Is pain keeping you awake at night? You are part of a group with nearly 40 million adults in the U.S. also struggling with severe pain. 80% of those individuals have sleep disturbances and more than half have insomnia. In fact, most patients with chronic pain as report that as the reason for intermittent sleep disturbances. 

Focusing on the anxiety that comes from pain can turn into this endless cycle of poor sleep, anxiety about pain, which then leads to more sleep disturbances and increased pain. The mind and the body are interconnected, and the more anxious you feel anticipating a bad night of sleep, the more tense you'll feel which can further contribute to feelings of pain as well as sleep disturbances. The more pain you experience while sleeping, the less dopamine your brain will make and opioid receptors that you have, making you more sensitive to pain. 

Getting good sleep is vital for pain management. But knowing that fact can have one of two effects: increase one's motivation to find solutions for great sleep, or increase the amount of anxiety that one feels about the necessity of good sleep that they are not going to get. Continue reading to learn more about how to overcome feelings of pain throughout the night.  

Mental Barriers: How Pain Affects Our Ability to Sleep 

The mental impact of pain on sleep is severe for several reasons. One is the actual experience of pain. The sharp flashes of pain that can happen from certain movements or positions can be so excruciating, that just the thought of that taking place can cause so much anxiety that one cannot fall asleep. They are unable to fully relax to the point that they are able to drift off to sleep. 

There are also some mental health aspects of pain to consider. Pain, insomnia, depression all can occur together and worsen one another. This also goes for anxiety and substance abuse-related conditions. People with chronic pain are more likely to have anxiety regarding the pain, and substance abuse issues as they try to figure out any relief that they can have from their pain. 

The most important way to try and overcome these issues is to focus on the positives that happen throughout the night. If you find a position that is comfortable and does not illicit pain, even if you are not sleeping, it's important to revel in the fact that you were able to take one more step towards relief. 

Physical Barriers: Conditions and Disorders that Can Negatively Impact Sleep 

If you can identify the source of your pain, then you can begin the steps of learning how to achieve relief. This can help you formulate a more effective pain-management plan for short- and long-term relief. 

Common conditions that can disrupt sleep include: 

• Lower back pain 
• Neck pain 
• Arthritis 
• Restless leg syndrome 
• Sleep apnea 
• Shoulder pain 
• Hip pain 
• Sciatica

The important thing to remember when addressing physical barriers is to understand that achieving perfect sleep may not be realistic. Improving your sleep to a tolerable level, and trying to improve that day by day is the most important aspect of treating pain symptoms. Find goals that are reasonable for you as metrics of success to know if your treatment is working or not. 

Physical Strategies for Improving Pain and Sleep 

If you want to improve your pain and get better sleep, it's important to do things that help your body enter a state of relaxation. Reducing rumination and relaxing your body enough are the two keys to obtaining optimal sleep. 

Tricks you can try include adjusting your sleep position, exercising, breathing techniques, and trying new products or tools. Your sleep position is vital as you could be lying on the source of your pain. Therefore, adjust your body weight so that the least amount of pressure possible is on your injury site.  

Exercising and moving your body is important as those with pain start to become more sedentary. They feel as if their body is in so much pain, that any movement will exacerbate the pain. However, the truth is that the more sitting you do, the less mobility your joints will have, increasing inflammation in the area and joint stiffness. 

Breathing exercises are also great for helping one relax before bed. There are various techniques that help you mindfully breathe and take your mind off of the pain that you could be experiencing. These techniques include 4-7-8 breathing relaxation exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, or the Papworth method. 

Last, but certainly not least, upgrading your products and sleeping tools could help you get better rest. Finding various shaped pillows, like wedge pillows, can help better align the spine to relieve pressure on areas like the shoulder or the lower back, and also keep the hips square and align. A softer or firmer mattress could also be resources to help relieve some of your pain. Play around with various mattress topers, however, before making such a large purchase.

Psychological Strategies for Improving Pain and Sleep 

When preparing for bed, it's important that you have the right mindset and attitude. Your mental state is very important when it comes to getting a good night's rest. If you enter bed with the expectation of not getting any sleep, then you most likely won't get any sleep. But, if you learn to train your mind to have a more positive attitude about sleep, then you could find yourself improving your sleep with more mental effort than anything else. Tips include: 

• Pain acceptance: Understanding and accepting the fact that you experience chronic pain, and that you will remain positive despite those experiences. Having a nonjudgemental and non-angry approach to pain is the first step in improving your attitude towards sleeping with chronic pain. 
• CBT-I: Cognitive behavioral therapy-insomnia is a type of therapy that focuses on insomnia and overcoming it. This type of therapy works by having you change your thoughts to being positive about sleeping, which can lead to a positive change in behavior for better sleep.  
• Mind-body movements: Using breathing exercises may be great to take your mind off of pain, but mind-body movements like yoga, tai chi, and qigong classes are great ways to connect your mind and body so they cooperate, instead of bumping heads. 
• Self-care: If your pain is so severe that you've neglected to take care of yourself, then this can contribute to your overall state of feeling helpless. Learning to prioritize yourself and engage in relaxing activities before bed, like showering, reading, skin care, etc., can help put you in the right mindset to attempt a night of sleep. 
• Relaxation techniques: Using relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation, can help you further relax before bed. Find various activities that help you feel at ease and diminish the sensation of pain, and incorporate those into your sleep pattern. 

Lifestyle Tips for Improving Sleep 

Last, but not least, there are some lifestyle changes you can make to help improve your sleep. One change includes avoiding inflammatory foods. These foods include sugar, saturated and trans fats, refined carbs, gluten, and any other foods that can trigger an inflammatory response. If you can swap these foods for fruits and vegetables, you can reduce the amount of inflammation that you feel. 

Another lifestyle tip is to practice good sleep hygiene. This means practicing good sleep habits prior to going to bed. Anything that can relax you, and not stimulate you (such as scrolling on your phone, vigorous exercise or sex, or watching intense media) should be incorporated into your daily bedtime routine. You can also make sure your sleeping environment is key for relaxation. Choose soft tones, comfortable bedding, and keep it cool, quiet, and dark for a great sleeping environment. 

Finally, you can invest in a massage. Professional massages have been shown to reduce joint pain and improve sleep in those with arthritis. You can also receive relief in your lower back, neck, and shoulders, especially if you go regularly and request that they pay extra attention to those areas. If you can't fit a regular massage into your budget, then try a self-massage at home with a massager or a partner. 

If you are struggling immensely with your sleep and pain management, then please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals about how to improve your sleep and pain.

https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/pain-and-sleep