Sleep

Poor sleep is a characteristic of fibromyalgia.  People report that they do not feel rested upon awakening in the morning.  They also report feeling as though a “Mack truck” hit them some time during the night.  They often have trouble falling asleep and are frequently awakened, especially early in the morning, as well as feeling deprived of deep, sound sleep.  In 1977 Dr. Harvey Moldofsky, Toronto University, performed scientific studies demonstrating disruptions of deep sleep, known as stages 3 and 4 in the sleep cycle of most fibromyalgia patients. He found these disruptions in sleep correlated with the development of tender points found throughout the body which ultimately became part of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria.  Recently, attention is being paid to many fibromyalgia patients having sleep apnea and/or obstructive airway disorder, characterized by irregular breathing and periods of breathing cessation (apnea) during sleep.  Restless leg syndrome is another disruptive sleep abnormality that can be treated with medication.  If locally available, patients should be given a sleep lab evaluation which will help pinpoint the cause of their particular sleep disorder.  Once known, medications, or other treatments may be prescribed that will help the patient obtain a better quality and more restorative type of sleep.