IT’S SLEEP SUNDAY – LETS TALK ABOUT INSOMNIA…

Many people suffer from insomnia and especially people suffering from chronic pain and fibromyalgia.

Insomnia is when either you cannot get to sleep when goin to bed, or you sleep a little then wake up and cannot get back to sleep again. Mayo Clinic wrote, ” Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.”

Another sleep problem is something called sleep apnea. If you suffer from this then the person simply stops breathing for ten to sixty seconds at various times during the night. This can leave you feeling exhausted the next day. However, this problem can often be solved with weight loss and sleeping in a different position.

Snoring is another problem for many people with your own loud snore waking you up or your partners snores keeping you awake. Nowadays you can buy different products and pillow which can help with this. You can also try earplugs which is something I have used for years as my husband is a snorer.

Some fibromyalgia sufferers also suffer from unconscious jerking of the arms and legs. For light sleepers, this is enough to wake them from their sleep and then they have a problem going back to sleep again. There are some anticonvulsant medication a GP can give you for this.

Another problem is teeth grinding and something I have been told I do but it certainly doesn’t actually bother me. This can result in morning neck or jaw pain but a dentist can help you with this.

All of the above cause what doctors call non-restorative sleep which means your body does not feel restored after your sleep like it should do. This then has a knock on effect and does not lessen any of your muscle pain but instead leaves you feeling in more pain and fatigue.

Sleep is self initiated unconsciousness and it all happens in part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This part of your head controls your waking and sleep cycles as well as other things. Some experts are now saying that the sleep problems are a result of a neurochemical imbalance which is something fibromyalgia patients suffer from.

Serotonin seems to be the key to much of this type of sleep problem as it is one of those neurotransmitters that helps regulate your sleep patterns. Healthline have a list of five ways to boost your serotonin without medication. This includes the right food, exercise, spending time in the sunshine, supplements and massage.

Some common causes of insomnia not related to any condition include stress, travel or work schedule, poor sleep habits, eating too much late in the evening, medications, mental health disorders, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

Source: Healthline, Mayo Clinic