Sleep and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen Could improving your sleep lessen the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)? Our aim here is to understand the connection between the two as it may be possible to confuse the symptoms of CFS and sleep deprivation. There are however definite differences. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms The main symptom of CFS and probably the hardest to live with, is constant and persistent fatigue lasting 6 months or more. Others include: Feeling feverish Sore throat Muscle aches and pains Tender or swollen lymph nodes Joint pain More headaches than usual Abnormal lethargy after exercise Poor concentration Depression Poor quality sleep Although not everyone who suffers with CFS will display all of the above, two or more of these symptoms would definitely bear further investigation. By contrast, sleep deprived people would not usually experience swollen lymph nodes, joint pain, feverishness or sore throat. CFS often follows a bout of flu or other respiratory disease. It's onset can be quite sudden following recovery of the initial disease. It occurs more frequently in middle age and elderly people, and twice as often in women as men. Sleep deprivation is not so choosey! It can affect male, female and all ages alike. CFS is a debilitating illness which is hard to diagnose due to the symptoms being non specific. Also the symptoms described by the sufferers often cannot be verified. For instance, patients often describe feeling feverish although their temperature is normal.