that when they sleep deprived a group of healthy middle-aged women for three days; the women showed a decreased tolerance for pain and increased levels of discomfort and fatigue. They concluded that such sleep disruption may play an important role in the development of Fibromyalgia symptoms.
I have often likened Fibromyalgia to being a victim of torture as pain and sleep deprivation are the main tactics used by the perpetrators of torture. The painful symptoms of Fibromyalgia and sleep deprivation make for a tortured life.
For those who suffer Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), which is common in Fibromyalgia patients, the problems of getting enough sleep is worsened.
Good restful sleep is of paramount importance to those who suffer from Fibromyalgia. A lack of sleep makes the symptoms of Fibromyalgia much worse. Along with reducing stress, the key factor to my Fibromyalgia cure was finding ways to have a good night’s rest.
Fibromyalgia and Sleep Deprivation - 7 Hours Sleep Per Night?
As a lifelong light sleeper and more recent Fibromyalgia sufferer I knew that not getting enough sleep was key to my health issues. Without good restorative sleep I would be fatigued all day and consequently in a low mood. Low key stress would affect me dramatically and cause me physical pain. My body could not get the time it needed to heal during the night.
The BBC news recently reported that UK Government ministers were planning to issue guidelines on how much sleep people should be getting every night. According to a leaked draft of the plans having less than seven hours sleep per night has been linked to a range of physical and mental health problems and cutting short life expectancy.
A lack of good restorative sleep was reported in over 90% of Fibromylagia sufferers in a closed Facebook Group I belong to. Many people, myself included, reported just 4 or 5 hours sleep a night.
Exercise
It may seem counter-intuitive to take up exercise when you are in so much pain and are exhausted but believe me even 10 minutes of gentle exercise can be so beneficial to those of us who have Fibromyalgia and sleep problems. Physical exercise aids sleep. Many of us become exhausted by mental activity and the stress that it inevitably brings.
But physical tiredness via exercise is healthier and is needed for restful sleep. Basically your body needs to be tired and not just your mind. Focusing on your pain, your fatigue and your depression plus all the anxiety that comes with that tires your overactive mind but you are very unlikely to get a good night’s sleep unless your body is tired too.
Make time for at least 10 minutes gentle exercise 4 times a day and rest in between. You can work up to 20 minute sessions when you feel able. There are just 2 forms of exercise I recommend and those are walking and Qigong (or Tai Chi). For those of us who have Fibromyalgia and sleep problems avoid overdoing it.
Napping
Napping becomes an unfortunate habit when you suffer chronic fatigue. For those of us who have Fibromyalgia and sleep deprivation, it can be difficult to keep your eyes open during the day and ironically cannot get to sleep or keep asleep during the night. Getting out of the napping habit is imperative if you are to regain your health and get 7- 8 hours of restorative sleep every night.
It is very
difficult but you need to push through your fatigue and avoid napping
during the day. By all means take rests but do not allow yourself to
fall asleep. This may take a few days to a few weeks to achieve.
A Peaceful Bedroom for Restful Sleep
I find keeping my bedroom clutter free, clean and tidy makes it an appealing place to want to sleep. My bedroom contains my bed, my wardrobes, drawers and dressing table and nothing else. I do not store unused exercise bikes, vacuum cleaners, piles of ironing or other items in my bedroom.
I do not have a television in my bedroom. I do not use any electronic devices, phones or tablets in my bedroom, other than my Kindle for white noise. I keep the Kindle closed and out of sight so no light is emitted from it. Blue light emitted from TVs, phones and tablets etc. confuse the brain into thinking it is daylight when you should be wide awake. The body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin is lessened if blue light is emitted making it difficult to fall asleep and keep asleep.
I keep my alarm clock in the closed drawer of my bedside cabinet so that I cannot see any light or any sound emitted from it.
My bedroom decor is muted and soft and I have blackout curtains to block out the light. The lighting in my bedroom is subdued.
I also keep my bedroom cool. I tend to have night sweats and like to pull back the duvet to cool down. When the night sweat is over I can curl back up in my comfy and warm bed.
Because of my tossing and turning in the night, moaning in pain, menopausal night sweats and having to get up to use the toilet, Graham and I decided not just to have separate beds but to have separate bedrooms too. I know not everyone can have the luxury of making this decision but if you can, I urge you to at least give it a try. At the very least Graham could get a good night’s sleep and have more energy to take over the domestic tasks I could no longer manage.
