How MS and Insomnia Are Connected

Tips for Diagnosed and Undiagnosed MS Patients

Table of Contents
View All
Table of Contents

Insomnia is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), one that can significantly interfere with your quality of life by contributing to daytime fatigue and low energy. Many experts believe sleep-related disorders are direct consequences of the physical and emotional burden of MS.

One study reported that prevalence of insomnia in participants with MS was four times higher than the national average at about 66.45%. Moreover 41.45% presented with daytime sleepiness as well.

Still, these sleep concerns are grossly underdiagnosed in people with MS. It's important for you to talk to your neurologist about any sleep problems you have.

This article will explore the links between MS and insomnia, as well as how to get better sleep.

Types and Causes of Insomnia in MS
Verywell / Cindy Chung 

Causes of Insomnia in MS

Research suggests uncontrolled or worsening MS symptoms combined with anxiety and depression were largely to blame for the insomnia rates reported in studies.

Other contributing factors to sleep disturbances in MS include:

  • Certain hormonal irregularities that may cause breathing disruption and sleep apnea
  • Disruption of dopamine and norepinephrine (chemical messengers in the brain) that may result in narcolepsy and interfere with sleep patterns
  • Napping in the daytime due to fatigue, which may lead to insomnia at night
  • MS symptoms like restless legs, temperature dysregulation, and urinary control, which may also interrupt sleep

Insomnia Types

There are three different types of insomnia. Each affects a different phase of sleep and has different MS-related causes.

Initial Insomnia

Initial insomnia is defined as the inability or difficulty to fall asleep. In people with MS, initial insomnia may be caused by neuropathic or musculoskeletal pain as well as certain medications known to cause sleeping difficulties.

Middle Insomnia

Middle insomnia is when you awaken during the night and cannot fall back asleep. Ironically, people with higher daytime fatigue are more likely to experience middle insomnia. Other MS-related symptoms such as muscle spasms and nocturia (the urge to urinate at night) can also cause this effect.

Terminal Insomnia

Terminal insomnia is simply waking up too early. The cause of terminal insomnia in people with MS is not well understood, but insufficient exposure to daylight has been linked to poor sleep outcomes in the general population. It's safe to say this would also be true among MS patients.

Diagnosis of Insomnia

There is no definitive test for insomnia. Healthcare providers use many different tools to diagnose and measure insomnia symptoms, including:

  • Sleep logs: A sleep log is a simple diary in which you record details about your sleep, such as your bedtime, wake up time, and how sleepy you feel at various times during the day.
  • Sleep inventories: A sleep inventory is an extensive questionnaire that gathers information about your personal health, medical history, and sleep patterns.
  • Sleep studies (polysomnography): You sleep in a lab while connected to machines that monitor your sleep stages, oxygen levels, movements, and heart and breathing patterns.

Insomnia Treatment

As a first step, your healthcare provider should make sure the MS symptoms that may be contributing to your sleep problems are addressed—such as urinary problems or restless legs syndrome.

While many people consider sleeping pills to be the first-line treatment of choice for insomnia, sleep medications have their downsides and limitations. All in all, while they may offer benefits over the short term, the drugs tend to lose their effectiveness quickly and are potentially addictive.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is a drug-free alternative that is often turned to as a first-line treatment for insomnia. Among its benefits, it may help train your brain to associate your bed with sleep, not wakefulness.

Other people turn to medical devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat sleep apnea and bright light therapy to treat circadian rhythm sleep disorders. These conditions, though, need to be diagnosed by a healthcare professional first.

Lifestyle Changes

Beyond these types of medical interventions, there are things you and your healthcare provider can do to address sleep-related disorders (and these apply regardless of whether or not someone has MS):

  • Get plenty of natural light exposure during the day.
  • Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.
  • Exercise regularly to improve sleep, but don’t do it within four to six hours of your bedtime, as it can overstimulate you.
  • Limit your caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine intake six hours before bedtime.
  • Stop drinking any fluids a couple of hours before going to bed.
  • Try to clear your mind when in bed. Avoid TV and electronic devices.
  • Keep the bedroom dark and the temperature cool.
  • Do not lie awake in the middle of the night. Get up, read a book, or do some other activity to settle your mind before returning to bed.

A Word From Verywell

If you are having sleeping difficulties and have tried simple measures like the ones mentioned above without much relief, be sure to talk with your neurologist. Together, you may be able to find the culprit behind your sleep problems. In some cases, your healthcare provider will refer you to a sleep specialist for proper treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do MS symptoms get worse at night?

    Some of them may, especially spasticity—which can be aggravated by not moving.

  • Is insomnia a neurological problem?

    It isn't always, but insomnia can be related to neurological issues and it's closely related to many neurological diseases, like MS, stroke, epilepsy, and dementia.

  • What can a neurologist do for insomnia?

    Neurologists have the best understanding of how neurological disease impacts insomnia and how to treat both conditions. Many sleep specialists become neurologists first, then get certified in sleep medicine.

11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Braley TJ, Chervin RD. A practical approach to the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders in patients with multiple sclerosisTher Adv Neurol Disord. 2015;8(6):294-310. doi:10.1177/1756285615605698

  2. Kołtuniuk A, Kazimierska-Zając M, Pogłódek D, Chojdak-Łukasiewicz J. Sleep disturbances, degree of disability and the quality of life in multiple sclerosis patientsIJERPH. 2022;19(6):3271. doi:/10.3390/ijerph19063271

  3. Inline citation added.

    Riccitelli GC, Pacifico D, Manconi M, et al. Relationship between cognitive disturbances and sleep disorders in multiple sclerosis is modulated by psychiatric symptomsMultiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 2022;64:103936. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2022.103936

  4. Christogianni A, Bibb R, Davis SL, et al. Temperature sensitivity in multiple sclerosis: An overview of its impact on sensory and cognitive symptomsTemperature (Austin). 2018;5(3):208-223. doi:10.1080/23328940.2018.1475831

  5. Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Sleep Issues.

  6. Pokryszko-Dragan A, Bilińska M, Gruszka E, Biel Ł, Kamińska K, Konieczna K. Sleep disturbances in patients with multiple sclerosisNeurol Sci. 2013;34(8):1291-1296. doi:10.1007/s10072-012-1229-0

  7. Burns AC, Saxena R, Vetter C, Phillips AJK, Lane JM, Cain SW. Time spent in outdoor light is associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 400,000 UK Biobank participantsJournal of Affective Disorders. 2021;295:347-352. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.056

  8. Alasmari MM, Alkanani RS, Alshareef AS, et al. Medical students’ attitudes toward sleeping pill usage: A cross-sectional studyFront Psychiatry. 2022;13:1007141. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1007141

  9. Rossman J. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: An Effective and Underutilized Treatment for InsomniaAm J Lifestyle Med. 2019;13(6):544-547. doi:10.1177/1559827619867677

  10. National MS Society. Sleep Disorders and MS.

  11. Mayer G, Happe S, Evers S, et al. Insomnia in neurological diseasesNeurol Res Pract. 2021;3(1):15. doi:10.1186/s42466-021-00106-3

Additional Reading

By Julie Stachowiak, PhD
Julie Stachowiak, PhD, is the author of the Multiple Sclerosis Manifesto, the winner of the 2009 ForeWord Book of the Year Award, Health Category.