Real life sleep hacks you won't hear anywhere else for Fibromyalgia

[@zurielvanbelle4027]

I love the caveat that sometimes devices can be part of a relaxing routine, and there are ways to mitigate the blue light/brightness-this is just such a more realistic/practical view of good sleep "hygiene" in the age of smartphones. Thank you!

[@thefibroshow]

You are welcome and thanks for watching and providing feedback😊

[@janiceguyer7633]

I am a 73 yr old who’s had fibromyalgia since early 40s. Went to conferences many years ago. So please keep up these great information videos. 😊

[@thefibroshow]

Thanks for watching and providing feedback 🫶

[@joanncoopertroupe3506]

I am ahe 66,HAD,FiberO,,Since MY MIDDLE 30)S,Today age 66...NORTH,FLA

[@darcypalmer7783]

I look forward to seeing your videos on Fridays! You are both so personable and helpful. About a year ago I found Ginevra on You Tube and got her book. It was the best book on fibro that I've ever read. I made a doctor appointment to talk about sleep. I tried some meds which didn't help, then the doctor sent me for a sleep study and it was a huge surprise to me that I do have sleep apnea. I've had my CPAP for about four months now and it's amazing to wake up feeling better and to have more energy all day. Of course, my fibro isn't gone, just much better! So thank you!!! I appreciate all the information I get here every week.

[@thefibroshow]

We are delighted you look forward to our show! Thanks for sharing your experience with sleep apnea and the CPAP. Wonderful news it is helping you to feel better and have more energy. Thanks so much for your comment🫶💜

[@BonitaBrandt]

I've never understood the advice about not watching a screen before bed time. I go to sleep faster with the t.v. on. If the t.v. is off, my mind starts looking for things to obsess about. That works for me.... If I'm trying to sleep and can't shut my racing thoughts off, I get up and get on my laptop for awhile; then, I can go back to bed and go to sleep. Opposite of what you are saying works for me (?)

[@thefibroshow]

The light from the screens stimulates the brain and disrupts melatonin production, making it harder to sleep. As we shared, if being on screens helps you, you should continue to use screens. The key is for everyone to do what works best for them. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience 🫶

[@SN-sz7kw]

Similar. I think the blue screen is disruptive, but having something engaging to listen to helps me fall asleep. So ideally, I can find something long playing & lay my phone screen down. I also have ADHD & it helps channel/distract my thoughts long enough to drop off. But I do wake up frequently. Taking a long walk in the early evening (& pain meds) helps me sleep more deeply.

[@terisaflannery4566]

Hello Beautiful Ladies, I have Ginevra's book ( great) & have followed her podcast....super happy Sharon is an added bonus! I really appreciate all your wisdom, information, experiences & helpful hope you share with us. You both are a Blessing to all!! God Bless you Lovelies 🙏🏼 ❤🙂✌️May God heal us All! 🙏🏼

[@thefibroshow]

Hello and thanks so much for the kind feedback. We are so glad Ginevra’s book and resources have been helpful. Sending some Fibro Family love back🫶

[@JustAnotherKatie]

Thank you for this info.

[@AncTreat5358]

Thanks so much, Ginevra and Sharon, for covering this topic! It's very timely for me. I'm engaging with a sleep institute, and brought to their attention those things that could be specific to fibromyalgia.

[@thefibroshow]

You are welcome and wishing you better sleep💜

[@debbiemccomb224]

Thank you. I did buy Melatonin but haven't started taking it yet. I'm gonna start taking some tonight. I would be so happy to feel somewhat more refreshed than i do now. Thanks for your suggestion.

[@thefibroshow]

Wishing you sweet dreams - or at least a bit of relief🫶

[@dianeraymond7494]

I just had a heating pad on my legs for warmth (FL) cold front. I also find. Weighted blanket helps me GREATLY!

[@dianeraymond7494]

I have extreme night attacks that includes many symptoms such as total body muscle spasms, occipital/ frontal migraine, vertigo, total body/ nerve twitches. Keeps me up (and hubby up all night - BEST nurse). Neurologists nor hematologist can’t seem to give me answers.

[@JaeP11]

37yo dude here... Dr. Ginevra's Fibro Manual covers pretty much all of my tricks for sleep, which are largely pharmaceutical and should all be discussed with your own doctor, except 2 things I think everyone with fibro should try - One is magnesium in the form of Epsom Salt baths in the evening. The second is a weighted blanket appropriate to your region and/or season.

