The results of this survey are surprising:
- Only 12% of respondents don’t have a sleep problem, this figure is astounding and will need to be confirmed in more formal and systematic studies.
- Pain and anxiety are the most common symptoms that affect sleep in MSers. Both of these symptoms are treatable therefore we are letting you down. Please bring this to the attention of your neurologists or specialist nurse.
- 38% of respondent have other factors that affect their sleep; we need to explore this further.
Due to this survey I am going to launch a research study or clinical audit to investigate sleep in MS further. Clearly we can do a lot to improve things. Poor sleep has a major impact on daytime functioning and fatigue, step one to treat fatigue is to get a good night’s sleep.
Any thoughts on this from your personal experience?
The only possible treatment for my anxiety is an assurance of no more progression. Or a drug to stop me thinking about what the future may hold.
Ditto. Progression is the elephant in the room!However, I would wish to have something to calm my mind down since I'm thinking about MS 24/7 (literally) – maybe some medication with lithium in it cos it was said that it might help fighting off progression.I think stress should be much more studied because it aggreviates MS (not only symptoms). How about stress releasing toxins which kill off oligodendrocytes? Just my five cents.
Was this one of the surveys on the blog? I seem to have missed it if so.
I wake up almost every night at about 1:00 am. I am in Israel, and listen to BBC world on my computer. Sometimes the mellifluous tones put me to sleep. Other times no. So when I can't sleep and if it is early enough, I take half a sleeping pill. That works, but I don't like doing it. I have no idea why it happens. I am not in pain, not anxious, don't have to urinate, don't have restless leg syndrome or spasms. Sometimes it helps to read or do email on my iPad, which is next to my bed. Insomnia is frustrating, but I've learned to live with it. For me, at least, it may be a factor of age, not MS. I'm 66. Liz
Liz, it could be hormonal. My Mum is the same at 68 and she doesn't have MS but her sleep pattern is what you described.
Re; "Was this one of the surveys on the blog? I seem to have missed it if so."Yes, but don't worry we will come back to you with a more detailed one. There are several areas that need further explanation.
Re: "For me, at least, it may be a factor of age, not MS. I'm 66."Could be age. One of the curses of age is that as you get older you need less sleep. I would take it as being a positive, people that need less sleep are more productive.