Fibromyalgia Sufferers have to go through a lot daily. One of the main issues of fibromyalgia sufferers is that they are extremely sensitive to the surrounding environment. This type of extreme sensitivity is called Sensory disability. It usually affects our five primary senses e.g sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Following are common examples of sensitivity:
- Very Poor Vision
- Impaired Hearing
- Immune to Strong Lights or High Pitched Voices.
- Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
- Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
A Blind Person must have a sleep disorder because they cannot sync themselves as they have no light Preception. A Normal person knows day and night time and syncs its body according to this but a blind person doesn’t have this facility so they end up out of sync from their circadian clock. Blind Person Sleep time can vary from day to day.
People have hearing impaired, either they born deaf or may lose hearing over time people because of an event. People with Hearing impaired usually don’t fall asleep because of ringing in their ears called tinnitus. This ringing feels like a bell or like an RF frequency while there is nothing going on around them.
About 70% of People cannot sleep because of autism spectrum disorder, Usually because of insomnia. Depression and Fatigue are also associated with ASD which causes sleep problems. Children with ASD are also more likely to have Snoring, Sleep Apnea, and bedwetting issue.
People have autism spectrum disorder usually have higher sensitivity. They are more easily annoyed by Strong Lights or High Pitched Voices or even light touch to their body. You can imagine how difficult it is for a person to sleep with such sensory disabilities.
Sleep Advice for Individuals with Sensory Disabilities
The first one and the most effective one is to consult a doctor. Doctors get these cases on a daily bases and they can suggest a most productive solution. On the other hand, you can also use some sleeping pills but I don’t usually suggest medication.
For Impaired Hearing People, Sleep is a scarier thing to do because if their eyes are closed, They cannot interact with the outside world. Many People feel comfortable to sleep while there is a little light in the room. Try using a light ON in the room or use a friendly light glowing or night lights.
The same manner, Children with sensory disabilities feel fearful within a dark room. Try using some light or decorating the room with colorful imagery. Wall Painting or Imagery can create a calmer environment which will cause more productive sleep.
- Paint your bedroom with a dark color.
- Use Blackout shades to minimize light in the room. Most people prefer light in the room.
- Use a gentle scent or room freshener.
- For Children, Have some stuffed animal to cuddle with, at night. Also could use children favorite blanket or stuffed animal to create a more feasible environment.
- Could Use Weighted Blankets for better sleep.
- Could Use Bed tent as a cue that its time to sleep.
Diet also plays an important factor in your sleep. You can eat food which actually stimulates your body or could use a dietary supplement like melatonin. In the case of children, You can use bright light therapy in which you expose your child to bright light during the day.
Before going to bed, Leave your electronic devices like mobile or TV to better stimulate your body. Electronic equipment has rays that actually causes you to stay wide awake.
This article really helped me to understand why I had been feeling the way I do. Thank you.