This excerpt is from a wonderful website I urge you to visit. It is THE FIBROMYALGIA HELP CENTER and is all about Fibromyalgia, every aspect is covered.

FAQ ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA SLEEP

What Is The Sleep Disorder Experienced By Fibromyalgia Patients?<

How Does Disturbed And Insufficient Sleep Affect Fibromyalgia Symptoms?

Why Is Sleep Important for Fibromyalgia Patients?

What Behavioral Changes Can Be Made By Fibromyalgia Patients To Improve Sleep Quality?

What Medications Will Help Restore Deep Sleep Patterns In Fibromyalgia Patients?

What Is The Sleep Disorder Experienced By Fibromyalgia Patients?

A. Uninterrupted sleep in fibromyalgia patients may offer an escape for painful fibromyalgia symptoms experienced during the day, but this is not often the case. Fibromyalgia is often characterized by fatigue, muscular aches and pains, and disordered sleep.

Most Fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-delta EEG anomaly. In this condition most patients can fall asleep without much trouble, but their deep level of sleep (Stage 4) is constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity. Patients appear to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the other foot out of sleep.

When a patient is awake and resting, “alpha” brain waves are emitted at a frequency of 8 - 13 per second. When a person is in deep sleep, “delta” brain waves are emitted at a rate of less than 3.5 per second. Patients with alpha-delta sleep disorder experience a disruption in these fibromyalgia sleep patterns. When they reach deep sleep, the phase in which muscles are repaired, alpha waves intrude and jolt them back to a lighter sleep. Patients do not obtain enough deep sleep, and their body is not adequately refreshed.

Sleep lab tests may not be necessary to determine if the patient has experience disturbed fibromyalgia sleep. If the patient wakes up feeling as though they have just been run over by a Mack truck – what physicians refer to as unrefreshing sleep – it is reasonable for the physician to predict that the patient has an interrupted fibromyalgia sleep disorder. Many fibromyalgia patients have been found to have other sleep disorders in addition to the alpha-delta EEG, such as sleep apnea, sleep myoclonus (night-time jerking of the arms and legs), and restless legs syndrome. A newly discovered sleep disorder, upper-airway resistance syndrome, is also being evaluated for its association with disordered sleep in fibromyalgia. Disturbed fibromyalgia sleep often aggravates fibromyalgia symptoms.

Q. How Does Disturbed And Insufficient Sleep Affect Fibromyalgia Symptoms?

A. Lack of sleep accentuates the fatigue that most patients with fibromyalgia syndrome experience. Muscular pain is exaggerated by poor sleep. Most patients who don't sleep well also have muscle aches, regardless of the cause of their sleep disturbance. Most patients with fibromyalgia achieve only light, non-restorative sleep, their body never fully relaxes. In addition, they often toss and turn all night, which keeps the muscles tense and active. Patients with normal sleep patterns typically awaken feeling refreshed. Patients with a fibromyalgia sleep disorder can often be in significant pain when they get out of bed in the morning, feeling tired and unrefreshed.

Q. Why Is Sleep Important For Fibromyalgia Patients?

A. Everybody needs restful sleep. Without sleep, the body and mind are less efficient and more irritable. Sleep is essential, particularly since pain is aggravated by disturbed sleep. There is limited improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms in those patients who are unable to sleep consistently. Deep sleep gives the body a chance to rest and make any necessary repairs, not just from illness and injury, but from the stress and strains of everyday life. Sleep helps pain, and helps balance the chemicals in the brain. A lack of sleep causes many problems such as: increased stress and pain from daily living (making simple tasks difficult), impaired memory, and an increased number of mistakes made both on the job and at home. It often causes strained inter-personal relationships and job absenteeism.

There is a wealth of information across the internet on Fibromyalgia and sleep. Here is another excellent source;

READ ABOUT THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SLEEP DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH FIBROMYALGIA

FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS SLEEP DISORDERS