Unfortunately, for the majority of individuals who suffer from the painful condition known as fibromyalgia, difficulty sleeping is also a very common occurrence as estimates show that eighty percent of fibromyalgia sufferers also have some type of diagnosable sleep disorder.
Studies have also shown that many individuals with fibromyalgia do not experience the "deep sleep" or restorative sleep cycle needed for the body to repair itself and replenish energy levels.
People with fibromyalgia often wake up still feeling tired and drained and will often need to rest during the day in an attempt to combat their fatigue.
This lack of sleep can also cause difficulty with concentration, memory, and mental confusion during the day and is known as one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia called "fibro fog".
Causes of Disruptive Sleep among Fibromyalgia Sufferers Some medical experts believe that the symptoms of persistent pain alone associated with fibromyalgia cause the disruption of sleep and prevent the sufferer from achieving the deep level of sleep that is needed for restoration.
Other medical experts believe that one of the potential causes of the disruption of deep sleep among the sufferers of fibromyalgia is the "alpha EEG anomaly" that is common among individuals with fibromyalgia and is also thought to be the cause of fibromyalgia in some individuals.
The alpha EEG anomaly is a significant increase in brain waves that occurs in many fibromyalgia patients and can be seen and recorded on an EEG monitor.
Fibromyalgia sufferers with alpha EEG anomaly typically have no trouble in falling asleep; however, this abnormal spike or increase in brain waves can occur during the "deep sleep" process causing the brain to act very much like it is awake disrupting the restorative cycle of sleep and leaves the individual still feeling drained and tired upon awakening.
Another common condition among fibromyalgia sufferers is "RLS" or "restless legs syndrome" which is a neurological disorder that causes an uncontrollable urge to move their legs even when attempting to rest creating great difficulty in trying to get to sleep or to stay asleep.
Sleep Apnea Commonly Coexists with Fibromyalgia Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder and is also seen in eighty percent of patients suffering from fibromyalgia.
Sleep apnea only occurs during sleep and is a condition that causes an individual to stop breathing for a matter of seconds but can be as long as up to a minute.
While many individuals are unaware that they have this condition until someone else sleeping next to them notices it, in severe cases this disruption in breathing actually awakens the individual from a sound sleep.
In these severe cases, an individual can awaken literally hundreds of times during the night, hence, never reaching the full restorative cycle of sleep.
Nocturnal bruxism is also another common condition among sufferers of fibromyalgia and causes and individual to grind their teeth during the night to such as extent that the jaw muscles are extremely sore upon awakening.
This condition is thought to be caused by the pain that fibromyalgia sufferers experience in the neck, back, face, and shoulders during the night that causes them to unconsciously grind their teeth.
Thankfully, in many cases of individuals who have difficulty sleeping due to the symptoms of fibromyalgia, it has been found that taking tricyclic antidepressants in low doses before bed not only reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia, but also promotes the restorative cycle of sleep.
Studies have also shown that many individuals with fibromyalgia do not experience the "deep sleep" or restorative sleep cycle needed for the body to repair itself and replenish energy levels.
People with fibromyalgia often wake up still feeling tired and drained and will often need to rest during the day in an attempt to combat their fatigue.
This lack of sleep can also cause difficulty with concentration, memory, and mental confusion during the day and is known as one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia called "fibro fog".
Causes of Disruptive Sleep among Fibromyalgia Sufferers Some medical experts believe that the symptoms of persistent pain alone associated with fibromyalgia cause the disruption of sleep and prevent the sufferer from achieving the deep level of sleep that is needed for restoration.
Other medical experts believe that one of the potential causes of the disruption of deep sleep among the sufferers of fibromyalgia is the "alpha EEG anomaly" that is common among individuals with fibromyalgia and is also thought to be the cause of fibromyalgia in some individuals.
The alpha EEG anomaly is a significant increase in brain waves that occurs in many fibromyalgia patients and can be seen and recorded on an EEG monitor.
Fibromyalgia sufferers with alpha EEG anomaly typically have no trouble in falling asleep; however, this abnormal spike or increase in brain waves can occur during the "deep sleep" process causing the brain to act very much like it is awake disrupting the restorative cycle of sleep and leaves the individual still feeling drained and tired upon awakening.
Another common condition among fibromyalgia sufferers is "RLS" or "restless legs syndrome" which is a neurological disorder that causes an uncontrollable urge to move their legs even when attempting to rest creating great difficulty in trying to get to sleep or to stay asleep.
Sleep Apnea Commonly Coexists with Fibromyalgia Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder and is also seen in eighty percent of patients suffering from fibromyalgia.
Sleep apnea only occurs during sleep and is a condition that causes an individual to stop breathing for a matter of seconds but can be as long as up to a minute.
While many individuals are unaware that they have this condition until someone else sleeping next to them notices it, in severe cases this disruption in breathing actually awakens the individual from a sound sleep.
In these severe cases, an individual can awaken literally hundreds of times during the night, hence, never reaching the full restorative cycle of sleep.
Nocturnal bruxism is also another common condition among sufferers of fibromyalgia and causes and individual to grind their teeth during the night to such as extent that the jaw muscles are extremely sore upon awakening.
This condition is thought to be caused by the pain that fibromyalgia sufferers experience in the neck, back, face, and shoulders during the night that causes them to unconsciously grind their teeth.
Thankfully, in many cases of individuals who have difficulty sleeping due to the symptoms of fibromyalgia, it has been found that taking tricyclic antidepressants in low doses before bed not only reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia, but also promotes the restorative cycle of sleep.
SHARE