[@thefibroshow]

Hi and yes, these are great additions to helpful tips😊 The weighted blankets are great for people who also have anxiety. We are glad Ginevra’s book has been helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting 🫶

[@amandafoxton6463]

Thank you so much for your very helpful tips on sleep. I have recently been struggling even more so than normal and I am desperate. Any advice would be so much appreciated. I am 57 and live alone with no friends or family close by. I have chronic heart failure and adrenal failure which together cause serious sweating. My body temperature fluctuates all the time from feeling like my body is at boiling point to freezing cold within minutes. Funnily enough I do wear socks all the time which seems to help. My only routine I have is going to bed at the same time every night having had some chamomile and lavender tea with honey earlier. I do get up at 6:30 every morning. I take a sleeping tablets and some of my other medication is supposed to aid in sleep but nothing is helping me. The last two weeks I have been averaging between 2:and 3 hours at night. My difficulty is what to do with those hours and hours when sleep alludes me. I must confess to watching movies which I will definitely change. I cannot have a bath which I would love to do, I don’t have one and have not been able to get into one for years😂. I would love to hear your thoughts regarding these issues in your next video. I also do not sleep during the day unless I cannot keep my eyes open which does happen. I have had to increase my cortisone to accommodate my adrenal insufficiency as I have been exceedingly tired. I would normally have injected myself by now but refuse to do it as that has its own consequences and I refuse to go to hospital. (Typical nurse!!). Thanks again😊

[@thefibroshow]

Ugh - that is rough. We will be talking about adrenal health in upcoming episodes. Wishing you some relief soon and thanks for watching🫶

[@Ms.Monte_CarloSS]

Menopause has really thrown my horrible sleep into a whole new level of bad. I get no help from any of my doctors with my sleep issues so thank you so much for this video!

[@thefibroshow]

You are welcome! So sorry to hear about your sleep and lack of medical support - that is rough! Stay tuned, more info coming in future episodes about menopause. Wishing you better days - and nights - ahead🫶

[@smoore1999]

Hi Girls❣️ Thanks for sharing all this good stuff‼️ Just wondering how much Tart Cherry Juice & how often❓

[@thefibroshow]

Hi and you are welcome. We would recommend following the directions on the bottle. It is usually 1-2 Tablespoons mixed in water or your favorite beverage. Wishing you some restful sleep💜

[@FelVyper]

Thank you so much for this video! I know the extremely rare nights when I get 'good' sleep or semi-restful sleep, the next day I notice a significant improvement so I am constantly looking for ways to improve my sleep. I need to remove light a lot more from my room (I wonder if that's been a big part of it) and I'm going to try warming my hands/feet before bed. I have noticed that laying in bed and listening to my audiobook helps me wind down immensely, especially since my hands are so bad these days I can't really hold up a book to read anymore. Question: Do either of you ever notice yourselves sleeping more or struggling to get up in the morning if the room is a black-out no-light situation? Does it throw off the circadian rhythm at all? That's been my concern about really dark rooms. I also would really like to say how much I appreciate how realistic your advice is on this show. You don't just say "devices at bed = bad", you come at it understanding everyone is different and you help give varying ways to tweak things to encourage us to find the 'sweet spot'. It's very, very, very appreciated. I, personally, can't really focus with guided meditations but I do want to offer a recommendation for Medito for those it does help - it's another excellent no-ads, completely free app that has so many amazing guided meditations and stories. My therapist recommended it to me and I know a few friends have found a lot of good help with it. I hope this might help some others. 💜

[@thefibroshow]

You are welcome and thanks so much for your comment and app. Great question - no the dark room has not been a problem for disrupting the circadian rhythm. An added step to keep your circadian rhythm working properly is to expose your eyes and skin to the sun for at least 10 minutes right when you wake up. If grey days are an issue, purchasing a SAD light can be a useful trick. Sending some Fibro Family love🫶

[@thomasrizzuto2415]

Beat Fibro insomnia - start with 5mg. melatonin 45 min. before bed. after 1-2wks. increase dosage to 10mg . After an additional 1-2 wks. you can re-asses weather to increase said dosage. After trying everything this protocol has helped the most with no side effects, additionally melatonin is one of the best anti-oxidants second only to glutathione. Best of Luck.

