Reasons to Get a Sleep Study When You Have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Better Sleep Month Series
Have you had a sleep study? The more I learn about fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS), the more I think all of us diagnosed with these conditions should have one.
Why is it so important? Here are a few reasons:
- Many of us have undiagnosed sleep disorders, and they can be a major barrier to getting better.
- Some sleep disorders can lead to other serious health problems if left untreated, especially sleep apnea and bruxism (teeth grinding).
- Doctors can easily mistake narcolepsy and ME/CFS for each other. Some researchers recommend screening for narcolepsy before diagnosing ME/CFS.
- Many of us get dizzy upon standing, which can lead to fainting (syncope). In some cases, researchers have linked syncope to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and treating OSA eliminated or improved syncope and dizziness.
I had a sleep study last fall, after my fatigue level went through the roof. I suspected OSA and was right. Getting treatment has really helped me sleep better, and as we all know, sleeping better means feeling better. The study itself wasn't fun, but one bad night is a small price to pay for better sleep. (However, be sure to check with your insurance, because sleep studies are generally quite expensive.)
Here's more about sleep studies, what to expect, and my recommendations for getting through it with as little discomfort as possible:
Have you had a sleep study? What did it show? Are you glad you did it? Share your experience by leaving a comment below!
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Comments
I recently had a sleep study. I am not sure how it is accurate because as usual, I could not sleep. They knocked me out with ambien which as a nurse, I would think that this would cause inaccurate results. I haven’t gotten the results from my Dr. yet.
I was diagnosed with OSA about 5 years before I was diagnosed with fibro, but they certainly feel inter-related. If my asthma is flaring & I can’t use my CPAP, then it’s a given that my fibro will also flare! If my fibro is flaring, then the pain sometimes makes it more difficult to get a good night’s rest! Soemtimes you just can’t win!!
my sleep study showed i dont get enough restoritive sleep…when i went for my follow up the neuroglist said my CFS will be cured when i get over being depressed…which i didnt feel i was…very disappointing
Linda,
Is there another doctor you can see? If your doctor is refusing to treat something that’s medically proven and instead blames something that’s not, I’d think it’s time to find someone better qualified. While we know there’s a connection between ME/CFS and depression, research show depression doesn’t cause ME/CFS, and certainly a lot of people have gotten past their depression but still had ME/CFS just as bad.
We do have treatment options for improving restorative sleep, so I’d suggest you see a sleep specialist or someone who understands ME/CFS better.
I think doctors fail to recognize that having a life-changing illness in itself can cause depression.
We need support and treatment for these illnesses and THEN any depression should be addressed.
Of course, if a patient comes in talking about suicide or severely depressed, it’s time to talk depression but if a patient’s major complaint is pain, unrefreshing sleep, or some physical symptom — GIVE THE PATIENT THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT!
Gosh, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told nothing was wrong with me, that it was “just depression.” Now THAT IS depressing!
Here I was walking around with pain, fatigue and brain fog, worrying whether or not I could keep my job and the doctors are disregarding my physical complaints. I felt pushed into saying, “Yeah, I do get depressed… but here’s the deal doc: I get tired FIRST and then I get depressed because I don’t have the energy to do things and I don’t feel so great!” Then, I get into a silly argument where the doctor is telling me that I’m tired BECAUSE I’m depressed.
Yes, being tired is a symptom of depression. But, having pain and lacking energy is kind of a bummer. Thank goodness for my cognitive behavioral psychologist — she specializes in chronic illness patients. She recognizes things the doctors do not…
While I do disagree with her that depression is a chemical thing… I think that’s just not the whole story. She doesn’t fail to recognize that I COULD (and probably am) depressed because I’m physically ill. She doesn’t see my depression as its own entity so much as she seems to encourage me to talk about my life and things that can contribute to depression.
And guess what? I’m doing better… so, something is working! We set small, manageable goals, we track goals, she helps me keep things in perspective… and I feel I’ve regained a sense of control, despite my illness.
Why are doctors so quick to medicate for depression? I think they’re protecting their behinds so they don’t get sued if they miss the signals for a really serious depression.
So, me, being mildly depressed and non-suicidal is having to be at odds with my doctor who just sees “a depressed patient” who refuses treatment — but, hey, at least she’s seeing a therapist!
For those who need the medications, I am not telling you that you don’t. I will say therapy has been a great benefit for me. If you find the right therapist… I think that learning some COPING is necessary to deal with FM/CFS so my personal feeling is that medications without supportive therapy just seems like an odd idea to me when it comes to adjusting to life with a chronic illness. I’ve learned that my feelings are REAL and VALID and I’ve come to a personal realization that I’m in a grief process related to my illness.
There are bad therapists out there. There are good ones. It took me a few tries. If you google “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy AND Fibromyalgia,” you’ll probably find good information in support of it. My therapist, as I said specializes in chronic illness. I have a psychologist – she does not deal with medications. A psychiatrist can prescribe meds. I thought that information is useful, depending on what you think your needs are.
I had the 24 hour sleep test. The results showed I didn’t sleep at night but did during all 3 short daytime naps.I certainly didn’t remember going to sleep during the naps.
I was given 2 sleeping pill to take at night and within 3 days became confused and silly. It was due to the newly given Ambien CR and melatonin.I stopped both completely.
I’m still heavily fatigued no matter what I do.
It’s so hard to have any medical professional dismiss your real physical aliments as psychological.I too disagree with depression being due to a chemically imbalance-there’s no proof at all to prove this so far.
I was told for many years I had Fibro and CFS when it was MS. So keep trying to find out what’s the problem, get appropriate relief and believe in yourself””