Sleep Needed for Chronic Fatigue & Fibromyalgia Patients to Get Well

The most effective way to eliminate pain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients is to get at least nine hours of deep sleep every night without waking up. Disordered sleeping patterns fuel Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia and is probably the underlying process that drives these illnesses. Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia are illnesses with many complex, disabling symptoms and causes. Studies have proven that CFS and Fibromyalgia patients suffer from hypothalamic dysfunction.

Several problems that appear in many CFS and Fibromyalgia patients all derive from the hypothalamic dysfunction: Poor sleep, hormonal deficiencies, immune dysfunction, low body temperature and autonomic nervous system dysfunction (this is a problem with blood pressure regulation). The hypothalamus is considered the master gland and it controls the activity of other glands in the body.

Canadian researchers have noted that the quality of deep sleep seen in Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia patients is poor. There are four stages of sleep a person needs to go through daily in order to get a good night's sleep: Stages 1 & 2 are light stages of sleep; stages 3 & 4 are the deep stages of sleep. Research has shown that stages 3 & 4 are poorly reached in Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia patients. The human growth hormone is released during stages 3 & 4 of sleep. Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia patients show a marked deficiency in the human growth hormone.

For those of us with CFS and Fibromyalgia, sleeping problems are a catch-22 situation. Good, restful sleep is needed in order for the body to recover and to not suppress the hypothalamus further. But due to the hypothalamic dysfunction, sleeping well is almost impossible.

Here are some tips that can help improve sleeping patterns:

- Do not drink alcohol at bedtime or soon before.

- Do not drink or eat anything with caffeine after 4:00 p.m.

- Take a hot bath before bedtime.

- Keep your bedroom cool.

- People with CFS and Fibromyalgia tend to have their days and nights mixed up. When it is time for bed it seems as though our brains kick on overdrive and our minds race. If this happens, get up and write down everything you are worrying about. This should help you relax more when you go back to bed.

- Make a to-do list before going to bed for the next day.

- Do not drink a lot of liquids before bedtime so that you don't wake up frequently to use the bathroom during the night.

- Place your bedroom clock out of arm's reach and turn it away from you so that you can't see the time. Constantly looking at the clock when you can't sleep just aggravates insomnia.

- Eat a light snack before bedtime, as hunger can cause insomnia.

- Get out of bed at the same time every morning regardless of how much sleep you had the previous night. This will create a rhythm for your body's sleep cycle.

- Talk to your doctor about combining prescription sleep medications (Ambien, Trazadone, Sonata) along with some natural remedies (Melatonin).

If you have Chronic Fatigue and/or Fibromyalgia, doing the above things will probably not cure your sleeping problems because they stem from hypothalamic suppression. But incorporating these habits into your daily routine can help you sleep more than what you currently are.