Sleep and MS: What you can do

For people living with MS, sleep plays a critical role in managing symptoms, stress and overall wellbeing – Overcoming MS Facilitator Heather O’Neil shares how our sleep is impacted by MS, and what we can do about it.

Why sleep matters

Sleep is essential for the body’s immune system, cognitive functioning, and physical recovery and is especially important in MS – adequate rest can help the body manage inflammation and repair the damage caused by the immune system attacking the protective covering of nerve fibres, as well as restoring energy levels.

However, people with MS are prone to a variety of sleep-related problems such as Insomnia, Restless Leg Syndrome, Narcolepsy-like symptoms and Sleep Apnoea. Fatigue is one of the most common disabling symptoms of MS, but what can you do about it?

Managing sleep problems with MS

If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, it is always a good idea to talk with your doctor or neurologist to see if there is an underlying issue that can be treated.

After that, there are lifestyle changes you can make to improve your sleep:

Good sleep hygiene is key, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a restful environment, limiting caffeine to before noon, keeping the temperature cool, ending screen time 30 minutes before you would like to be sleeping and giving yourself a ‘runway’ to sleep. This means that if you’d like to be asleep at 10pm, start winding down and getting in bed around 9:30pm so that you can slow down and prepare for sleep.
Practices like meditation, yoga nidra, and deep breathing can help manage stress and improve sleep.
Research has shown that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can also be helpful with sleep issues.

Finally, one of the best pieces of advice is not to panic when you aren’t sleeping! No one has ever put themselves back to sleep by being angry and stressed. I find that if I wake up and am having difficulty getting back to sleep, I go into another room, put on a low light and read a book that isn’t that engaging. Then when I find myself falling asleep, I get back into bed. Practicing self-compassion and kindness is critical in managing sleep disorders.