Introduction
People with chronic pain report difficulty sleeping as a substantial source of distress. For many chronic pain diseases, such as arthritis, back/neck pain, fibromyalgia, headaches, and orofacial pain, sleep problems have continuously been reported a high number of times. Numerous studies have found that people with chronic pain are more likely to have sleep issues than pain-free people. When seeking treatment, these patients commonly list improved pain management with refreshed sleep as one area where they would like practical assistance. Pain may impact several sleep-related factors, including length, disruption, and effectiveness. A complex musculoskeletal pain disorder called fibromyalgia (FM) affects 0.7% to 4.8% of people worldwide. Chronic widespread pain and fatigue are the two main characteristics, signs, and symptoms of fibromyalgia. Pain, most notably when awakening from sleep, but even in the middle of the afternoon, and inactivity over an extended length of time worsen the symptoms. Minor activities may make them worse. In addition, when waking up in the morning, people may feel stiff. Patients complain of having light sleep and frequent morning awakenings. Even if they sleep for eight to ten hours, they don't feel rested when they wake up. More information regarding fibromyalgia and its connection to sleep difficulties is covered in this article.
What Is a Good Night's Sleep?
A person has had a good night's sleep when they can go to sleep easily, don't fully awaken during the night, don't wake up too early, and feel rested when they arise. Adults in good health require a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night. Every 90 to 110 minutes, sleep cycles typically repeat themselves. Each cycle consists of a series of several sleep phases. REM sleep and non-REM sleep are the two primary categories of sleep. REM stands for "rapid eye movement." This name refers to the rapid eye movements seen during sound sleep. While toddlers and adults are sleeping deeply, their eyelids are closed, and their eyes move rapidly back and forth. Only during the REM phases do people dream.
What Are the Conditions That Can Affect Good Sleep Patterns?
One needs a certain amount of sleep for their health and well-being. There are numerous approaches to treating insomnia and enhancing sleep.
Sleeping can be challenging for many reasons, including alcohol, drugs, and prescription medications. Stress or working shifts at unusual hours can impair the ability to sleep and cause mental or physical sickness. Nightly respiratory pauses (sleep apnea) or restless legs syndrome might keep some people awake. Many women who are going through menopause discover that hot flashes keep them up at night.
Moreover, natural or healthy sleep patterns may be disturbed by medical conditions, such as pregnancy, intellectual and developmental impairments, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. Patients with chronic pain described numerous types of sleep disturbances, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, cancer pain, headaches, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Other conditions like depression or schizophrenia, stroke, and brain injuries, frequently experience sleep issues. According to some researchers, many of these sleep issues are caused by alterations in the brain regions that regulate waking and sleeping.
What Are Sleep Disorders?
Some of the critical sleep disorders are:
1. Sleep Apnea
Snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea rather than an annoying habit. People with sleep apnea frequently make gasping or "snorting" noises, temporarily disrupting their sleep. Because their sleep is frequently disturbed and does not feel restorative, people with sleep apnea might also experience excessive daytime sleepiness. The cause of sleep apnea will determine how it is treated. Sleep apnea may disappear when other medical disorders are treated, such as congestive heart failure or nasal blockage. Treatment for sleep apnea may also be successful when gentle air pressure is given during sleep, often in the form of a nasal continuous positive airway pressure device. Sleep apnea symptoms should be addressed carefully since irregular breathing interruption or airway obstruction while one sleeps might negatively affect their health.
2. Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder, affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles. Narcoleptics may feel rested when they first wake up but then experience extreme daytime sleepiness. Many people who have narcolepsy also have unsteady, interrupted sleep, which can include frequent nighttime awakenings. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is reached in a typical sleep cycle after 60 to 90 minutes. Within 15 minutes of falling asleep, narcoleptics usually reach REM sleep. Excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis are signs of narcolepsy.
3. Insomnia
The inability to establish or maintain sleep is a defining feature of insomnia. It could also manifest as an early morning wakeup, in which case the person wakes up many hours early and cannot go back to sleep. Excessive daytime drowsiness, a symptom of difficulty starting or sustaining sleep, frequently leads to functional impairment throughout the day.
4. Restless Leg Syndrome
The hallmark of restless leg syndrome is an unpleasant "creeping" sensation that frequently feels like it starts in the lower legs but would soon become widespread in the legs. Movement of the leg, such as walking or kicking, helps to alleviate this, which frequently makes it difficult to start falling asleep.
What Is the Relationship Between Fibromyalgia and Sleep Disorders?
Sleep issues are typical fibromyalgia symptoms. Some sufferers find that sleep problems worsen their symptoms and put them in a loop of agony and bad sleep.
Fibromyalgia is known to cause sleep disturbances such as difficulties getting sleep, difficulty staying asleep, decreased sleep duration, frequent nighttime interruptions, and unrefreshing sleep. Patients with fibromyalgia often have sleep disorders, which significantly impact their quality of life in terms of their health. Numerous factors, such as mood issues in chronic pain patients, may impact the connection between fibromyalgia and sleep disturbances. Negative emotional functioning interacts with fibromyalgia symptoms, which is not surprising given that these patients typically experience more stress than healthy people. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that insufficient sleep lowers pain thresholds and cognitive abilities for pain management. However, Fibromyalgia-related sleep difficulties can be resolved by practicing good sleep hygiene and forming healthy sleep habits.
1. Sleep Apnea
Anxiety, sleep apnea, migraines, and fibromyalgia were the most often reported concomitant conditions. Fibromyalgia is reported to increase the risk of sleep apnea, a risk factor for the condition. Patients with fibromyalgia who have untreated sleep apnea may notice increased fibromyalgia symptoms.
2. Narcolepsy
A long-term neurological condition that affects the nervous system is narcolepsy. It results in irregular sleep, which may lower a person's quality of life. Brain fog can be caused by fibromyalgia as well as narcolepsy.
3. Insomnia
Although pain is the main persistent complaint, people with fibromyalgia frequently experience sleep disturbances. Insomnia can increase fibromyalgia symptoms since it might lower the pain threshold.
4. Restless Leg Syndrome
Research consistently demonstrates a connection between restless leg syndrome and fibromyalgia. Some people may have their restless leg syndrome symptoms misinterpreted as fibromyalgia because both disorders are linked to sensory abnormalities, and vice versa. Therefore, treating the secondary causes can lessen symptoms for some patients with restless leg syndrome.
How Can Sleep Disorders in Fibromyalgia Be Managed?
-
Nonpharmacological Therapy
-
Sleep education.
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
-
Aquatic exercises.
-
-
Pharmacological Therapy
-
Anticonvulsants.
-
Beta-blockers.
-
Antipsychotics.
-
NSAIDs.
-
Antidepressants.
-
Conclusion
In fibromyalgia, pain was linked to several sleep-related factors, such as sleep disruption, onset latency, and efficiency. More specifically, it was determined that sleep disruption was the most significant aspect of sleep and should be the subject of fibromyalgia research. Instruments to evaluate fibromyalgia sleep status have been created due to the evaluative nature of this disorder. These nonpharmacological and pharmaceutical suggested ways for the therapy of fibromyalgia to be beneficial in managing sleep disturbance, even if the significant outcome of the approved therapeutic strategies is pain reduction.
