Hi Chauncey!
Nice to meet you and welcome to the fibro family!! I do understand about
not wanting to take pills, even though that's what I've resorted to finally. You might talk to your doctor about
other approaches to better sleep. There are lots of things that can be tried besides 'sleeping pill'. I'm not sure what your definition of 'sleeping pills' is but one thing that many people find works well is Ambien. It doesn't knock you out but once you fall asleep it helps you stay asleep. One thing you have painfully discovered about
fibro is that getting long, restful sleep is part of the disorder and without it the fibro pain is worse. Our bodies can't repair like they should during a good overnight sleep cycle.
You might also look towards other possible causes of your sleep problem besides the obvious...fibro. Is your bed comfortable? Does b/f snore and keep you awake? Worrying about
other things in life? Do you have restless leg syndrome? Short on Vit. D? The list is almost endless it seems.
There are lots of other things to try also. Things like a long, very warm bath before bedtime can help quite a log to relax the muscles so they will settle down. Have a good bedtime regime before going to bed. No alcohol or caffeine is a given if you want good sleep.
I went to the NIH web site and found some tips on good sleep for people with Fibro or others for that matter. Hope some of this helps...
Chutzie
Tips for Good Sleep
www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Fibromyalgia/default.asp#k * Keep regular sleep habits. Try to get to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day—even on weekends and vacations.
* Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. If consumed too close to bedtime, the caffeine in coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and some medications can keep you from sleeping or sleeping soundly. Even though it can make you feel sleepy, drinking alcohol around bedtime also can disturb sleep.
* Time your exercise. Regular daytime exercise can improve nighttime sleep. But avoid exercising within 3 hours of bedtime, which actually can be stimulating, keeping you awake.
* Avoid daytime naps. Sleeping in the afternoon can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you feel you cannot get by without a nap, set an alarm for 1 hour. When it goes off, get up and start moving.
* Reserve your bed for sleeping. Watching the late news, reading a suspense novel, or working on your laptop in bed can stimulate you, making it hard to sleep.
* Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
* Avoid liquids and spicy meals before bed. Heartburn and latenight trips to the bathroom are not conducive to good sleep.
* Wind down before bed. Avoid working right up to bedtime. Do relaxing activities, such as listening to soft music or taking a warm bath, that get you ready to sleep. (A warm bath also may soothe aching muscles.)
Below is a report of finding that was posted on the NIH site...National Institute of Health about
sleep and fibro..
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18643007"Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, USA.
[email protected]OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is a chronic pain condition characterized by diffuse muscle pain, increased negative mood, and sleep disturbance. Until recently, sleep disturbance in persons with FM has been modeled as the result of the disease process or its associated pain. The current study examined sleep disturbance (i.e., sleep duration and sleep quality) as a predictor of daily affect, stress reactivity, and stress recovery. DESIGN AND MEASURES: A hybrid of daily diary and ecological momentary assessment methodology was used to evaluate the psychosocial functioning of 89 women with FM. Participants recorded numeric ratings of pain, fatigue, and positive and negative affect 3 times throughout the day for 30 consecutive days. At the end of each day, participants completed daily diary records of positive and negative life events. In addition, participants reported on their sleep duration and sleep quality each morning. RESULTS: After accounting for the effects of positive events, negative events, and pain on daily affect scores, it was found that sleep duration and quality were prospectively related to affect and fatigue. Furthermore, the effects of inadequate sleep on negative affect were cumulative. In addition, an inadequate amount of sleep prevented affective recovery from days with a high number of negative events. CONCLUSIONS: These results lend support to the hypothesis that sleep is a component of allostatic load and has an upstream role in daily functioning. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved."