Rainbow at shoreline

The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association, a 501(c)3 founded in 1985, exists to meet the needs of patients with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) or FM (Fibromyalgia), their families and loved ones. The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association works to educate health-care providers and the general public regarding these severely-disabling physical illnesses. We also support patients and their families and advocate for more effective treatment and research.

Jo M. Solet, MS, EdM, PhD, OTR/L was the keynote speaker at the Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association's Spring Lecture held on April 6, 2013. Dr. Solet's talk was on "The Science of Sleep." The event was co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and held at the Hinton State Laboratory Institute Auditorium in Jamaica Plain, MA.  

A video of the lecture is now available at YouTube.

YouTube links (YouTube versions can be only be accessed from this site or from the direct links; the videos are not searchable on YouTube):

Dr. Solet's presentation on "The Science of Sleep"

Read a written summary of her talk, The Science of Sleep. Also available are Dr. Solet's list of Tips for Sleep and Fatigue Management in CFIDS/ME & FM.  

Dr. Solet is a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School, a member of the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine, and the Department of Medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance. She is the co-author of sleep disruption studies and is clinically trained in occupational therapy and behavioral medicine. Dr. Solet brought a unique perspective on sleep and how it impacts our health. 

Dr. Solet introduced us to the science of sleep and help us understand how sleep is structured and how it changes throughout our life cycle. She explained adverse effects of poor sleep, sleep debt and describe some ways sleep may be enhanced. She highlighted research findings on sleep abnormalities uncovered in CFIDS/ME and FM. Dr. Solet's lecture helped to uncover the many internal physiological changes and activities that happen during sleep and how it becomes disrupted. 

Notice about names

The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association would like to clarify the use of the various acronyms for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) on this site. When we generate our own articles on the illness, we will refer to it as ME/CFS, the term now generally used in the United States. When we are reporting on someone else’s report, we will use the term they use. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies, including the CDC, are currently using ME/CFS. 

Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association changed its name in July, 2018, to reflect this consensus.