“If you don’t get a good nights sleep you’re not going to get well. It really is that simple”. Dr. Murphee
The First Symptom
ME/CFS and FM doctors agree that getting as good a night’s sleep as possible is essential for improving your health.
“The most effective way to eliminate fatigue and pain in CFS/FMS is to get eight to nine hours of solid, deep sleep each night on a regular basis.” Dr. Teitelbaum
Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are not sleep disorders and improving your sleep will not cure them but getting better sleep will help you feel better (and vice versa).
Studies indicated that just a few nights of poor sleep result in increased sensitivity to pain and increased fatigue – two key elements of ME/CFS and FM.
Plus studies suggest that up to 20% of ME/CFS patients may not have ME/CFS at all, but an identifiable and treatable sleep disorder that could be uncovered during a sleep study. Eighty percent of people with the most common sleep disorder - sleep apnea - undiagnosed.
Learning About Sleep
Overviews
- Deconstructing Sleep in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – From Dr. Bateman
- Sleep and ME/CFS - Video Featuring Suzanne Vernon PhD
- Science For Patients Video Series #4: Dr. De Meirleir on Sleep
- Pt. 1: Why We Sleep (and what happens when we don't) - Mathew Walker I)
- Pt. II: The Darker Side of Sleeping Pills - Plus a CBT That Works? Mathew Walker II
- The Sleep Issues in Fibromyalgia: an Overview - Pt. 3 of Health Rising's Sleep Series
- Is a Hyperarousal Sleep Disorder Keeping People with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS Up at Night?
- Multi-omics Study Links Poor Sleep to Deficient Gut Bacteria in ME/CFS
- Are Balky Baroreceptors Causing Pain, Fatigue and Poor Sleep in Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and POTS?
- Breaking the Bad Sleep / Pain Cycle? A Fibromyalgia Inquiry
- Is Poor Sleep Pummeling the Immune System in ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia? A Vicious Circle Examined
- Hands Up! A Key to the Fatigue, Sleep, and Pain in Fibromyalgia Found?
- Cellular Havoc: Zeroing In On The Sleep Problems in Fibromyalgia?
- Empowering Research… While You Sleep - how a new tool may help researchers understand sleep problems in ME/CFS and FM.
- Study Illuminates the Cause of the Sleep Problems in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Finally)
Sleep apnea - can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and cognitive problems as well as affect the heart and other organs. It is largely undiagnosed.
- Eighty Percent of People with Sleep Apnea are Undiagnosed.
- Sleep Apnea and Fibromyalgia - A Growing Concern
- When It’s Not All ME/CFS/FM: How a Sleep Study Turned One Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patient’s Life Around
- Apps to Detect Sleep Apnea - see Sleep Monitors below
- Sleep Apnea Videos - Sleep Apnea Home Test / Tracking Sleep Apnea with Smartphone
Overviews
- Dr. Klimas Talks on Sleep, Orthostatic Intolerance, Supplements, Exercise and Cognition in ME/CFS
- The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Sleep Survey Results
- Discuss SleepTreatments and Issues on the Health Rising Forums
Mind/Body/Environment- A High-Tech, Low-Cost Path to Better Sleep with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia - use mind/body techniques to get better sleep
- Good Sleep Practices for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia - Dr. Bateman on non-drug ways to improve your sleep
- Heads-Up! Are You Missing an Easy Way to Improve Your Sleep and Health? - how raising the head of their bed improves some people's sleep
- A Bed of Nails for Better Sleep?
- New FDA-Approved Device for Insomnia May be More Effective Than Drugs
- Suggestions on Mattresses for Better Sleep (Health Rising Forums)
- Yoga Nidra or ‘Lucid Sleeping’ for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Sleep Drugs
- The ‘First Symptom’ – Sleep - IACFS/ME Primer recommendations for drugs to help people with ME/CFS sleep
- ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Patients on the Drugs That Help Them Sleep
- ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Patients on the Drug Combinations That Help Them Sleep
- Help for Sleep in ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Coming? New Sleep Drug Suvorexant Expected to Hit the Market This Year
- Novel Fibromyalgia Sleep and Pain Improving Drug Moves Forward
- TNX-102’s Rebirth Could Help With Sleep AND Pain in Fibromyalgia
- Glial Cell Inhibitors: The Next Sleep Drugs for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?
Supplements for Sleep
- L-theanine, melatonin, GABA, 5-HTP, GABA, etc
- Enhancing Sleep With 5-HTP
- New Cannabis Studies Suggest Help with Pain and Sleep in Fibromyalgia
- Vitamin D's Possible Connection to Sleep
Sleep Tools and Apps
Tracking Your Sleep
- Tracking Your Sleep For Better Health in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Personal Sleep Monitors - Do They Work?
- The Ultimate Guide to Tracking Sleep
- How Sleep Apnea Testing Came Home
- Android Sleep Apnea Apps
- Best IPhone Apps to Detect Sleep Apnea
- Free Sleep Tracker
- Better Sleep for Fibromyaglia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using the FibroMapp App
- Android apps to rest and relax you for better sleep
- The Lifesaver: ME/CFS/FM Patient Finds Simple Way to Get Sleep
- Aurora dream enhancing headband
- Nora - Stop Your Partner From Snoring
- Chrona - A Smart Pillow to Help You Sleep
- Eight hours of Relaxing Music For Sleep
