Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients will go through what seems like a never-ending cycle of insomnia, unrestful sleep followed by debilitating fatigue. The doctors I have seen who specialize in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia make it their first goal to get the patient sleeping solid for 8 – 9 hours a night. Even with all of the other symptoms: debilitating fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunctions, hormonal imbalances, and widespread pain, the doctors know that without proper sleep none of these issues will get better.
Prescription medications are commonly prescribed to treat the sleep disorders seen in these illnesses such as Ambien, Sonata and Lunesta. These prescription medications work for a lot of CFS and Fibromyalgia patients, but the side effects can be scary. Some risk factors that can occur by taking these medications include dependency, hallucinations, driving while sleeping, confusion, next day drowsiness, and allergic reactions. If you don’t have insurance, and even with some insurance plans, these medications can be very expensive.
For those patients who do not want to take prescription sleep aids, there are natural alternatives available that do not require a prescription and have few side effects. Never try any of these without first talking to your physician.
Companies that make supplement and alternative sleep aids can’t make any claims that their products really work because they are not FDA approved. This is something that has always bothered me because many of these supplements and alternative methods work, but because the FDA isn’t making any money off of them, the manufacturers can’t make those claims.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a supplement that you can purchase in any health food store and at your local pharmacy and retail stores such as Wal-Mart. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the brain. People with CFS and Fibromyalgia have issues with circadian rhythm which is their body’s natural time clock. Taking melatonin can help these patients go to sleep easier without the side effects and next day drowsiness often experienced with prescription sleep medications. According to the Melatonin.com website, Melatonin is regarded as safe as long as it is taken as directed and for short-term use. Melatonin is technically not a sleeping pill. It helps to increase your sleep efficiency so that you wake up feeling refreshed. Dr. Charles Lapp, MD, who is a CFS and Fibromyalgia specialist, says that he likes to couple Melatonin (take at bedtime) use with light therapy in the morning. He says that Melatonin works the best if the patient gets three to four hours of light in the morning, and then takes the Melatonin at bedtime.
Valerian root is an herb that has been used for years to treat insomnia. Valerian is a perennial plant originally found in Europe and Asia. It was later introduced in North America and has been used since medieval times to treat many physical ailments. A study in the American Journal of Medicine (2006. December;119(12):1005-12) conducted a clinical trial using Valerian root. The study results indicated that Valerian might improve sleep quality of patients without any noted side effects. Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic, does not recommend Valerian for people when they are in the early stages of treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. He says Valerian by itself is not strong enough to normalize sleep at this stage of the illness. For other CFS and Fibromyalgia patients, he recommends taking 180 – 360 milligrams of Valerian a night to improve deep stage sleep. Valerian comes in extract and a form of tea for medicinal purposes.
If you take magnesium and calcium supplements, Dr. Teitelbaum recommends taking these at night to help sleep. People who have a magnesium deficiency can often have a different form of insomnia. They may be able to fall asleep easily, but they don’t stay asleep and their amount of restful sleep is short. People who have a calcium deficiency have trouble falling asleep and they have problems with muscle cramps at night. Ask your doctor what the appropriate amounts of magnesium and calcium are recommended daily for proper use.
The dried aerial parts of Passion Flower have been found to have sedative effects and 100 mg. to 200 mg. at night is recommended for CFS and Fibromyalgia patients. Passion Flower can also be used to treat anxiety issues during the day. Passion Flower is a native perennial vine found in Virginia and Kentucky and south from Florida to Texas.
Passion Flower comes in different forms for medicinal purposes: dried herb, tincture, tea and infusion.
Sleeping is fundamental for people with CFS and Fibromyalgia to improve their overall health. There are many natural methods available to help relieve sleep issues that do not require prescriptions. Talk to your local health food store, your physician, your homeopathic doctor or your CFS/FM specialist before trying any of these methods.
