Pain Impacts Sleep

Here is a spotlight on 5 Ways Pain Impacts Sleep. A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that 57% of Americans suffer from some type of acute or chronic pain. They also discovered the effects of pain are seriously disrupting America’s sleep. Sleep is an important part of living a healthy and happy life. In fact, a lack of sleep has been linked to all sorts of health issues, both mental and physical. This includes an increased risk for depression and anxiety as well as a gradual breakdown of the body’s natural defenses against illness. A consistent failure to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night can seriously reduce your quality of life. That’s one of the reasons that understanding how pain impacts sleep is important – when you know what the problem is, you can do your best to find a solution.

Here are five ways pain might be impacting your sleep:

1. Pain Makes it Hard to Fall Asleep

Because pain and lack of sleep are inversely related, it is difficult for individuals suffering from acute or chronic pain to fall asleep. That’s because to sleep the body must be relaxed but discomfort from pain prevents your body from relaxing.

2. Pain Increases as Sleep Decreases

Pain makes it difficult to fall asleep, sure, but did you know that the less sleep you get, the achier you begin to feel? It’s a cruel cycle. If you aren’t sleeping, you are most likely moving around and putting your muscles to work when they should be resting. This can increase fatigue, soreness and feelings of achiness. During sleep our muscles assume a more neutral position. Lying rather than standing puts significantly less pressure on the disks in the spine as well as the muscles. A failure to let your muscles relax only increases inflammation, making your pain worse.

3. Pain Influences Sleep Quality

Sixty-five percent of people who don’t experience pain on a regular regular basis reported good or very good sleep quality. However, only 45% of people who suffer from acute pain and 37% of people with chronic pain did the same. Of those people who reported poor sleep quality causes by their pain, half reported that their lack of sleep interfered with their work the next day. We need solid, uninterrupted sleep to wake up rested and ready to face the day. However, it’s likely our pain is standing in the way of  that.

4. Pain Reduces Sleep Length

Those who suffer from chronic pain regularly rack up 42 minutes of sleep debt on average, and those with acute pain miss out on 14 minutes of sleep on average. Sometimes we can fall asleep with pain and even stay asleep, but only until the pain medication wears off. That means that we might get three or four hours of sleep before we’re awake again, which can lead to sleep deprivation.

5. Pain Increases Stress

Pain levels have also been correlated to increased stress levels. And stress, like pain, is a common culprit of robbing your quality hours of shut eye each night.

So what can you do? Tips for assuaging pain so you can sleep.

Take a look at your sleep structure

First of all, make sure you have a supportive mattress that is not contributing to your pain problem. Without the proper sleep structure, one that evenly distributes body weight, doesn’t put more stress on your joints, and keeps your spine in neutral alignment, your sleep quality will continue to suffer. The will materials and firmness of your mattress play a huge role in pain management.

Memory foam tends to be the best type of mattress to help cradle your body, relieve pressure points and keep your spine in proper alignment – all important qualities in a mattress, especially when you suffer from back pain. Memory foam (and other foam blends) do a good job of evenly distributing your body weight – meaning you won’t get as much of that uneven pressure or discomfort that tends to stir up your back pain even more.

Adjust your sleeping position

Speaking of taking pressure of your joints and spine, there are ways to modify your sleeping position so you can lessen the pressure placed on your back, hips, and shoulders. How you modify depends on the type of pain you are experiencing and what feels most comfortable to you. If you feel better in an extended or upright position, try sleeping on your back. According to physicians, sleeping on your back is the most healthy sleeping position. However, if you still experience pain while on your back, try sleeping on your side in the fetal position with a pillow between your knees. This will align your spine, pelvis and hips, keeping pressure off your joints.

Here are a number of other modifications for all sleeping types:

Modifications for Back Sleepers

• Keep your hips square to prevent a twist in the pelvis
• If you have low back pain, every once in a while you can put a pillow under your lower legs
• Put pillows by your hips to keep from rolling over (so you stay in a neutral position)

Modifications for Side Sleepers

• Put a pillow between the knees to keep the pelvis aligned (aka hips square)
• If you have mid-back pain, hug a pillow to keep shoulders from caving in

Modifications for Stomach Sleepers

• If you can, try sleeping in a different position altogether.
• Put a pillow under your pelvis. This will help keep your back in a more neutral position and take pressure off your spine
• Stretch in the mornings. A few minutes of stretching will help get your body back in alignment and gently strengthen supporting muscles. Be sure to warm up with a little movement before stretching, and be gentle
• Use a thin pillow or no pillow at all. The flatter the pillow, the less angled your head and neck will be.

Finally, avoid sleeping a recliner at all costs! This throws your spine and muscles out of neutral alignment putting force on your neck and back which can lead to other muscular discomforts. Do your best to stay in bed!

Get the help you need

If your pain is keeping you from restful sleep, consult your physician about treatment options. Another night of disrupted sleep may make the problem worse.

By Lisa Smalls