Fibromyalgia Sleep-Wake Cycle

If you live with fibromyalgia, then you have heard of the cliche that in order to have less pain, you need more sleep. As someone living with fibromyalgia, getting any sleep is difficult for someone suffering from chronic pain. If you need more sleep, there are ways to break the crazy chaos and establish a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

Not getting the sleep needed when you need it

It first starts when you get out of bed in the morning – tired, stiff, and ran over most of the time. You are so hit by fatigue you could easily slip under the covers and catch a few more hours of zzz’s. One eye is on the clock as you move through the day waiting for the hour you can get back in bed for the night. Only, when the night comes, you find yourself wide awake staring at the ceiling and pondering over the details of the universe and everything contained within it. The same as last night, and the night before that, and the night before that. This cycle is known by fibromyalgia and chronic pain sufferers all over the world.

How to Break the Sleep-Wake Cycle

Step 1

Creating a peaceful sleeping environment is one of the first steps to getting better sleep. This means no intruding lights or sounds, a comfortable bed, and a room temperature that’s suitable for you. It’s important to have no background noise such as the television playing or any lights shining on you (such as an alarm clock).

Step 2

It’s also good to establish a healthy nightly routine. A nightly routine includes transitioning smoothly from evening activities to bedtime such as setting a limit for screen time, clearing your head of any thoughts or worries, and turning off the television. It involves brushing your teeth, taking medications, and doing anything else you do prior to going to bed.

Step 3

If you are unable to fall asleep right away, leave your bed and bedroom and go to another part of your house. Do something that helps you fall asleep or become tired. Drinking warm tea, reading a book, or sitting quietly to work through any thoughts. Do NOT watch television or use your phone. The lights from these devices signal your brain that it’s awake time making sleep even more difficult. Do this whenever you have trouble falling back to sleep after waking.

Optional Step

You could also use meditation or sleep apps to help guide you to sleep. There are various free apps to listen to while trying to fall asleep. There are several guided visualization exercises that train the brain to relax and fall asleep and can be found in the app store. You could also check out this article.

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