Curb Sleep Disturbances: Coping with Chronic Fatigue

I was first diagnosed with chronic fatigue in 1989 by a family physician who recognized that my fatigue level was something out of the ordinary. He immediately set out to find a way to help me function as a wife and mother of three young children. I am so thankful that he was willing to hear me out, adjust medication levels, and work with me to manage the pain and fatigue.

When I was going through a particularly painful time six years ago, a rheumatologist gave me a definitive diagnosis for fibromyalgia. I had only one pressure point that wasn’t extremely painful.

While I know that fibromyalgia will always be part of my life, with the right medications, exercise, and better sleep patterns, I have seen God do amazing things in and through me. This last year has been the best in 15 years!

I’ve been sleeping much better, following the advice of my rheumatologist. Here are some tips that might also help you if you’re struggling with sleep disturbances.

1. Don’t nap during the day! This was really hard for me, because I would be so tired. But the rheumatologist said that because I was sleeping during the day, I often couldn’t sleep at night. So that was the first huge change for me.
2. Exercise daily. I walk at least four or five times per week. At first it was very hard because of the pain, and even now, when I start out some mornings, I am in a lot of pain. But with each step it gets a little bit better, and by the time I get back home, I feel much better. This also makes me more tired physically (and not just mentally) and so I sleep better.
3. Get rid of whatever it is that keeps you awake or wakes you up! My doctor gave examples such as blackout blinds to keep out the morning light, getting rid of the dog or cat that sleep in your bed and wakes you up, or using ear plugs to keep out the noise of your husband snoring. All very practical. Our dog no longer sleeps with us and I now have a set of earplugs always available by the bed. That simple tip has made a huge difference in the amount and quality of the sleep that I get!
4. Try to wind down before going to bed. Because I often feel very tired and nauseous in the mornings, I was doing lots of work and activities in the evenings. The result was that when I went to bed, my body and my mind were still going in a hundred different directions. Consequently, it would take me hours to slow down enough to get to sleep. Now, instead, I try to limit what work is done in the evenings. I read more, watch less television (which, contrary to popular belief, does not help us relax!), and spend more time working on creating memory scrapbooks which I can do and relax at the same time.

Having fibromyalgia, I have learned many things about myself. I was a “doer,” someone who went like a whirlwind from morning until night. I have had to learn to choose what I give my energy to, and where I will expend it.

Each day I choose to celebrate God’s faithfulness, regardless of the pain and fatigue. I trust Him to give me the strength and grace to do all He has called me to do – and He does!

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