According to Dr. Clauw, many people with fibromyalgia do not achieve deep, slow wave sleep, also known as delta sleep. During slow wave sleep, the body fully relaxes, allowing tissue, muscles and energy to be restored. Without deep sleep, it is virtually impossible to wake up feeling refreshed.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder. Although pain is the primary chronic symptom, disturbed sleep is also a major symptom of patients with FMS. Patients report difficulty falling asleep, significantly more nighttime awakenings, and unrefreshing sleep (1).
Non-restorative sleep and daytime fatigue are two common symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Poor sleep quality
Fibromyalgia can affect your sleep. You may often wake up tired, even when you have had plenty of sleep. This is because the condition can sometimes prevent you sleeping deeply enough to refresh you properly. You may hear this described as non-restorative sleep.
Enough of the right kind of sleep can help ease the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia. Problem is, that's among the hardest things to do. One explanation for trouble sleeping is that, with fibromyalgia, the normal order of brain waves gets messed up.
Fibromyalgia can cause widespread pain, fatigue, and stiffness. Symptoms tend to occur in periods of flares. Physical and emotional stress are the most common triggers of fibromyalgia flares. Other triggers include lack of sleep, weather changes, and hormone imbalances.
Other researchers believe fibromyalgia is caused by a lack of deep sleep. It is during stage 4 sleep that muscles recover from the prior day's activity, and the body refreshes itself. Sleep studies show that as people with fibromyalgia enter stage 4 sleep, they become more aroused and stay in a lighter form of sleep.
It's more like the stiffness someone with rheumatoid arthritis feels. Although some people say it lasts only a few minutes, the stiffness usually sticks around for more than 15 to 20 minutes each day. Sometimes it lasts for hours, and it could linger all day.
Three supplements – B vitamins, magnesium and D-ribose – can help your body gain lost vitality. “Making sure you have adequate levels of these nutrients can provide a significant boost in energy,” Dr. Teitelbaum says.
4. Don't overdo it on good days. But don't “make up” for lost time on days that you're pain- and fatigue-free. “Trying to do too much when you feel great can trigger a flare,” says David Edelberg, M.D., a Chicago integrative-medicine specialist and author of The Triple Whammy Cure (Atria).
a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body (also referred to as widespread pain), sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia. This is called abnormal pain perception processing.
But, there isn't a lot out there directly for fibromyalgia. So, if you're feeling tired, a nap may improve your mood and cognitive function. However, naps can also make you groggy and interfere with sleep at night. Ultimately, the decision to nap or not is up to you.
The pain may be worse in the morning and evening. Sometimes, the pain may last all day long. The pain may get worse with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress. This condition is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50.
Those experiencing pain had worse sleep quality than those without pain. On average, those with no pain slept 7.3 hours in the past week, while those with acute pain slept 7.0 hours and those with chronic pain slept 6.7 hours.
Fibro Fog and Fatigue. Fibromyalgia goes beyond pain. It can also affect your thinking ability, a symptom called fibro fog, and your energy level, leaving you with extreme fatigue. Even though you feel these symptoms, they aren't visible, and there aren't any tests that can measure them.
Fibromyalgia is often debilitating due to pain that can interfere with a patient's life. For example, many individuals report trouble sleeping, which can lead to exhaustion and fatigue. Feeling tired and in pain on a routine basis also can negatively impact mental health, leading to issues such as depression.
The drugs amitriptyline, duloxetine, milnacipran and pregabalin can relieve fibromyalgia pain in some people. They may cause side effects such as a dry mouth or nausea. Normal painkillers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen (paracetamol) aren't recommended for the treatment of fibromyalgia.
The most helpful treatment approach for fibromyalgia is a combination of self-care, physical activity and cognitive-behavioral therapy. But medication may also be needed. Many drugs prescribed for fibromyalgia work to turn down “pain volume” in the central nervous system (CNS).
Relaxation. If you have fibromyalgia, it's important to regularly take time to relax or practise relaxation techniques. Stress can make your symptoms worse or cause them to flare up more often. It could also increase your chances of developing depression.
Experts typically recommend any low-impact aerobic activity, such as walking, swimming, or cycling. Your doctor may advise you to work with a physical therapist on exercises specifically aimed at reducing pain and stiffness and improving function.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are: Chronic, widespread pain throughout the body or at multiple sites. Pain is often felt in the arms, legs, head, chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks. People often describe it as aching, burning, or throbbing.
Some people with fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis /chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) use mobility aids such as canes, wheelchairs, scooters, and motorized grocery carts.