Fibromyalgia, sleep disorders and adrenaline

I've recently discovered the research of a doctor from Mexico, Dr Manuel Martinez-Lavin, that is the most persuasive account I have found so far (and I think I have read almost everything on the subject) of what fibromyalgia does to the body and how it works. People with fibromyalgia often have unrefreshing sleep; they sleep but wake up tired and achy, as if they have the flu. Pain is both all-over, and located in "tender spots." I used to say this "feels like someone beat me with a stick." This was my experience--sleep that was unrefreshing--until I stopped nursing and my hormones changed. Then I just....stopped sleeping. I would sleep about 2 hours a night. A good night was when I could sleep for 4 hours, whether they were consecutive or not. My symptoms got worse and doing everything and anything was a challenge. My doctor and I tried lots of different approaches to improve my sleep: acupuncture, physical therapy, nutrition, sleep hygiene (better habits), various medications, even birth control pills to regulate hormone fluctuation. Nothing really had much of an impact. Finally after a few years of this, we decided on a sleep medication, one that is normally only prescribed for short periods of time. In other words, it's habit-forming. Now, with the medication, I do sleep between 5-7 hours a night. But if for some reason I run out of the meds, as I did this week, I just don't sleep. The rotator cuff pain, and no meds added up to three nights in a row without sleeping at all. I lay in bed, doing the breathing exercises I've been taught, watching the cat do his nocturnal thing, but feeling the whips of adrenaline lashing through my body. Because this is what is keeping me awake: my endocrine system is whacked out in such a way that the adrenaline just doesn't turn off. I can feel it squirting through my system--sometimes it makes my limbs jump, or my teeth grind. My body is getting the alarm! signal. The hardest part is fighting off the fear--it is not called "fight or flight" for nothing. The adrenaline surges can trigger panic, anxiety, paranoia or just plain fear, even when there is no objective cause. Knowing this helps me manage it, but sometimes I'm so tired, so mentally exhausted with being AWAKE! that I just want it all to stop. I finally slept last night (my Rx arrived in the mail!).