Rosenfeld tested nearly 500 patients with and without fibromyalgia in a sleep lab. While the patients slept, Rosenfeld observed their brain waves through a process known as quantitative EEG and utilized the process to monitor the patients’ alpha waves.

The brain creates alpha waves while it is awake, Rosenfeld said. He detected alpha waves in the vast majority of fibromyalgia patients but did not in those without fibromyalgia.

“Even though people with fibromyalgia are technically asleep, their brain waves look more like they’re awake,” Rosenfeld said. “In essence, people with fibromyalgia are pulling an all-nighter every single night.”