Sleep is not only essential to our overall health and well being, but sleep, or lack thereof, can have a powerful effect on the productivity we exhibit in our day to day lives. Unfortunately, sleep insomnia’s prominence for Americans with chronic pain reaches far and wide. Patients suffering from chronic pain, such as joint pain, backaches and pain from injuries, are at a compellingly high risk of developing difficulty sleeping and even sleep insomnia. In fact, according to Spine-Health.com, “of those who report experiencing chronic pain (about 15% of the general U.S. population and 50% of the elderly), approximately 65% report having sleep disorders, such as disrupted or non-restorative sleep.” These numbers are notable considering they show that millions of Americans suffering from chronic pain just can’t get to sleep at night.
It is clear that both your chronic pain and your sleep patterns are integrally connected and affect your overall health and well-being. Additionally, for sufferers of chronic pain, loss of sleep is especially crucial. Unlike those without chronic pain or other conditions, lack of sleep won’t necessarily contribute negatively to their pain and health. When you endure chronic pain it is essential to get rest and not compile sleep debt. Unfortunately, this leaves most sufferers in a catch-22; they can’t rest to mend their pain and they can’t mend their pain because they can’t rest. Fortunately, there are some solutions to improving your ability to rest with chronic pain. Read on to discover several tips for maintaining regular sleep while having to endure chronic pain, and visit OC Pain to learn more about chronic pain treatment in Orange County.
Learn More About Chronic Pain Relief in Orange County by Visiting the Specialists at CRPM
Drink Less Coffee
Are you a lover of coffee, who am I kidding, everyone loves coffee. Unfortunately, the coffee that you so love is likely contributing greatly to your inability to sleep, even when consumed early in the morning. Caffeine has often been called the most popular drug in America and for great reason. Most Americans drink several cups of caffeine replete coffee every day. As a stimulant, caffeine is consumed regularly by people to keep them alert throughout the day. Regrettably, coffee, and caffeine in general, result in a plethora of side effects, especially when taken in high doses. Caffeine, while it can create temporary alertness, ultimately is likely to result in anxiety, irritability rapid heartbeat and of course sleep disturbance. In fact, according to the Sleep Foundation, coffee or caffeine can consequently result in sleep insomnia even when taken in small doses. Because caffeine plays no role in the necessary dietary needs of the body, it is recommended to keep your intake of coffee to a cup or two a day. If you experience sleep insomnia due to your chronic pain it is ideal to drink even less coffee and caffeine than the recommended amount. Cutting back on your caffeine intake via drinking less coffee will likely contribute greatly to improving your sleeping struggles.
Create A Sleep Journal
For some, creating a sleep journal may seem silly or even appear pointless. However, a sleep journal is not the same as a dream journal. In a dream journal one keeps track of the dreams they have when they sleep. For those suffering from chronic pain it is unlikely they have that luxury since over 60% of chronic pain sufferers struggle to get any decent sleep at night. A sleep journal is an effective way to log the amount of sleep you are receiving each night. Additionally, utilizing a sleep journal allows you to keep track of any habits, routines or otherwise bad patterns that you exhibit nightly. Being able to pinpoint bad routines can be the first step to reversing your insomnia.
Sleep journals are straightforward and effective. Simply take a week or longer and record anything you did that day, including both your daytime and nighttime activities. Archive anything that you may feel will be useful towards improving your insomnia, including how much caffeine you had that day, any common habitual activities day or night and be sure to also include the amount of sleep you received. This helpful tool can be great for improving your restless nights through trial and error.
Bring Up Your Heartbeat
Working out isn’t just beneficial in sculpting your body, it also can significantly improve the amount of sleep you are able to achieve. Generally, exercise can actually promote healing, even with a back or neck injury. In fact, working up a sweat and engaging in regular exercise promotes your body’s ability to naturally heal itself. However, it is always essential to discuss with your doctor if being physically active with your chronic injury is okay for your overall health.
In addition to promoting the overall healing of chronic injuries, exercise can play a key role in getting you to sleep at night and allowing you to stay asleep. The Journal of Mental Health and Physical Activity conducted a study monitoring the correlation between exercise and sleep patterns. Their study sampled 2,600 men and women of all ages from 18-85. The individuals in the sample that worked out for a minimum of 150 minutes a week were found to have significant improvement in their sleep quality. In fact, overall there was a 65% increase in the sleep quality of those who received 150 minutes or more of exercise in a week. The study also showed that the active individuals were also experiencing less fatigue throughout the day.
By exercising throughout the week you can help to increase your sleep quality and quantity. Exercising can also help to promote the healing of your chronic pain as well. In addition to exercising, it is also wise to seek chronic pain treatment in Orange County.
Evaluate Your Sleep Schedule
It is important to always stick to a regulated sleep schedule. Naturally, this can be very difficult when you have chronic pain. If you are unable to sleep at night then it is a common decision to just try and get sleep whenever you are able. However, it is essential to maintain a proper sleep schedule to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, especially when suffering with chronic pain. Your body has a built in clock called the circadian clock; the circadian clock helps you to fall asleep and wake up at approximately the same times each day. When your sleep schedule is changed your circadian clock will get thrown off of rhythm and ultimately affect your ability to fall asleep at night.
Evaluate your sleep schedule for any inconsistencies. If you notice issues with your sleeping schedule that may not be consistent it is important to correct them. Keeping your nights dark and your mornings bright is one of the best ways to start improving your sleep schedule. When you are ready to sleep at night keep the lights off and the windows closed to allow your circadian clock to realign. In the morning try to bask in as much light as possible. If it is still dark outside turn your lights on and begin your morning schedule. By going to sleep in the dark and awaking in light your circadian clock is able to realign and you should be able to experience improved sleep quality.
Learn More About Chronic Pain Relief in Orange County by Visiting the Specialists at CRPM
Evaluate Your Sleeping Arrangements
You can quit drinking caffeine, create a sleep journal and evaluate your sleep schedule, but what is the point if your body just isn’t comfortable enough to rest. Regardless of if you recognize it or not, the body has certain environmental requirements that should be met to encourage higher quality sleep. Your room should be dark of course, but that’s not enough to improve sleep for the sleep deprived. If you are wanting to improve sleep your bedroom should be kept between 60-67 degrees and free of noise, light and distractions.
Get Your Chronic Pain Treated
If you are having trouble sleeping because of chronic pain, the easiest and most effective way to improve sleep is to have your chronic pain treated. Without treating the source of your sleepless nights, following other sleeping tips will prove to be pointless. Regardless of where your pain is located, it is wise to get chronic pain treatment in Orange County.
