How Pain Impacts Sleep and Effective Remedies

After a long day, people crave for that much-awaited bedtime. But for some, laying in bed and getting a good night’s sleep is not as easy as it seems due to physical or body pains. Tingling pain in different parts of the body can cause discomfort and disturb sleep. When not given immediate care or treatment, it can lead to even more severe complications.

How Does Pain Impact Sleep?

Pain is among the human body’s warning and response systems. Pain is connected to your brain associated with your senses and nervous system. The brain will try to recognize it and trigger responses whenever it is detected.

To get sufficient restful sleep, a person undergoes a series of stages where the brain waves slow down as it relaxes along with the whole body. Hence, feeling any sort of pain impedes this process as it keeps signaling the brain to act and respond.

People With Chronic Pain May Not Experience Deep Sleep

It is normal to feel pain if you have an injury that is not yet fully healed, had surgery or dental procedures, or have burns, bruises, or cuts. This sensation sends signals to your brain to start your body’s natural healing process. Such a thing is considered acute pain and can hinder getting the best sleep. But when its specific cause is healed, the pain will likely go away, and you can relax and sleep better.

However, some people experience long-term pain sensations in various parts of their body that last longer than six months even after an injury is healed—this can be chronic pain. In some instances, it can occur with no particular cause. Compared to acute pain, chronic pain affects sleep differently, the depth and quality of sleep, and the person’s sleeping pattern. This means they develop a non-restorative sleep pattern. As a result, they are more prone to developing sleep disorders, emotional distress, and mental health problems.

Pain Causes Frequent Waking

Pain or even an uncomfortable or tense sensation can make it difficult to sleep or even wake you up. It can disrupt your whole sleeping pattern, especially if the pain occurs repeatedly. Some sleeping positions can trigger cramps, numbness, and tingling pain, which will send signals to your brain that something is uncomfortable. Especially for those who cannot experience deep sleep, the smallest amount of pain can quickly wake them up.

Pain Can Lead to Insomnia

When pain is recurring and disrupts sleeping patterns for a long time, it can lead to insomnia, a sleep disorder that makes it difficult for people to fall asleep or stay asleep. People suffering from chronic pain have a high risk of developing insomnia as their brain gets used to not sleeping deeply. As a result, they wake up easily to pain, and there’s a probability of developing mental health disorders, like anxiety and depression, which further aggravates insomnia.

Lack of Sleep Reduces Mental Clarity

The way pain disrupts the sleep cycle can lead to a lack of sleep. Just as it can make someone feel physically tired, lack of proper rest can negatively affect mental and emotional health. It can be challenging to focus, learn and retain memory. Without decent shuteye, one can also experience extreme emotional distress, leading to severe anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder.

How Can I Sleep Better With Pain?

It is normal to feel pain, but when it’s been causing damage to your way of living and overall wellness, you should act on it. For example, pain disrupts sleep, while lack of sleep exacerbates pain, especially back pains and headaches. This is a cycle that, if not broken, can further cause damage to the human body.

If you experience extreme chronic pain, the best thing to do is consult your physician to know its underlying cause and get the necessary treatment. In addition, you can also consider trying the following approaches to manage pain and sleep better at night.

• Have a Sleep Schedule

Everyone knows the struggle to have a fixed sleep schedule and routine, especially for those who have tight work schedules. But having a sleeping time that you strictly follow is the start of good sleep hygiene, improving your sleeping architecture.

Especially for people with acute or chronic pain, sticking to a regular sleeping routine and practicing good sleeping hygiene can help you train your brain to know when to relax and get some sleep. This can reduce the brain’s sensitivity to pain or train it to respond to pain in a way that will not easily disrupt your sleep.

• Using a Steady Comfortable Mattress

Part of creating good sleeping hygiene is ensuring that you have a specific area conducive to a relaxing and comfortable sleep. The bed you are lying on is a significant factor in avoiding or managing pain as you sleep.

Invest in a high-quality sleeping mattress that is comfortable for your body. It’s a plus if features can aid specific health conditions, including arthritis and back pains. There are mattresses suitable for the sleeping positions you are most comfortable with. For example, you can shop mattresses for side sleepers with back pain from Nolah Mattress that suit side and back sleepers, which can give you more comfort and support as you sleep.

• Find Sleeping Positions That Relieve You Pain

When prolonged or have become a habit, some sleeping positions can cause, trigger, or aggravate pain, especially on your back. Make it a point to choose a comfortable sleep position, meaning no parts of your body or muscles are too tense.

If laying on your back is uncomfortable, try sleeping on your side with a pillow in between your legs and knees. The pillow helps align your hips, pelvis, and spine. You can also try sleeping in a fetal position, allowing open spaces between your vertebrae.

• Practice Yoga & Meditation

Studies show that mindfulness can help manage chronic pain, so try relaxation activities like yoga and meditation. Yoga is a combination of slow-paced physical exercises and calming mental activity. It involves poses and stretches that mobilize body parts and ease up tension in the muscle and joints. It also integrates meditation which, through proper breathing and conditioning the mind, helps a person relax and focus.

Both yoga and meditation can benefit a person’s physical and mental state. You can also use meditation and slow breathing to gradually relax and sleep or go back to sleep when you experience disruptions due to chronic pain.

• Try CBD Oil

Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant, has been studied by experts for a while now, and evidence suggests it can help alleviate pain and aid in relaxation. It is offered as a wellness product in the form of an oil, which you use in sublingual form (apply a few drops under the tongue).

Research efforts are also being done to test CBD’s effect on sleep and pain and the usability of CBD for chronic pain. It is important to note that CBD oil is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a safe and proven treatment for pain. But if you are seeking natural alternatives, you can give CBD oils a try. 

• Consume Foods To Promote Sleep

Diet is a major contributing factor to your sleep. The food you take can affect your sleep cycle. As there are compounds in food that help you stay awake, like caffeine, there are also those that promote sleep, specifically those that help your brain produce sleepy hormones like melatonin and serotonin.

The best food items to consume are those that have complex carbohydrates like whole-grain, malt, or oats and fruits, nuts, and milk. Meanwhile, avoid foods that can disrupt sleeping patterns, like high-fat and high-protein food, spicy dishes, and beverages like alcohol and coffee.

• Get Prescribed Medication

When chronic pain becomes difficult to cope with using natural remedies, you can use medications to help ease the pain and get some sleep. There are over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen, paracetamol, and ibuprofen, among other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Meanwhile, there are also supplements for sleep like melatonin capsules and supplements enriched with Magnesium.

However, to know how to treat your pain and sleep problems best, the best way is to consult your physician to get prescribed medication or treatment. This way, you’ll be sure that the remedies you use are safe and effective and will not further cause more complications.

No Pain, Better Sleep

Pain of any kind can be destructive to your sleeping pattern and negatively impact your life. Therefore, it is essential to be very mindful of your body and learn to manage pain effectively to get the best rest you can have. People who suffer from chronic pain can find sleeping extra challenging, but it can be possible to cope with pain and ultimately achieve quality sleep with suitable approaches.