The inability to sleep due to pain is real – painsomnia, as some call it. As many as 80% of people with arthritis have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep due to joint pain. The pain makes it difficult to sleep, the exhaustion worsens pain, and the cycle continues.
If pain and stiffness from arthritis keep you from sleeping or falling asleep, here are some tips.
Tips for Sleeping Better with Arthritis
1. Get Creative with Your Pillows
Using different pillows to help support joints or sore body parts can help reduce pressure or pain at night. If you have neck pain, a small pillow at the base of your neck can help support your head and keep your neck straight. A tube pillow under your knees may help with stiffness and pain in your legs. If you are a side sleeper, place a pillow between your legs to help straighten and stabilize your hips.
2. Use Heat Therapy Before Falling Asleep
Use a heating pad on a painful joint for 15-20 minutes before falling asleep. A soothing bath or warm shower can give the same effect. Just be sure to give your body time to cool down, because it can be hard to sleep if you are overheated.
3. Schedule you Sleep
The best sleep time is 10 pm – 6 am. This is the time where the body does the recovery and healing. If you sleep outside that window, you reduce your recovery time.
4. Schedule More Time for Sleep
Adjusting your routine to allow for more time to sleep may seem counterintuitive, but when living with chronic pain, your body needs more than the suggested 7 hours of sleep each night. Aim for 8-9 hours. When you are in pain, plan for more hours of sleep. Even if you toss and turn a bit before falling asleep, you will still be able to have a good amount of sleep and rest that your body needs. Make bedtime a “non-negotiable” and respect the time set aside for sleep and rest.
5. Keep Your Room Cold
While heat is proven to reduce joint pain, heat can often lead to restless nights and the inability to sleep comfortably. If using a heating pad makes you too uncomfortable, focus on cooling down your bedroom. Use a fan, crack a window, or even sleep with cold compression packs on the back of your neck to keep your body cool.
6. Write in a Sleep Diary
Track your bedtime habits and sleep habits for a few weeks. Include what time you go to bed and wake up, any naps during the day, and how you felt during the day. Also make note of how much caffeine or alcohol you consumed, what you eat right before bedtime, and any medications you take on a daily basis. This can help you and your doctor determine sleep patterns and how you can potentially help yourself get a more restful sleep.
7. Turn off Screens
Studies have shown that watching TV or looking at your phones right before bedtime can mess with the sleep hormones in your brain. If you have chronic pain and insomnia, do everything you can to encourage your body to rest and get a good night’s sleep. Power down your digital devices an hour before you plan to go to sleep.
8. Consider Your Mattress
Your mattress can make a huge difference in how you sleep and your level of comfort. When you have arthritis, your mattress should be supportive, but not too hard. Consider adding a memory foam or gel cooling mattress topper.
9. Avoid Stimulants
Avoid caffeine 8 hour before going to bed. This includes coffee, tea, soft drinks. The caffeine stimulates the brain and keeps you awake.
10. Avoid Meals before Sleeping
It is best to avoid food 2 hours before sleeping. Eating before going to bed diverts the energy spent on recovery and healing to digesting food.
11. Natural Sleep Aids
Always consult your doctor first, but using sleep aids like melatonin can encourage a more restful night’s sleep. If you don’t want to take medication, have a cup of caffeine-free chamomile tea before going to bed. Natural herbs and supplements that help you fall asleep may help you find the rest your body needs.
