I do not have apnea...thank God.

I do not have a follow up until Nov 9th.....but from what I have read, this sleep distrubance is a common occurance in patients with chronic pain and/or fibromyalgia. The only treatment to date is GHB, the 'date rape' drug....which is legal now under the drug name XYREM. But it comes with potential serious side effects.

Also in my reading, I have found that MS patients have a higher occurance of sleep disorders.

Hi Daisy - I chart my sleep patterns daily as it clearly shows the progression of a flare up for me.

I begin with sleeping normally from 10pm to 5/6am. Slowly the pattern will start to change.

It begins with not being able to sleep for more than 3-4 hours. Ex. I go to bed at 10pm but awaken at 12:30 to 2am. Then I can not get back to sleep.
Naps start to increase from once a day to twice a day. Length of naps start to increase.

I'm in full swing of a flare up headed to the peak of fatigue which can take about 4-6 weeks to get to the peak - new symptom arrives - and then I start heading down towards normal life style again.

At my peak I sleep almost 18-20 hours a day barely struggling through the 4 hours of awakeness.

Keeping the daily journal visually, helps me stay hopeful and encouraging as I can watch the progression and then see when it starts to decline-aw sweet relief is on the way as my fatigue begins to decline and I start to awaken to life again.

The more clearly you can follow or understand how this disease affects your body system can help ease anxiety/depression etc.

For me it helped keep depression, sadness etc away because I could "see" and "know" how my days were being numbered. Like a menstrual period...each woman is different and you have to know your body and how this disease affects your body system.

I really wish I could 'chart' mine.....To me, it seems to have no rhyme or reason.....or I am just too pre-occupied to see the pattern.

i've had trouble sleeping for many yrs. i've been dx'd with MS for 7 yrs but had it long before dx.

i also have a lot of pain and they apparently can tell that on a sleep study too.
i now take ambien and that's helped a lot but it's not perfect.

since we also have to deal with MS fatigue i guess sleeping can be multifaceted.

i do know that if i don't get enuf sleep i don't feel well.
i hope you get some relief soon.

It took me a very long time to get my cycles figured out - years actually.

But I have definite flare-up cycles which begin with bleeding inflammation of the bowels (so I KNOW I am headed into one) and the inflammation swells in the brain, heart,lungs and fatigue escalates up to a ten...VOILA...new symptoms....and then slowly down to earth again.

Mine last about 8 weeks each time - then 6-8 good weeks and BOOM-it starts all over again.

And, then I have Myasthenia Gravis on top of all this so I am HYPER-VIGILANT about my stress, diet, activities - loath being so fatigued where all I can do is stare out a window. lol

I feel like I'm stuck in anasthesia and cant every "wake" up. UGH