How is your sleep?

Sleep disturbances in MS'ers are very common and they impact on quality of life, 

This paper reviews the most common sleep disorders seen in association with MS. 

The main sleep disorders associated with MS include: insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, drug-induced sleep disturbances, restless legs syndrome and periodic leg movements, breathing disorders during sleep (for example obstructive sleep apnoea), narcolepsy-cataplexy syndrome and rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder

"Apologies, all the terms used in this post may be foreign to you. This above list is simply a list of all the types of sleep disorders MS'ers may suffer from; some are very rare, whilst other are very common. If you are interested in finding out more about them I suggest you tackle the extra reading list. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask by posting a comment."

Conclusion: As sleep disturbances are common and impact on quality of life they should be actively looked for in any multidisciplinary clinical service that looks after MS'ers. 

Epub ahead of printCaminero  and Bartolomé. Sleep disturbances in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Sci. 2011 Aug 1. 

"This review highlights another hidden problem in MS; poor or abnormal sleep. This is something I always consider when when investigating MS-related fatigue. However, it is clearly something we need to add to our routine list of questions we ask MS'ers when they come to clinic for review. If you are a patient of mine your clinic visit may just have gotten slightly longer."

Extra Readinginsomniacircadian rhythm disorders, restless legs syndromeperiodic leg movementssleep apnoeanarcolepsy-cataplexy syndromerapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder

CoI: Nil

Other relevant posts on this blog in relation to sleep:

20 Jan 2011
This paper reviews sleep disturbances in MS and it association with fatigue. In people with significant fatigue sleep hygiene should be on top of the management plan; without a good night's sleep how can you expect to ...