Sleep Management for Women with Fibromyalgia

Sleep management for women with fibromyalgia is critical to helping keep flareups at bay. When you talk to women with fibromyalgia, they often complain of sleep issues like insomnia and fatigue. They will be very tired throughout the day, but when they go to lie down at night, sleep just does not come. The good news is that there are various sleep management techniques that women can use to help alleviate their insomnia, and in turn, the accompanying fatigue.

Create a Regular Sleep Schedule

Constantly changing sleep and wake times will throw off circadian rhythm and make sleep more difficult to come by. By going to sleep and waking at the same times everyday, the body gets used to this. It will know when to wake up and be alert and when it is time to go to bed and rest.

Watch your Caffeine Consumption

Drinking coffee when you wake up is perfectly fine and the small jolt can actually be helpful for some with fibro. However, if you are taking in caffeine all throughout the day, this can keep the body stimulated and unable to turn off at night for sleep. A good rule of thumb is to stop drinking caffeine in the late afternoon and not pick it up again until morning.

Take Some Wind Down Time

Women want to take time away from stimulating things, such as the computer and television. About an hour before bed, you should do relaxing things like taking a warm bath or shower, meditating or gently stretching. One you are ready to lie down, you want to make sure that the room is quiet, dark and cool so that you can drift off easily.

Kick Naps to the Curb

Naps can be refreshing, but they also have a negative impact on nighttime sleeping. If you are having a really fatigue-filled day and absolutely need a nap, make sure it is not too late in the day and make it for a maximum of one hour. As soon as that hour is up, you should get up and get moving around.

Food and Drinks

Food and drinks too close to bedtime can prevent sleep from coming. The last thing you want is to be up several times during the night running to the bathroom. Stopping beverages an hour before heading to bed can help to minimize bathroom trips at night. You also want to avoid spicy foods because this can lead to heartburn which will make sleeping difficult.

Exercise Early

Exercise three hours prior to bedtime can leave you energized and unable to fall asleep. Morning or early afternoon exercise is best because this can help you get through the day without affecting your sleep. When you talk to women with fibro, they often state that exercising in the late morning has worked best.

Avoid Sleeping Medications on a Long-Term Basis

While sleep medications can be helpful to get women to sleep, using them long-term can cause the body to become dependent on them. When this happens, not using the medication means not being able to sleep because the body is waiting on the medication to know when it is time to sleep.