Welcome to part 4 in the Supplements For Fibromyalgia series. To recap, we’ve discussed the fact that fibromyalgia is caused by any combination of several underlying conditions and although a “shotgun” approach to a fibromyalgia diet can be used pretty effectively, when it comes to choosing the appropriate supplements, it is important to narrow down the underlying causes of the individual’s fibromyalgia symptoms as much as possible. In Part 1 of this series, I explained how where you tend to gain weight gives clues as to where problems are occurring in the body that may be participating in fibromyalgia symptoms. In Part 2 and Part 3, I discussed the different types of chronic fatigue and associated symptoms that give further clues of what exactly is going wrong. In this part, I’m going to discuss the sleep disturbances that are a common part of fibromyalgia symptoms and what they indicate.Probably the most common of the sleep disturbances that those diagnosed with fibromyalgia experience are those related to the adrenal glands. To review, the adrenals can be thought of as the “stress glands” and with chronic stress, the adrenals can become overworked and start to fall behind in the production of some of their hormones. Because many of the body’s organs and systems are highly dependent on adrenal hormones to function properly, adrenal burnout can have several major consequences, including heart problems, poor blood pressure control, poor immune function, poor blood sugar control, poor inflammation control, and impaired sleep.
The sleep disturbance pattern that is typcal of adrenal burnout is characterized by non-refreshing sleep (regardless of the number of hours slept), difficulty falling asleep, and a tendency to wake up in the early morning hours (usually around 2:00 - 3:00 AM) and have great difficulty falling asleep again.
Liver issues may also interfere with normal sleep. As with the adrenals, there may be difficulty in falling asleep initially, but the distinctive feature of the liver type of sleep disturbance is that there is a tendency to wake up many times during the night. The typical liver sleep pattern is to wake up and then fall asleep again a few minutes later every one to two hours. Liver issues will also often tend to make you feel hot, so most people with liver issues will tend to want to sleep without any covers on the bed.
Finally, sleep may be impaired because of pain/discomfort waking them up frequently. This is pretty obvious as a cause when you notice pain upon awakening. This kind of sleep problem usually fixes itself of course once the necessary steps are taken to address the pain issues.
Make a note of the type of sleep problems you are having and when we get to the end of this series,I’ll put all the pieces of the puzzle together and give you recommendations for fibromyalgia supplements and other treatments that will best meet your specific needs.
In the next part of this series, I’ll be discussing the different types of digestive tract problems that are seen in fibromyalgia cases and the clues they offer as to how best treat the individual’s fibromyalgia symptoms.
Stay tuned for more of the Supplements For Fibromyalgia series here on my natural remedies blog.
****To View The Other Parts Of This Series, Click On The Links Below****
Part 1    Part2    Part 3    Part 5    Part 6
Tags: Fibromyalgia, natural fibromyalgia remedies, poor sleep and fibromyalgia, sleep disturbance, supplements for fibromyalgia
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