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 recgonition

• In the Holmes criteria, sleep disturbance is an optional criteria for diagnosis, under the section Minor Symptom Criteria.

Notable studies

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

  "Abstract - Objective: The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debated clinical entity, not presently associated with specific sleep abnormalities. However, higher levels of deep sleep and/or lower levels of light sleep have been reported in several all-night polysomnography studies in CFS patients. This distribution of Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NREMS) contrasts with what would be expected if sleep was interrupted by microawakenings, such as in sleep apneas or periodic limb movements, where more light sleep and less deep sleep are commonly observed. This “paradoxical” distribution of NREMS could represent a characteristic feature of chronic fatigue and deserved to be investigated. Methods: A retrospective comparison of the NREMS distribution was performed between 28 “pure” Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients (without primary sleep or psychiatric disorders), 27 Apneic-Hypopneic patients and 27 Healthy Controls. Results: Data showed CFS patients to have a higher stage 4/stage 2 or stage 4/light sleep ratios than the other two conditions. Conclusion: This sleep pattern is closer to what is observed in cases of infections than to what is seen after sleep fragmentation by primary sleep or in psychiatric disorders. Such a particular sleep pattern could provide insights into the pathophysiology of fatigue.

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.