Treating Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain

Sleep Disorders





"How are you sleeping?" is one of the the first questions I ask new patients. If you don't get a good night's sleep, you're not going to get well.



Most people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain haven't slept well in years. Many of my patients take tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, or over-the-counter sleep aides to get them to sleep. But most of them never go into deep restorative sleep. It is in this deep delta-wave sleep that the body repairs itself. It does this by making human growth hormone (HGH) and other hormones that help repair damaged muscles, tissues, and organs. Deep sleep also builds and rejuvenates the immune system. Years of poor sleep, on the other hand, create an imbalance within a person's sleep regulatory system known as the circadian rhythm. The longer someone's sleep cycle has been compromised, the longer it usually takes for her to experience lasting symptom relief. But just a few nights of consistent deep sleep will provide a tremendous amount of improvement for most patients.



A Good Night's Sleep



Poor sleep has been linked to various health problems including depression, poor immune function, anxiety, weight gain, muscle pain, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, CFS, FMS, and headaches. This is not news to those who suffer from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain. They already know that their symptoms get worse when they don't get a good night's sleep.



Deep Restorative Sleep



If you're not dreaming, you're not going into deep sleep. Many of my patients have been on brain-numbing medications that render them brain-dead for eight hours. Most of these powerful sedatives (tranquilizers) don't allow a person to go into deep restorative sleep. So the patients have their eyes closed while they're knocked out for eight hours, but they don't receive the health benefits of deep restorative sleep. They will often feel hung over in the morning. Rarely do they feel rested and refreshed in the morning.



The Importance of Serotonin and Sleep



· Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, helps regulate sleep, digestion, pain, mood, and mental clarity. Normal serotonin levels help:

· raise the pain threshold (have less pain).(2)

· you to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.(3)

· regulate moods. It is known as "the happy hormone."

· reduce sugar cravings and over-eating.

· increase a person's mental abilities.

· regulate normal gut motility (transportation of food-stuff) and irritable bowel

· syndrome (IBS).(4)