People with fibromyalgia have more difficulty
falling asleep, the quality of sleep is lower and the quantity less,
compared to the general population, according to
the results of a new examination.
The researchers have drawn the attention of doctors specializing in sleep disorders in fibromyalgia patients, as better sleep can help improve symptoms of the disease.
The study, “Sleep Disturbances in Fibromyalgia: A Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies,” published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, reviewed several previously published studies reporting the relationship between sleep disturbances and the development of fibromyalgia.
The benefits of a good night’s rest have a positive impact on everyone’s physical and mental health.
According to researchers, sleep deprivation affects nearly 80% of fibromyalgia patients, and studies have shown that poor sleep quality is a risk factor for fibromyalgia.
In fact, poor sleep is strongly associated with symptom severity—the less sleep patients get, the worse their symptoms become.
Clinical drug studies have shown that improving sleep quality can reduce pain in fibromyalgia patients.
To understand the characteristics of sleep disturbances and their effects on patients with fibromyalgia, researchers examined 25 studies of fibromyalgia cases and healthy controls, with a total of 2,086 participants, in which sleep was assessed using polysomnography (19 studies), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (seven studies).
Studies evaluating sleep with polysomnography have reported significant differences between fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals regarding wake time after sleep onset, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency, among other parameters.
Studies that assessed sleep using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index reported significant differences in overall scores, time from sleep attempt to sleep onset, and sleep quality between the two groups of participating patients.
According to this review, this may be because patients with fibromyalgia have difficulty falling asleep, have lower sleep quality and efficiency, longer wake time before falling asleep, shorter sleep duration, and light sleep.
“Clinical trials have shown that improving the quality of
Sleep can reduce pain in people with fibromyalgia.”
wrote the researchers.
“Therefore, primary care providers should be aware of the results of the present study and should proactively assess the risk of sleep disturbances in patients complaining of chronic widespread pain, or consider a diagnosis of fibromyalgia in these patients.
Clinicians should also actively treat sleep disturbances, particularly when poor rest is identified in people with fibromyalgia.