[@djkenny1202]

I awaken at 2am, up through 5am.. or never go back to sleep. It sucks weekdays because I need to get kids to school very early. I tried Melotonin. 5-10 mg. My wife likes tv on, I do not. Usually I shut it off. No matter what I seem to wake up. Many nights I don’t really fall asleep. I catch up a little getting up later on weekends. I try hot baths at night, sorta helps. Cool in house 63-64 degrees. Barely helps, but it’s better than 65 or more. My neck hurts. I keep shifting pillows around. Hands go under pillows affecting blood flow in them, they get all twisted in and not good feeling. Some anti anxiety meds helped, but not consistently.

[@thefibroshow]

Ugh - that is hard. We hope future episodes may provide some helpful ideas and resources. Thanks for watching 🫶

[@jolenebauser408]

I typically can fall asleep So easy, I rarely have any issue going to sleep. My biggest problem is that I cannot stay asleep. Within about 3-4 hours I’m wide awake. During the day, however, I can take a nap and sleep 5-6 hours makes no sense. I dont know why I can nap during the day longer than I can sleep at night. I Still never feel rested, whether it’s night time sleep or nap time sleep.

[@thefibroshow]

That is super frustrating - and exhausting. Stay tuned for part 2 on sleep next week. We hope there will be some helpful info for you. 😊

[@debbiemccomb224]

By far the relentless fatigue has been the worst distributor in my life with dealing with fibromyalgia for 40 years. It has affected my social life, personal life, work life and emotional well being. I can sleep for 10 hours and still wake up feeling like I've never gone to sleep. I end up having to take a nap two hours later just to muster up some energy. I still feel fatigued throughout the day and end up taking another nap around 6 pm. It's hard to make plans because I could be in bed most of the day with fatigue. I asked my doctor if she could prescribe a low dose antidepressant that would address my serotonin levels. Unfortunately she said I couldn't take it because of another med I'm currently on. When I was first diagnosed with it a doctor put me on Paxil for that purpose. The question I have is could sleep apnea be a piece of the puzzle? Have people who are treated for sleep apnea notice any difference or is the fibromyalgia fatigue still very much prominent?

[@thefibroshow]

Fatigue is relentless. Yes, people treated for sleep apnea have shared that the treatment helped their overall fatigue and wellbeing. Wishing you some better nights - and days ahead🫶😊

[@debbiemccomb224]

@thefibroshow I will watch the sleep series and I'm sure I'll hear some up- to-date studies and suggestions on any current recommendations. For me it's about getting and staying in deep sleep. Occasionally I'll take a half of a muscle relaxer and I do feel more refreshed in the morning and my sleep isn't fragmented during the night. Thanks for bringing awareness with the helpful info on your channel.

[@natasalazic3417]

I have problem of sleeping too much. And I am sleepy all the time. On continuous therapy of lyrica and duxet. Wothout thesee medications or on lower doses, I have severe pain. Is anybody else on therapy with this medications? Similar to Ginevra, I am medical doctor.

[@thefibroshow]

Hi. Thanks for your comment and great question for our Fibro Family. Sleeping too much can occur too and sometimes it is a side effect of the medications. Sending some Fibro love🫶

[@MimiJoys]

I'm 61 years old and I have Fibromyalgia. I oove in Hell with Fibromyalgia. I've had this since I was 18 years old... I however did not get any kind of diagnosis until 2012. I can fall asleep, but I cannot stay asleep. Im exhausted 24/7, the pain eases with meds and a massage once or twice a month. It just doesn't last for very long. My teeth hurt, and I hurt to my feet. Flares? My flares are hell, but not having a flare is much different for me, if even different at all... so does that mean I live in a flare constantly? I sleep all the time. I don't understand, but I don't have the strength to understand anymore. 😢 Edit: I have given up on how or when I sleep. 💤 I just don't care anymore. I sleep when I sleep, I'm awake when I'm awake. My feet are either freezing or they're on fire. My house has been a wreck for the oast 7 years, I've tried having hired help come in, but I ended up only getting ripped off!

[@thefibroshow]

We are sorry to hear all of this. Sending some Fibro Family love 🫶

[@nanas.grotto3091]

I have been taking melatonin about 2 hours before bed for a month it maybe helps a tiny bit but it barely makes a difference. This is my issue exactly and I tend to wake up with strange anxiety in the middle of the night. No logical issue or stressful thoughts just this weird anxious inner feeling. I find cannabis to be helpful for this but I hope to one day not have this issue

[@debbiemccomb224]

@@nanas.grotto3091 Can I ask how many milligrams you were taking. I've been apprehensive about taking Melatonin because of side effects. I'm going to start on the lowest dose hoping I'll be able to tolerate for at least a month to see how it works for me.