People with fibromyalgia are also more likely to have other sleep conditions that prevent them from getting a good night's rest. In addition to alpha-delta sleep anomaly, people who have fibro may experience restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movements during sleep, and sleep apnea. Many grind their teeth during sleep, a condition known as bruxism that is associated with temporomandibular joint disorder and wearing down of the teeth.

RLS

People who have RLS often describe a creepy crawly sensation in their legs that usually occurs at night. Approximately 20 to 40 percent of people with FMS suffer from this neurological condition, which afflicts about 8 percent of all adults in the United States.

The condition makes your legs feel twitchy, uneasy, and tingly. These sensations cause an overwhelming urge to move the legs. Often, the only way to get relief from these uncomfortable sensations is to get up and move. Some people can find relief from RLS by taking a walk, stretching, taking a hot or cold bath, or massaging the affected leg. Sometimes, practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga can help. Reducing stress and giving up cigarettes and caffeine might also help. But others may need medications to help reduce or relieve their symptoms.

Periodic Limb Movements During Sleep (PLMS)

About 80 percent of people with RLS also have periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS). PLMS is characterized by herky-jerky maneuvers of the legs and feet that occur as frequently as every half a second but usually every twenty to forty seconds. The motion is involuntary and may sometimes be strong enough to hurt someone sleeping beside you. They may also vary a great deal; some people have small imperceptible movement, while others may be flailing. In rare cases, the movements involve the arms. Either way, the involuntary nighttime motions inhibit sound sleep and leave its sufferers exhausted. Most people who have PLMS are aged 65 or older. The condition occurs equally in men and women. Although the cause of PLMS remains a mystery, experts believe it may involve the nervous system.

PLMS is generally not considered a serious medical problem. But the constant movement can disturb sleep and exacerbate fatigue. That's because every time you move, you go from a deeper state of sleep to a lighter one, making it hard for you to get the restorative sleep you need in the deeper stages. As a result, getting treatment for RLS and PLMS is important for fibromyalgia patients.

Sleep Apnea

Approximately 18 million people in the United States have sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when you actually stop breathing for ten to thirty seconds at a time while you're asleep. These brief spells can occur as many as 400 times a night, and they prevent a good night's rest. During sleep, the person with sleep apnea may frequently snore, pause, and gasp. Some people are unaware they have sleep apnea until a family member alerts them to their loud snoring.

Most people with sleep apnea have obstructive apnea, which means something is blocking the windpipe, or trachea, which brings air into your body. Efforts to breathe are blocked by the tongue, tonsils, or uvula, the little piece of flesh that hangs in the back of your throat. Excess fatty tissue in the throat or even relaxed throat muscles can cause obstructive sleep apnea, too. Sleep apnea is more common in men with fibromyalgia than it is in women. The majority of people who have it are overweight.

In some people, sleep apnea can cause depression, memory problems, and difficulties concentrating. It may also contribute to high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and heart attack. In addition, sleep apnea can lead to a serious heart problem called cardiomyopathy, which is diffuse damage to the heart muscle. When you stop breathing as you sleep, the oxygen levels in your blood drop. Your heart can't stop beating, so it continues to work with less oxygen than it needs. The low oxygen levels can damage the heart tissue. If not caught early, this condition can be fatal.

The most common way to treat sleep apnea is through weight reduction. But there are also devices that can be used to improve breathing. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment, for instance, involves an apparatus that uses a nasal mask to blow air from a fan into the nostrils to keep the airway open.

Bruxism

The nighttime result of daytime stress can sometimes result in bruxism, the clenching or grinding of teeth. Bruxism can often lead to temporomandibular joint disorder. Some people who clamp their teeth together also grind their teeth, in a sideways or back-and-forth movement.

As you might imagine, doing this to your teeth every night can wear down the enamel on your teeth and can lead to jaw pain, headaches, and ear problems. It can also worsen existing dental problems. The nightly grinding may go unnoticed until the dentist detects unusual wear on the surface of the teeth. Usually, bruxism is a result of too much stress.

Treating bruxism requires a multipronged approach that involves reducing the clenching, limiting damage to the teeth, and minimizing the pain. Making an effort to relax your jaw muscles throughout the day can help reduce the clenching. You should also try to reduce stress by doing relaxation exercises such as meditation. In addition, invest in a night guard that will help prevent damage to your teeth. To eliminate pain, you can try applying ice or heat to a sore jaw. You may also find relief with help from a massage therapist.