SLEEP, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND STRESS AROUSAL IN WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA

The purpose of this investigation was to compare self-reported sleep q uality and psychological distress, as well as somnographic sleep and p hysiological stress arousal, in women recruited from the community wit h self-reported medically diagnosed fibromyalgia (FM) to women without somatic symptoms. Eleven midlife women with FM, when compared to 11 a symptomatic women, reported poorer sleep quality and higher SCL-90 psy chological distress scores. Women with FM also had more early night tr ansitional sleep (stage 1) (p < 0.01), more sleep stage changes (p < 0 .03) and a higher sleep fragmentation index (p < 0.03), but did not di ffer in alpha-EEG-NREM activity (a marker believed to accompany FM). N o physiological stress arousal differences were evident, Less stable s leep in the early night supports a postulate that nighttime hormone (e .g., growth hormone) disturbance is an eitiologic factor but, contrary to several literature assertions, alpha-EEG-NREM activity sleep does not appear to be a specific marker of FM. Further study of mechanisms is needed to guide treatment options. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.