How are sleep disturbances related to fibromyalgia?

• Improve your sleep habits. Try to relax before bed by listening to soothing music or taking a bath. Stick to a regular sleep schedule -- that is, go to bed and get up at the same time every day. When you do turn in, don't watch TV or work on your computer while in bed. Your bedroom should be for sleeping.
• Create a healthy sleep environment. Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet while you rest.
• Avoid daytime naps. Studies show that  siestas make it harder to get a good night's sleep.
• Limit your caffeine and alcohol. Too much of either can disrupt your sleeping patterns.
• Consider medication. In particular, small doses of antidepressants known as tricyclic medications appear to help promote healthier sleep in people with fibromyalgia. These medicines can help relax painful muscles, too.

There’s some important news for millions of people -- most of them women -- who suffer from the syndrome fibromyalgia: a recent study suggests that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia.

The study was conducted at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The study included 12,350 women. At the outset of the study, all the women were free of physical impairment, musculoskeletal pain and fibromyalgia. A decade later, 327 of the women -- 2.6% of the study population -- had developed fibromyalgia. Researchers asked all the women in the study to report on their sleep habits and their sleep problems. They found that women who reported sleep problems were significantly more likely to have developed fibromyalgia than women without sleep problems. The researchers also found that the risk of fibromyalgia increases with a woman’s age, and with the severity of sleep problems.

It’s important to make clear that this study does not prove that sleep deficiencies cause fibromyalgia. What it does do -- for the first time -- is establish a strong connection between sleep problems and fibromyalgia by showing the increased risk of fibromyalgia that is associated with lack of sleep.

Fibromyalgia can be triggered by dozens of different problems. These can include sleep apnea (consider this if you are overweight, snore, have high blood pressure, and fall asleep easily during the day) and restless leg syndrome (where your legs are jumping at night). Interestingly, treating even mild iron deficiency (despite normal blood tests) can be very effective at relieving restless leg syndrome.

The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but poor sleep definitely plays a role in the condition. If you have fibromyalgia, you may notice that your symptoms tend to flare up when you don't get a good night of sleep. Similarly, you may feel that you are getting plenty of sleep but still waking up tired. While it's impossible to say whether or not certain sleep disorders can actually cause fibromyalgia, they definitely have a tendency to aggravate the condition. Two of the most common are sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. If you have either of these conditions, they may be disrupting your sleep without you even knowing. Talk to your doctor about possible treatment options.

Dr. Kim Dupree Jones, a fibromyalgia expert at the Oregon Health & Science University, says, “Sleep is so key in fibromyalgia. Treating sleep problems is so important.” 

It is, but patients and doctors sometimes get so focused on treating the fibromyalgia-induced sleeping problems that they miss other warning signs. Dr. Charles R. Cantor, a sleep medicine expert and the medical director of the Penn Sleep Centers of the University of Pennsylvania, explains, “It’s important that you and your doctor don’t just assume that your sleeping problems are related to your fibromyalgia. You may have symptoms that will lead your doctor to suspect something else is going on, like sleep apnea. People can fall through the cracks this way.”