Insights To Get You Moving

Share This Post

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE EVER SACRIFICED A MUCH-NEEDED NIGHT OF SLEEP DUE TO PAIN?

Pain is difficult to handle regardless of cause or severity and can have a detrimental effect on sleeping habits. An individual with pain may experience discomfort or anxiety which contributes to their inability to sleep. Unfortunately, though it may not seem severe, losing those z’s may impact your body’s ability to deal with the pain. This creates a vicious cycle!

There are three core stages of sleep that your body encounters each night: light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. In order to properly repair your body from the day’s activities you need a certain amount of time in each sleep stage. The average person normally goes through four to six cycles of each stage per night, barring any painful episodes. Because pain is a sensation felt when nerves are stimulated to an intense degree, it actually activates the brain ultimately keeping you awake. If pain continues to wake you up, the body spends too much time in light sleep which shortens REM cycles and increases your sensitivity to pain. See? It’s a vicious cycle.

KEEP YOUR HAND UP IF YOU’RE READY TO MAKE A CHANGE!

Stop counting sheep and try these methods:

• Exercise regularly but avoid doing it 3 hours before bedtime. For pain, try moderate and low-impact exercises like walking, yoga, and swimming.
• Calm yourself with meditation – 10 minutes of meditation can help relax the body.
•  A gentle massage is beneficial for both insomnia and chronic pain
• Forgo daytime naps or limit yourself to a brief 10- to 20-minute nap in the afternoon.
• Take a warm bath or shower before bed to wind down.
• Lull yourself to sleep with relaxation CDs that play sounds you find soothing.
• Remove all light-producing appliances from your bedroom including the TV — if you must have them, choose ones that emit red rather than blue light.
• Abstain from alcohol in the evening — it may help you fall asleep but the effects of a cocktail quickly backfire, disrupting sleep cycles a few hours into the night.
• Run a fan or other non-specific white noise machine in your bedroom to dampen street or other noises.
• Avoid caffeine as it disrupts sleep patterns — if you must have a caffeine boost, enjoy it before noon.
• Do not eat within three hours of going to bed.

If pain is preventing you from sleeping, it’s time to see a doctor. There are a number of treatments available including medication and physical therapy.

About The Authors

Share This Post