Prepping for bedtime in my house is like going into battle. The children are provided the first warning around 7:30 p.m. From that moment forward, everything revolves around the mission-critical task of getting everyone ready for a good night’s sleep.
But what if your body is the biggest deterrent to sleeping through the night, and all the prep is for naught? This is often the case for those struggling with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an online article by healthline.
By 7:45 p.m., all electronic devices are powered down to set up a stimulation-free time for a restful night. Bathroom tasks are completed. The laying out of clothes is up next to help eliminate the morning’s mayhem of locating lost sneakers (and homework). Quick bedtime stories with limited Q&A, prayers, and lights out by 8:30… if I’m extremely lucky. By then everyone is in pre-sleep mode, the “noise” of the day is behind us, and my little darlings are rubbing their eyes and getting ready to recharge for another day.
We all need restful, rejuvenating sleep to help us function to the best of our abilities, but for people with multiple sclerosis, the lack of restful sleep can cause serious issues when it comes to reasoning, fatigue, balance, spasticity and pain.
Fighting MS, alone, can cause extreme fatigue. When combined with sleeping issues, waking hours can become very difficult. There are many causes for sleep disruption from sleep apnea, nocturia, hypersomnia, stress, narcolepsy, and more.