Multiple Sclerosis and Sleep

Is Sleep Really More Important For MS Patients?

Quite simply? Yes. It is.

If you asked me the most important thing someone with multiple sclerosis should do, I would say to ensure they get good sleep. Even if they do nothing else as part of their treatment plan (and to be clear: I would never recommend good sleep as their only treatment recommendation), it’s incredibly important that MS patients get good sleep, preferably at least seven to nine hours of solid, sound sleep.

What do I mean by solid, sound sleep? I mean you fall asleep and stay asleep. Of course, that can be incredibly difficult for MS patients, who may suffer from pain, spasticity, anxiety, bladder issues, and even the actual effects of MS on the brain—all things that can make good sleep more difficult.

But Why Is Sleep So Important?

Quite simply, sleep affects every part of everything in your body. Sleep affects your energy levels, sure, but also your pain, weight, skin, even your heart. Sleep helps determine your mental state, as it influences your moods, memory, decision-making processes, ability to concentrate, your judgment, even your reaction times.

Sleep is the hidden engine for your brain. It is what allows your brain to process and store information in memory. Sleep is what rejuvenates your brain and resets things. Sleep is what keeps your immune system healthy—which is doubly important for MS patients, who already have a compromised immune system.

Not getting enough sleep can make your MS worse in so many ways, too. Not only can it make you accident-prone, but it can also make many symptoms worse, such as issues with balance, muscular coordination, or fatigue. Sleep deprivation makes it harder to recover from illnesses or deal with stress, both MS factors.

Even more, good sleep can help ease symptoms of MS, as it relaxes the body, which can help combat soreness and tense muscles. Poor sleep, on the other hand, can exacerbate those problems. Poor sleep can also greatly hinder your energy levels, which are already reduced by MS, which can have major consequences in your personal and professional life.

Even more, sleep gives your eyes a rest, which is doubly important for MS patients. Vision is a neurocognitive process, meaning it is put at risk by MS. Poor sleep makes that risk far more profound.

Poor sleep also makes you more likely to snack (thus increasing your risk for weight gain), can affect your arteries (increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease), and can damage your skin.

There are things, you can do, however to improve your sleep.

Common Simple Sleep Aids

• Start by sticking to a bedtime routine and sleep schedule. Do the same things before you go to bed, go to bed at roughly the same time each night, and get up at the same time each morning.
• Make your bedroom a place just for sleeping. Other activities such as watching television, spending time on your computer or phone, or even reading can disrupt your sleep cycle and relaxation.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
• Get outside and exercise regularly, but not within several hours of bedtime.
• Limit things that might disrupt your sleep to earlier in the day, meaning medications that may interfere with sleep should be taken earlier, and caffeine and nicotine, if used at all, should only be used early in the day. This also means you should avoid alcohol before bed, as well as excessive alcohol at any time.
• Avoid large meals shortly before bedtime, and same with beverages.
• For MS patients, try to take steps to minimize your symptoms at night. For instance, if you suffer from spasticity, be sure to stretch regularly, and consider especially adding some light stretching before bed. Similarly, if you have bladder issues, consider refraining from liquids for several hours before going to bed.
• If necessary, consider getting a sleeping pill prescription. While you should never need to take a sleeping pill every night, the benefits of getting good sleep are plentiful enough that a sleeping pill prescription may well be warranted.

No matter how you approach bedtime, however, you need to make sure that you prioritize sleep. The consequences of not getting enough sleep for MS patients are simply too dire not to.

Multiple Sclerosis – An infographic by MS