One of the universal symptoms of fibromyalgia is fatigue, so patients need to make sure they are getting enough sleep. Watch rheumatologist Natalie Azar, MD, explain the importance of sleep and regular exercise in preventing fibromyalgia flare-ups.
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One of the universal symptoms in fibromyalgia is fatigue, fatigue associated with what we call non-restorative sleep, meaning that you wake up in the morning and don't feel rested, is one of the hallmark symptoms of fibromyalgia. Patients with fibromyalgia can significantly improve their symptoms if they get enough sleep.
Sleep disorders are often evaluated by sleep studies as well, to rule out other things such as apnea which may be interfering with a good night sleep. Additionally, we recommend regular exercise for fibromyalgia patients. At first, Fibromyalgia patients often will complain that their pain is worse after initially beginning an exercise regiment, but the benefits after they've been doing it for a while far outweigh that initial discomfort.
Jennifer Caudle, DO, is a board-certified family medicine physician and graduate of Princeton University. She is currently an assistant professor in the department of Family Medicine at Rowan University-School of Osteopathic Medicine.
