The healing power of sleep in my life with MG

The very first “code” my mom and I cracked together came long before I even had a diagnosis. Back when I was just a kid with mysterious symptoms no one could explain, we noticed that one thing always seemed to help: sleep. No matter how much pain, weakness, or shortness of breath I had, if I lay down and slept, things got a little better.

At the time, neither of us knew I had myasthenia gravis (MG). Doctors didn’t have answers, and I didn’t have a name for what was happening to me. But this small discovery — sleep as medicine — became our secret coping tool for the unknown. And even today, years after my diagnosis, that little code still works.

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Getting my definition of adequate sleep is vital to manage my MG

Living with a chronic illness doesn’t magically put you in a bubble where everyone understands what you’re going through. The pain, the weakness, the constant feeling that your body can collapse at any time — it’s invisible to the outside world. And yet, even when I feel overwhelmed, I can still count on sleep to give me a tiny reset. It doesn’t cure anything, but it does soothe, and sometimes that’s all I need to keep going.

Being grateful for these small “advantages” of MG helps me put the illness into perspective. It makes me kinder toward my body and reminds me that, while MG takes a lot from me, it doesn’t take everything.

Of course, there are days when I hate MG for ruining my plans. There are days when it takes all the control away from me, and I feel pinned to the bed by sheer exhaustion. But in the end, I know that a night of sleep — or sometimes just a nap — will help, even if it’s only with 1% of the symptoms. My heart goes out to every patient who doesn’t have this option, and who lies awake at night battling insomnia or pain that never lets up.

The strength to keep going

Lately, I’ve been pushing myself harder than usual. I’ve been going out more, working longer hours, and stretching my limits to prove that I can still do things. At the end of those days, I often collapse. I’ll faint into bed, my body heavy and my muscles screaming. Yet the next morning, I wake up feeling new for at least half an hour. That little window of freshness may not seem like much, but to me, it’s reassuring and satisfying. It reminds me that my body still knows how to recover, at least a little, and I can still enjoy life between flare-ups.

Maybe that’s why I’ve always seen MG as both bitter and a best friend. It’s bitter because of the struggles, but it’s also my best friend because it taught me to treasure what I can do, not just grieve what I can’t. Sleep is part of that gift; it’s my reset button, my soft landing, the place where my body negotiates with MG and gives me just enough strength to face another day.

This may sound strange, but gratitude for something as simple as sleep helps me hold on to hope. It keeps me from spiraling into frustration and reminds me that healing isn’t always about fighting. Sometimes it’s about resting, listening, and being thankful for what still works.

So today, I want to share that gratitude out loud. Because if there’s one code my mom and I cracked all those years ago that still holds, it’s this: Sleep doesn’t fix everything, but it does give me the strength to keep going.

Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.