Fibromyalgia and sleep apnea both disrupt nighttime sleep. Chronic pain from fibromyalgia can affect your ability to fall or stay asleep. Sleep apnea can increase symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Are you finding yourself waking up frequently in the night and having a hard time getting up in the morning? Is fatigue keeping you down during the day? Two of the many health conditions that could be making you feel this way are fibromyalgia and sleep apnea.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition where you experience pain throughout the body, which can affect sleep. Sleep apnea can cause trouble breathing while asleep, and you may not get enough oxygen as a result.
It’s possible to experience one or both conditions, and they may even be related. This article reviews the link between these two conditions, as well as symptoms and treatment options.
In a 2017 study, obstructive sleep apnea was reported in
In addition to this overlap, the study found that people with fibromyalgia frequently reported morning fatigue and difficulty sleeping. This made it hard to distinguish whether an individual had just fibromyalgia or sleep apnea, too.
According to the study, not only can having fibromyalgia make people more likely to experience sleep disorders like sleep apnea, but having sleep apnea may cause those with fibromyalgia to experience more symptoms and pain.
Effects of fibromyalgia on sleep apnea
People with fibromyalgia are at a
The body’s adjustments to the central nervous system as a result of chronic pain have also been shown to cause sleep disorders.
Effects of sleep apnea on fibromyalgia
The exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but a genetic disposition along with triggers like infection, stress, or trauma can play a role. Impaired sleep
In addition to negatively affecting a person’s quality of life, having both sleep apnea and fibromyalgia
Based on the connections between fibromyalgia and sleep apnea, doctors
Fibromyalgia and sleep apnea are two separate medical conditions with different, but sometimes overlapping symptoms.
| Symptoms of fibromyalgia | Symptoms of sleep apnea |
|---|---|
| pain in the muscles, joints, and tendons | frequent loud snoring |
| tender points in the head, neck, shoulders, and chest | gasping for air during the night |
| fatigue | breathing that starts and stops while sleeping |
| trouble concentrating and remembering things | daytime fatigue |
| difficulty sleeping | dry mouth or headaches |
| digestive issues |
Learn more about the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
It’s important to treat fibromyalgia and sleep apnea if you receive a diagnosis of these conditions.
Although treating your sleep apnea will not solve all of the pains you experience with fibromyalgia, getting better sleep can be beneficial for your physical and mental health.
Learn more about the symptoms of sleep apnea in both children and adults.
Treatments for fibromyalgia
- medications (such as antidepressants and pain relievers)
- behavioral and talk therapy
- regular exercise
- acupuncture
- hypnosis
- steps to improve nighttime sleep (such as the use of blackout curtains, following a bedtime routine, avoiding caffeine later in the day)
Treatments for sleep apnea
If you have sleep apnea, your doctor
- lifestyle changes (ex. daily exercise, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption)
- a CPAP or other breathing device
- oral appliances to hold the mouth and tongue in a position that won’t block the airway
- therapy to strengthen and help reposition face and mouth muscles
- surgery
What’s the life expectancy for a person with fibromyalgia?
It’s not clear that having fibromyalgia will shorten one’s life expectancy. Still, there is an increased risk of death from suicide, infections, and accidents in people with fibromyalgia.
Individuals with fibromyalgia are more likely to develop sleep apnea because of changes to their nervous system from the chronic pain. On the other hand, sleep apnea can also increase the pain those with fibromyalgia experience.
Because fibromyalgia and sleep apnea both cause low quality sleep with frequent wake-ups, sleep apnea may be overlooked in those with fibromyalgia.
If you’re experiencing frequent pain or showing signs of low sleep quality, it’s important to talk with a doctor. They can recommend treatment which can improve your quality of life.