While I Wasn't Sleeping

Before fibromyalgia struck, I was an extremely sound sleeper.  I have slept through tornados, blaring car alarms, and a bomb exploding in a house down the street.  So it came as quite a shock to my system when one of my fibromyalgia symptoms was insomnia.  I had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.  When I managed to catch a few fitful hours at night, I never felt rested in the morning.

I believe sleep disturbances are related to the larger problem of the cellular damage that results from exposure to chemicals in our food and environment. I got rid of chemicals in my life through changing the products I used for cleaning and personal grooming.  I stopped eating processed food and started eating whole foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. 

When I was so sick, I had severe fibromyalgia pain in multiple joints and muscles, debilitating chronic fatigue, and many other symptoms.  I was barely able to function and often was unable to leave my house.  After making the lifestyle changes necessary to limit my exposure to chemicals, it took about six weeks for my body to detoxify.  I woke up one morning and the pain, fatigue, and other symptoms were gone. I was elated!  I felt like I suddenly had my life back.  I was beyond thankful for my restored health.

However, my sleep pattern had been disrupted by this horrible disease for such a long time that I had to do some things to reset my natural sleep cycle clock.  Be sure to check with your doctor before trying any plan that involves medications or supplements.  Here is what I did.


I stopped taking prescription sleep medication.  This type of drug is intended for only short-term use.  It is not designed to be used for longer than a few weeks. Sleep induced by medication does not follow a natural sleep cycle pattern. Besides all that, I knew that drugs for sleep were adding another chemical substance to my body on a daily basis. So I stopped this cold turkey.

I took the over-the-counter supplement Melatonin for eight weeks. Melatonin has been shown to be effective in restoring the natural sleep cycle. It should not be taken for more than six to eight weeks.  That is sufficient for resetting your natural biorhythms. 

During the eight weeks I was on Melatonin, I created a bedtime ritual I could follow every night.  After dinner, I did not do any work related activities.  I watched television, checked my Facebook page, and did other just-for-fun things until 11:00 p.m. I took a hot bath or shower before getting into bed.  This helps with relaxation.  I grabbed a book and read until I felt a little sleepy and then turned off the lights.  In the beginning, I often read until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning.  After a couple of weeks, I was turning out the lights by 12:00 and sleeping until 7:00 or 8:00 the next day.

After eight weeks, I stopped the Melatonin, and continued the bedtime ritual I had established. I was worried the first night about how I would react without taking the Melatonin. But, I started reading at 11:00, turned out the lights at 11:30 and slept all night.  I have been sleeping soundly ever since.

Before you attempt to reset your sleep pattern, it is important to detoxify your body first by eliminating chemicals from your environment and diet.  You need to build up your body’s immune system and ability to take care of itself by eating natural whole healthy foods.  If you are just beginning this process, hold on to hope.  You can recover from fibromyalgia and a multitude of other autoimmune diseases by making lifestyle changes to get rid of chemicals.  You can sleep and dream again.  

The Cure for Chronic Illness: Any Questions?

The road to recovery from chronic illness may be long and winding but it is a goal within reach of anyone willing to take the first step.  I have been amazed at the number of people I have met, articles I have read, researchers I have heard speak that have affirmed that recovery happens when we are willing to make the necessary changes in our lifestyles.  A common thread has been the great havoc that toxic chemicals are having on our immune systems. 

I got rid of chemicals in my environment, quit eating processed food, and started eating whole foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties and I have not had any fibromyalgia symptoms in ten months.  Chemicals in food, cosmetics, fragrances, cleaning supplies and other products are making us sick. Getting rid of toxic chemicals has resulted in remission for people with a wide range of chronic illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjogren's syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many other autoimmune diseases. 

Several friends and I were discussing this recently after church.  Someone asked, "But isn't that hard?"  A friend who has also improved from chronic illness and I both shouted, "No!" at the same time because we both recognize that these lifestyle changes have led to healing and nothing is as hard as feeling horrible all the time. However, when I got back home, it occurred to me that maybe we answered too quickly. Perhaps all of this may sound quite difficult and overwhelming to someone who has not tried any of the steps yet.

I have been in the process of moving so I have not had time to blog in almost two months. I thought that as I start posting again  this might be a good time to ask you for input and questions.  I appreciate all of you who have posted comments, sent me messages on Facebook and Twitter, and talked to me in person about the recovery process. 

What would you like to know?  Do you have a question about chemicals in cleaning products, cosmetics, and  fragrances?  Do you have questions about the harmful effects of eating processed food?  Do you need more information on which whole foods are the most beneficial?  If you are sick but have not gotten rid of chemicals in your environment and food, would you please share what things are keeping you from trying this plan?  Is there a topic I can address that would help you?  Do you have a symptom or problem that I have not discussed? Do you have observations or comments?

Please post your questions and thoughts in the comment section of the blog,  I will write future posts related to anything you would like to discuss. Thank you for your interest, your time, and your input.

May God bless each and every one of you with His wisdom, hope, grace, and love.  And may you feel a whole lot better really soon.  Thank you!