A Comfortable Bed
We bought 2 new expensive beds, luxury Egyptian cotton bedding and pillows and a wonderfully soft and comfortable topper to achieve that 5 star hotel bed experience.
So with a very comfortable bed to sleep upon at least my poor aching body could rest in comfort.
White Noise
I have always been a very light sleeper and the slightest noise disturbs me, so I use white noise. White noise is a constant audible sound signal that masks background noise. It helps drown out all the sounds that would normally awaken me or prevent me from getting to sleep in the first place like traffic, alarms, dogs barking or even melodic birdsong.
Actually more precisely the noise I use is brown noise. I have a choice of brown, pink or white noise on my Kindle. I just prefer the brown noise.
You can buy an actual white noise machine or get them as an app. I use the app on my Kindle rather than from my phone. Having a phone by your bedside is not a good idea if you want uninterrupted sleep. The vibrating notifications, alerts and texts can only impede sound sleep. Plus if you are having a painful/restless night you may be tempted to start scrolling through your phone instead of relaxing and falling back to sleep.
Darkness
For those of us who have Fibromyalgia and sleep problems, complete darkness can be our friend.
I wear a very good sleep mask that completely blocks out any light. It is padded with thick elastic that does not cut into your head when sleeping. Some cheaper types are very thin and use very narrow elastic that can cut into your head and annoy you which can prevent you from sleeping. I have tried many sleep masks but the one I use now fits closer over the nose.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil is renowned as a natural sleep aid and has been used throughout the centuries medicinally. Recent research has shown that lavender reduces stress levels which in turn aids relaxation and better sleep.
Christabel Majendie a Sleep Therapist explains that:
“...one of the major components of lavender oil, linalool, produces a sedative effect by acting on GABA pathways. GABA is one of the major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the nervous system so is responsible for reduced nerve cell excitation...GABA also has a major role to play in brain circuits involved in sleep.”
I dab some lavender essential oil on my pillow to help me sleep.
Temperature
Ideally the temperature for a bedroom should be around 16-18°C (60-65°F). Anything below or above this can be uncomfortable for restful sleep. But if you suffer, as I did, extremely cold feet you may need to wear socks for bed.
A Relaxing Bath
For people who have Fibromyalgia and sleep disturbances a relaxing bath before bedtime can aid sleep. If you use a good amount of Magnesium Epsom salts in your bath (around 1 kilo) and several drops of lavender essential oil this should help you relax and prepare you for a restful night.
If you don’t have a bath tub you can always soak your feet in a bowl in the same mix of Epsom salts and lavender essential oil for 15 – 20 minutes before bed.
Mouth Guard
Many people who have Fibromyalgia and sleep disturbances grind their teeth when they are stressed and anxious and even when they are sleeping. This is known as Bruxism and can cause facial pain, headaches and dental problems including ground down teeth. It can also cause disturbed and restless sleep.
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD or TMJ) is linked to Fibromyalgia and sleep or nocturnal Bruxism.
Teeth grinding can be a side effect of medication and in particular antidepressants that are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), for example paroxetine, fluoxetine and sertraline. As many people with Fibromyalgia are on antidepressants it makes sense to check with a dentist to see if you unknowingly grind your teeth in your sleep.
I was told by a dentist that I grind my teeth, so I bought a mouth guard from Amazon. It has been a great success for me. I was also diagnosed with Temporomandibular disorder which explained many of my presumed dental pain symptoms.
SAD Light Lamp
In the brain the Hypothalamus regulates our bodies sleep/wake cycle also known as our circadian rhythms. The Hypothalamus is also responsible for our mood and appetite. Many of us who are Fibromyalgia sufferers have major problems with sleep patterns, mood swings and appetite control.
Light or lack of light affects the Hypothalamus and thus in turn effects sleep patterns. Light exposure via the eyes sends signals to the Hypothalamus which triggers the brain to produce hormones such as Serotonin and Melatonin.
Serotonin is the feel good hormone which is often lacking in people with depression. Having sufficient Serotonin makes you feel more alert and awake and in a better mood.
Melatonin is regulated when it becomes dark. The darkness triggers the brain to convert Serotonin into Melatonin which makes it easier to fall asleep at night.
So light in the morning and darkness in the evening is very important if we are to improve our sleeping patterns.
So using a SAD Light Lamp every morning will improve your Serotonin levels making you feel more alert, awake and happy throughout the day. And then as a consequence you will have enough Serotonin to convert to Melatonin to help you get to sleep and keep asleep at night.
For me personally I found using and still using my SAD Light Lamp every day helps tremendously with my mood and ability to sleep better.