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Page 34
| Insomnia |
| While a CFS patient may spend lots of time in bed trying to rest and is perpetually dog-tired, it is not easy to get enough sleep. Then, once he or she finally dirfts off to dreamland, the quality of sleep is likely to be very poor. Painful joints or ligaments, stiff muscles, excessive tossing and turning, bladder infections, low blood sugar and sluggish digestive activity may contribute to a restless night's sleep. Not only does the patient toss and turn all night, waking up often and then having difficulty going back to sleep, but little of the sleep he or she does get is the deep REM (rapid-eye-movement) type necessary for good physical health and emotional well-being. |
| During this, the deepest stage of sleep, dreaming occurs as the eyes follow the movements of what is seen in the mind. The most restorative portion of sleep, this phase positively influences psychological health, enhances learning and memory and increases blood flow to the brain. With normal sleep, REM occurs several times a night, but not so with CFS. As quality REM time diminishes, so does the ability to enter other stages of deep sleep, especially the delta sleep where blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature all temporarily drop and the immune system is rejuvenated. |
| Disruption of the sleep cycle can cause fatigue, |
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