Women with sleep disorders have a three times greater likelihood of developing fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, than those who enjoy restful sleep.
These are the findings of a new Norwegian study appearing in the journal Arthritis and Rhuematism, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
The results indicate that the more frequently a woman experiences sleep disturbances and insomnia, the greater the likelihood she will develop fibromyalgia within a decade.
While the findings have revealed a link between sleep problems and the painful disorder that affects more than 5 million people over the age of 18 in the U.S. alone, the research does not imply that fitful sleep definitively causes the condition.
As with previous studies that have shown that poor sleep habits contribute to increased inflammation and a reduction in the ability of the body to manage pain, the results of the latest study do not define a direct relationship between sleep disorders and fibromyalgia.
Study co-author Paul J. Mork, Ph.D, a researcher at Trondheim’s Norwegian University of Science and Technology, noted, “Sleep problems are just one factor that may contribute to the development of fibromyalgia," He went on to explain, “Fibromyalgia is a complex pain syndrome and there are numerous other factors that may contribute to the development of this illness.”
Among patients who suffer from fibromyalgia, more than 90 percent are women, and the majority of these women report sleep disturbances.
Moreover, the more sleep disturbances they encounter, the more severe the pain they report experiencing.
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