When the National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently asked a question on social media about sleep and MS, nearly 250 people shared their waking nightmares.Commenters discussed their “vampire mode” sleepless nights and fatigue “hangovers.” They analyzed the effects of common MS symptoms like spasticity and anxiety on their bedtime routine. And they evaluated slumber solutions ranging from custom pillows to dietary supplements.While it may seem like nearly everyone with MS has a sleep story — or, more accurately, a non-sleep story — the numbers have traditionally been difficult to quantify.“Many people with MS who have a sleep disorder remain undiagnosed,” says Tiffany Braley, MD. Braley is an MS neurologist and director of the University of Michigan’s Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology Division, where she leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on the intersection between sleep disorders and MS, and cofounder of the Michigan Medicine Multidisciplinary MS Fatigue and Sleep Clinic. “That said, research in recent years has made efforts to address these issues and provide better estimates.”Braley says research studies that use screening tools to discover undiagnosed sleep problems have found that at least 40% of people with MS have insomnia symptoms (problems falling and staying asleep), and 20% to 50% have obstructive sleep apnea (repeatedly starting and stopping breathing while asleep). In addition, people with MS are at least three times more likely than the general population to have restless legs syndrome (RLS), which affects sleep quality.A study of 136 people with MS published in January 2025 in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing reported that 52% of the participants had poor sleep quality. Nearly 37% had insomnia, 24% had excessive daytime sleepiness and 20% were at risk of sleep apnea. The participants reported that depression, anxiety, pain, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, memory issues and increased nighttime urination lowered their sleep scores.A review of 13 studies published in January 2025 in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders also focused on sleep quality. The researchers found that while sleep quantity was about the same in people with and without MS, the time it takes to fall asleep, daytime dysfunction related to sleepless nights and reliance on sleep medications were significantly elevated in people with MS. Four of the studies found people with MS were twice as likely to have poor sleep satisfaction scores compared to those without MS.Of course, none of this may be news to you if you’re reading this article in the middle of yet another sleepless night. But Braley says studies like these are the result of increasing emphasis on the relationship between sleep and MS. And that’s helping spur cutting-edge research on how sleep affects MS symptoms and vice versa — and what steps people with MS can take to boost their shuteye quality and quantity.Here’s a look at how researchers, clinicians and people with MS are working to solve MS-related sleep issues and improve or even prevent disease progression.
