FIBRO FACT: people with Fibromyalgia have trouble sleeping

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Most people with Fibromyalgia complain of trouble sleeping and  to me it's a bit of a chicken or egg situation - which came first the chicken or the egg? - did sleep problems cause the fibro or did the fibro cause the sleep problems?

Difficulty falling asleep, frequent wakings, disruption to deep sleep, sleep apnea, daytime sleepiness, feeling tired all the time and restless legs syndrome are some of the frequently reported sleep  concerns that people with fibromyalgia have.

People with fibromyalgia may also experience an alteration in their patterns of slow wave sleep, which is the deepest stage of sleep. In one study, researchers selectively deprived a group of healthy middle-aged women of slow wave sleep for a period of three days. In response, the women showed a decreased tolerance for pain and increased levels of discomfort and fatigue, suggesting that such sleep disruption may play an important role in the development of fibromyalgia symptoms.  National Sleep Foundation.

Here we have gathered some articles written by people who have fibromyalgia about sleep:

• Fibromyalgia Sleep Disorders
• Restless Leg Syndrome
• Deep sleep eases pain and fatigue: study
• 4 Tips to help you sleep better with FMS
• Sleep Study: I Passed... Or Did I fail?
• Slumber Power
• Advice for getting a good night's sleep that works
• 5 Unusual Things to Improve Your Sleep
• Teenage sleep problems may predict later pain
• 10 things to do after a bad night's sleep

You may also like our Fibro and Sleep board on Pinterest

FIBRO FACT

FIBRO FACT: Over 50 percent of fibromyalgia patients also suffer from depression. So depression is common in people with fibromyalgia and it is a serious illness in it's own right let alone when mixed with the cocktail of symptoms fibro sufferers experience.

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"The pain is stealthy. It slowly morphs into depression and the depression is a danger in itself."  Rosemary at Seeking Equilibrium.

In one 2016 survey, of 671 people with fibromyalgia, over 63 percent  indicated that they had been diagnosed with depression.

In a large Canadian study those with FMS had approximately three times higher odds of depression in comparison with those without FMS, even when controlling for important socio-demographic characteristics. "30 to 50 percent of patients have anxiety and/or depression at the time of diagnosis."

When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes mental pain for you and those who care about you. The same can be said of fibromyalgia.

WHY FIBROMYALGIA &  DEPRESSION OFTEN OCCUR TOGETHER:

• Fibromyalgia (FM) may contribute biologically to depression.
• FM sufferers may become depressed as a reaction to the diagnosis, the pain and/or incapacity caused by the FM or its treatment.
• Depression and FM may be unrelated, even though occurring together.

PERSONAL STORIES: Fibro Blogger articles about depression and fibromyalgia from real people with fibromyalgia and depression:
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Depression and taking off the mask... how I hate admitting it
Psychobiotics and the dark chocolate connection
Hulking Gray Beast
Depression, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain

HELPFUL SITES ABOUT DEPRESSION:
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
Mental Health America
National Institute of Mental Health

If you have an article about fibro and depression please let us know so we can add it here.

RESOURCES:

Majority of Fibromyalgia Patients Also Diagnosed With Depression, Anxiety 

Fuller-Thomson E, Nimigon-Young J, Brennenstuhl S. Individuals with fibromyalgia and depression: findings from a nationally representative Canadian survey. Rheumatol Int. 2012 Apr;32(4):853-62. [PubMed] [Reference list]