Sleep disturbances linked to fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic muscle disorder characterized by muscle aches and pain of varying intensities. Sleep disturbances have been recognized as one of the probable causes of this disorder. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches are often used to manage the symptoms of sleep disturbances. This article provides a brief background on FM, discusses the physiology of sleep, reviews the current literature on sleep disturbances associated with FM, provides insight to interventions that might be beneficial given the data available, and recommends ongoing research.