MS AND SLEEP: DOES ONE AFFECT THE OTHER?
Disturbed sleep or lack of sleep can be quite common amongst individuals living with multiple sclerosis. I am someone who has many nights with limited sleep and then extreme fatigue all day. For me, it got to a point where it was so bad, that I finally reached out to my neurologist and spoke to her about this issue. That’s when I learned about how common it can be even though these sleep problems may not be due to the disease itself. Some common sleep problems for individuals with MS are restless leg syndrome, urinary issues, depression, stress, MS medication side effects, insomnia, and/or increased naps during the day due to fatigue.
The first step I had to take was pinpointing the reason for my inability to sleep or stay asleep at night. I experience tingling and nerve pain that seems to heighten every night. I first tried different medications, some for fatigue and others to help me get to sleep. The medications I tried to help me get to sleep and stay asleep weren’t successful but we were able to apply some other strategies that now help me with getting more sleep than I previously was. Some strategies that have been successful are below:
Taking melatonin about 30-40 minutes before bed has been quite a game changer. Melatonin is a hormone in your body that plays a role in sleep. You can purchase melatonin over the counter in many stores.
Working out later in the day or evening. This was a hard change for me because I loved my early morning workouts. Working out in the evening can help with exerting energy and aid in better rest at night.
Keeping a pre bedtime routine to help unwind can be beneficial. Examples: washing face, reading a book for a half an hour a night — anything to help you prepare to be relaxed.
Lastly, on nights when I am unable to fall asleep, rather than laying in my bed awake, getting and doing something to relax and get sleepy again helps.
Sleep is so important for a healthy lifestyle, whether you have MS or not. For individuals with MS, lack of sleep has the ability to make some MS-related issues like pain, memory, thinking and fatigue worse. Our bodies will definitely let us know if we aren’t getting enough sleep and it is our job to listen to our body! If you struggle with any type of sleep issues, really evaluate everything that is going on leading up to getting to bed and when you’re finally lying down awake. If this is something you can not fix on your own, reaching out to your healthcare provider is a great option. There may be additional suggestions or medications a doctor can prescribe that will help.