A MyFibroTeam Member
I have been monitoring my sleep since boxing day 2018 and have found on average I achieve 45min- 1h15min a night, an 1hr REM and the rest is diffused through mostly light sleep and waking on average. However if I nap I can achieve up to 3hrs of deep sleep. Im not sure if this is medications but I was an insomniac as early as grade 9 or 10. And i was always a light sleeper. I ask because I would like to know if this is more then just medications. I wish to how we all sleep if they do just blame the meds, or us there something deeper?
Yes my Doctor didn't believe me until I could show him on my fitbit. But I did track my sleep respirations and they were within normal limits. I toss and turn. At this point I'm so stressed that I just get up after waking up the 3rd or 4th time.
I knew my sleep was very bad.when you fall asleep having your morning coffee,repeatedly, you know something is wrong. I kept telling doctors my sleep is very bad. They just didn't understand.
So I bought a fitbit.
Only then did my Dr realize how bad it was. I said I think I have sleep apnea.
I went for sleep tests,.and yes..it was sleep apnea.
THANK YOU FITBIT !!!
I use a FitBit Charge and paid for the annual subscription for better sleep insights. I find it very useful and tend to alternate between POOR and FAIR sleep...with a couple of GOOD periods. I've been watching DEEP, REM, etc. but still trying to see if any patterns, e.g. with medication, essential oils, meditation and even just music (relaxing) before bed. I already had a sleep study years ago and was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. The CPAP machine did NOT help me to feel any better (not using at the moment but need to reassess 'apneas' since I happened to lose a lot of weight since first tested) but I've been checking FitBit sleep insights for those brief periods equivalent to an apnea. I'm not sure if my brief periods of 'awakeness' are due to breathing issues or just PAIN waking me up...which is a regular thing.
Anyway, this is my first comment to the group as I'm just trying to use ALL tools available to me. I was unsure about a group discussion but I think that reading what others are doing/feeling might help me feel less isolated/lost/frustrated during this pandemic and beyond. Thanks for reading/responding (if anything to add?) and have a great day/week/weekend/month and 2021!
Take care/talk soon,
Nadine
I get on average 6 min of deep sleep when I get to sleep for 5 hrs or more. Anything less than that and I don't get any deep sleep
@A MyFibroTeam Member
I use a fitbit as well. Does stage 4 show up on a fitbit versa?
I get a "sleep score" every morning.
I use one also. I've been diagnosed with fragmented sleep & hypersomnia, forms of insomnia.
I initially used a FitBit and then switched to Apple Watch about a year ago. Depending on the watch or the apps, they record the sleep in different ways. Like others, i spend most of my time in light sleep and am unable to get the needed amounts of deep or REM sleep. Although there are some nights where I definitely struggle with insomnia, its usually between 3 and 6 am. I rarely sleep past 6 am. My biggest problem is that I never get enough restful sleep so I always wake up tired, achy, and groggy. I have tried many many many meds and other strategies, including medical marijuana, but nothing ever seems to improve the sleep quality. Most actually make the pain and grogginess worse. In fact, the longer I sleep, the worse my pain level is in the morning. Go figure...lol. So, I try to nap most afternoons, and that helps me get through the evenings without falling asleep in my chair at 8 pm.
I use a fitbit regularly to make sure my exercise level stays high. That helps with sleep. I use melatonin and valerian. Most of my sleep issues were resolved with ropinirole for my restless legs. Now my fitbit says I get solid rem and deep sleep. I've been battling fibro for over 30 years.
Do u have sleep apnea? I was told my fragmented sleep (insomnia) is due to my sleep apnea.
Yes, I use my FitBit to monitor my sleep. As I understand it, it’s not REM sleeping we miss out on, its the deep sleep earlier in the night (Stage 4 sleep). Our bodies need a minimum of 90 minutes in stage 4 sleep to release Human Growth Hormone ((HGH) which in turn, during the rest of the night, mends the micro injuries the human body gets every day at the cellular level. Mitrochondia cells are the energy producers for our muscles and if these are never mended the classic morning fibro feeling of exhaustion, pain and stiffness ensues.
I have tried all sorts to achieve this stage 4 sleep by trying different combinations of meds and supplements and monitoring my levels of sleep with my Fitbit.
At present a combination of melatonin, 5-HTP and Zopiclone is working well for me.