Sleep Problems and MS

[dgbranst]

Does anyone know of any articles or bulletins that talk about sleep problems as they are directly caused by MS and not other factors like pain, depression, spasticity? Someone asked me to look into this. It seems that my sleep problems started when I had my first MS episode and I can't think of any other factor that may have contributed.

Thanks

Kathy

[0357]

http://ms.about.com/od/livingwellwithms/a/sleep_ms.htm

Two neurologists told me MS affects your sleep. I was put on a low dose Klonopin (comes in generic as well) and now I sleep wonderfully.

A low dose Trazadone is another drug that usually works to help people sleep, but unfortunately it didn't work on me.

Take care.

[Cherie]

Kathy,
If you have any of the forwards I send to you still, there have been numerous articles on sleep disorders in MS over the past month. www.stusviewsandnews.com has a number of articles archived on this topic so please check that out. I am communicating via laptop on vacation so I don't have my files here but I think you'll find what you're looking for if you review the emails I have sent recently.

[lady_express_44]

Well, it seems there are a few different categories of sleep problems, including:

- Initial Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep at night.

- Middle Insomnia: Waking up during the night and not being able to fall back asleep quickly.

- Terminal Insomnia: Waking up too early."

http://ms.about.com/od/livingwellwithms/a/sleep_ms.htm

They did a study, and found:

Sleep and fatigue in multiple sclerosis
B R Stanton
Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK

F Barnes

MS Nursing Service, Southwark Primary Care Trust, London, UK

E Silber

King's College Hospital NHS Trust, London, SE5 9RS, UK, esilber@doctors.org.uk

Fatigue is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and is an important cause of disability. However, the cause of fatigue is poorly understood. This study aimed to describe the frequency and pattern of sleep disturbance in a group of outpatients with MS, and to investigate the relationship between sleep disturbance and fatigue. Sixty outpatients with MS completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and kept a sleep diary for seven days. Fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness were common in this group of patients (64 and 32%). Sleep problems on at least two nights per week occurred frequently, including initial insomnia in 42%, middle insomnia in 53% and terminal insomnia in 58%. The reasons cited for different types of insomnia varied, with anxiety and pain/discomfort being the commonest causes of initial insomnia and nocturia the commonest cause of middle insomnia. Middle insomnia was significantly correlated with daytime fatigue, a relationship that remained after controlling for disability. Sleep disturbance is common in MS and is associated with treatable symptoms, including pain and nocturia. Sleep disturbance may be an important factor contributing to fatigue in patients with MS.

http://msj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/12/4/481

I guess there are sleep specialists that can help determine the cause for you, but from what I've read, sometimes they just chock it up to the MS (with no known reason).

My sleep patterns can get really messed up, and they are not consistent. I have been known to sleep 20 - 24 hrs each day, for several days . . . then other times I can't sleep more then a few hours in a 24 hr period. There are so many variables that factor into that equation, including whether:

- I am in an attack
- I am in pain
- I am having bladder difficulties
- it hot outside
- I am running a slight fever or have infection
- my body (or feet especially) are too cold
- I have done too much physically
- I have not done enough physically
- I have eaten too much or too little
- ....

Keeping a diary of what you've done each day, and being observant, might help narrow down the issue(s) for you.

Cherie