Sleep and Quality of Life in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) appears to be more severe, more functionally impairing, and less likely to be alleviated by rest than fatigue commonly experienced by healthy individuals. The words used by individuals with CFS to describe their fatigue are characterized by terms that deal with functional limitations, frustration, loss of control, permanence, depression, and pervasiveness—language that clearly reflects their diminished quality of life (QOL). With respect to etiology, CFS has been conceptualized among a spectrum of stress-related, functional disorders characterized by profound fatigue and, frequently, pain. In terms of sleep characteristics, individuals with CFS display the characteristic signs of poor overall sleep efficiency that is typically seen in persons with insomnia. They frequently experience nonrestorative sleep, and their daytime functioning is also seriously compromised. QOL scores reflect findings which show that symptoms of CFS significantly undermine many facets of these individuals' lives and significantly impair physical and social functioning as well as participation in activities of daily living. Physicians have little to offer their patients who have CFS. Friends and family, also unable to help, often tell people who have CFS to "just get on with your life," "pull yourself together," and "stop moping around." By dismissing and invalidating the lived experience of individuals with CFS, they contribute to an already poor QOL. Despite recent progress in understanding the biological mechanisms of the illness, more work needs to be done to find effective clinical treatments. Healthcare professionals and disability insurance carriers need to be informed that CFS is a real and disabling physical illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]