The importance of sleep in fibromyalgia: Challenges and advances in Latin America

Fibromyalgia was described as a syndrome characterised by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disorders and cognitive alterations. It mainly affected women and represented a clinical and social challenge due to its complexity and high disability burden. It was observed that patients presented alterations in deep sleep and an increase in nocturnal awakenings, which intensified the pain and reduced the effectiveness of the treatments. Sleep hygiene, understood as the set of habits that favour restorative rest, was shown to be an effective strategy for improving sleep quality and reducing the perception of pain. Despite its effectiveness, its incorporation into health policies in Latin America was limited, and a biomedical approach centred on pharmacological treatment predominated. The need to integrate the psychoeducational and sleep components into the multidisciplinary management of fibromyalgia was highlighted.