Sleep dysfunction

Sleep dysfunction is universal in ME/CFS patients, although it can take a very wide range of forms. These include dysania, hypersomnia, hypnagogia, insomnia, light sleep, myoclonus, nightmares, night sweats, phase shifting, somnolence, and unrefreshing sleep.

Symptom recognition

• In the Holmes criteria, sleep disturbance is an optional criteria for diagnosis, under the section Minor Symptom Criteria.
• With the Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease criteria, unrefreshing sleep is a core requirement for diagnosis.

Notable studies

• 2017, Sleep Quality in Adolescents With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)(ABSTRACT)
• 2012, Sleep Abnormalities in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Review (FULL TEXT)
• 2007, Paradoxical NREMS Distribution in “Pure” Chronic Fatigue Patients: A Comparison with Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Patients and Healthy Control Subjects (ABSTRACT)

Treatment

Amitriptyline may be helpful for improving quality of sleep in individuals with CFS. While originally considered an antidepressant, it is also prescribed at low doses to specifically manage pain and sleep for a number of conditions.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

chronic fatigue (CF) - Persistent and abnormal fatigue is a symptom, not an illness. It may be caused by depression, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or many other illnesses. The term "chronic fatigue" should never be confused with the disease chronic fatigue syndrome.