I've had problems with sleeping for some years now, like a lot of us here.
I have been wondering whether my history of anxiety induced these problems or if fibro is to blame due to the pain and stiffness.
Perhaps a mixture of the two!
I know one thing, in my "next life" I'm coming back as a cat, they seem to sleep lovely!!
My kitty Sybil, oh I wish I could curl up and sleep like she does, we'd all feel sooooo much better for it........lol
Der Lucy
Sleep problems are a part of FM. No doubt the anxiety contributes to it. In my adult life I have always has trouble getting to sleep. For years, before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I blamed it on the bad habit I had. As a single parent the only time I had to myself was bedtime so that is when I would think on and try to find solutions to my problems. I was not diagnosed with FM til I was 44. However, as I look back on my life I realise that my FM started in childhood. I too have restless legs which are specially bad if I have been on my feet during the day. That bothers sleep. If I am in pain that prevents me from getting to sleep. I never have drunk coffee and tea I drink rarely.
Yes sleep is important, but the sleep we get with FM is not restful or refreshing at all because the FM does not allow us to reach the REM level, the restorative level. That's why you wake up feeling as tired as when you went to bed.
Poor sleep is a classic common symptom of fibro people with fibro never fall into that REM sleep which is the restorative part of sleep and the can't stay asleep you can go to sleep but will wake up many times during the night it is very common. I take 200mg of Endep (Amiltriptline} It is anti-depressant but has the effect off keeping you asleep all night without waking up all the time, and you don't build up a tolerance to it so you don't have to keep upping the dose hope this helps you Jeannie
