It confounds and amazes me that I can wake up after more than six hours of sleep and feel more exhausted than when I went to bed. Instead of refreshing, I would describe my sleep as soul-crushing (when pain keeps me from sleeping well), emotionally draining, and physically debilitating.
Fibromyalgia has many evil friends that it brings to the party daily, but unrefreshing sleep is one of the vilest. If you don’t get good sleep or wake up exhausted, it impacts every area of your life and health. Lately, I’ve had greater difficulty waking up. It then takes about three hours before I feel almost human again. As I’m writing this, I’ve been awake for 3 1/2 hours and am still exhausted. I’m hoping my coffee will help to remedy that.
I know they say you should not look at your devices at least an hour or two before bed, but that’s hard for me because my tablet is my lifeline. If I’m not sleepy, I’m apt to be playing a game or streaming a favorite show on my tablet. I did buy a pair of clip-on lenses that cut out the blue light when I’m on my tablet, and I find that really helps. I wear the daytime ones both during the day and at night. A bonus is that my eyes don’t feel as strained or as dry as they did before.
I recently read an interesting item by the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association that noted:
“Sleep dysfunction is considered an integral feature of fibromyalgia syndrome. Seventy percent of patients with fibromyalgia recognize a connection with poor sleep and an increased pain, along with feeling unrefreshed, fatigued, and emotionally distressed. Several studies have linked abnormal sleep with these symptoms.
Some researchers have studied fibromyalgia and sleep, confirming the disordered sleep physiology in fibromyalgia. This abnormality has been identified as an alpha-wave intrusion sleep anomaly, which occurs during NREM stage-4 sleep. This intrusion into deep sleep causes the patient to awaken or to be aroused into a lighter level of sleep.”
How is your sleep these days? Got any good ideas to improve it?
***
Note: Fibromyalgia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Fibromyalgia News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to fibromyalgia.
My problem is worse. I am on a CPAP machine and I still don’t feel restored when I wake up in the morning. I have had Fibro since 1993 and was officially diagnosed in 1995. My best description is when I wake up, I feel like I’ve been in a fight.
Penelope, that sounds awful! My husband was on a CPAP machine for years and he also struggles with insomnia, I feel your pain 💜
Ah yes. To sleep, perchance to dream. (In another lifetime, maybe). I must admit that exercise (which I abhor) does help with sleep for me. I fall asleep more quickly, and I get back to sleep more easily when I wake up during the night.
Christine that’s awesome! Nothing really seems to work for me, exercise is sometimes worse for me due to the malaise that follows. I miss just dropping off to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up feeling ready to go
With fibro I also have 12 sleep disorders. Every morning I think – How can I hurt this bad still be alive- The previous Pain Mngt dr said – sleep doesn’t have any thing to do with anything- . She’s in the MONEY MNGT business. May she get spiders in her cheeseburgers and every RED light on every street.
Sandra, I’m sorry for your suffering and Shane in that Dr!