Fibromyalgia and A Good Night's Sleep

Getting the best night's sleep you can is essential when dealing with fibromyalgia. There are various medications and herbal remedies you can try; those that increase the time spent in deep sleep are believed to be the most effective, but if you can find something that will help you fall asleep and stay asleep that is a good place to start. Some prescribed medications can be split into two doses so that if you awaken during the night you can take a second dose. You can also do practical things to increase your chances of a good night's sleep: *Establish a regular sleeping pattern: go to bed at the same time each evening and get up at the same time every morning *Do an activity to relax you before going to bed. This could be listening to music or a novel on cassette, having a warm bath with lavender bath oil, doing some relaxation exercises, or simply reading a book. Watching something scary or thrilling on TV can sometimes be a little too stimulating. *Ensure that your bed and pillow are comfortable and supportive. Try out various mattresses and ergonomic pillows; an Adjustamatic bed or a Tempur mattress and pillow come with good recommendations, though they are quite expensive. Make sure you stay warm during the night and avoid being near any drafts from open windows. When you get a good night's sleep it is much easier to face the day and cope with the nagging pain and fatigue. It is certainly worth persisting with good sleeping habits and various medications to achieve the best night's sleep you can. MY SLEEP HABITS Getting a good nights sleep has been the one big thing that I have constantly struggled with. Some of my other problems come and go from time to time, but I have never been able to consistently get a good nights sleep. For me, Ambian worked wonderfully for awhile, but our insurance company decided they wanted me to pay an arm and a leg for the pleasure of a good night's sleep. My sleeping habits change like the seasons. I am now in my going to bed at 4:00am season. No matter how hard I try, I almost always see the clock roll past 4:00am, 5:00am and sometimes 6:00am. Needless to say my day is always screwed up.