The pain of arthritis makes it difficult for many people to sleep well. Worse, tossing and turning at night can actually increase the perception of pain.
“There is a two-way relationship between pain and poor sleep. The worse people sleep, the more pain they are, ”said Kevin Fontaine, PhD, assistant professor of rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University. “If people with arthritis can improve the quality of their sleep, they can usually reduce their daily pain.”
Here are eight tips for getting better sleep from arthritis experts.
1. Don’t go to bed with joint pain
Treating arthritis pain at all times is important, but it’s especially important before bed. “If you go to bed with pain, you will almost certainly have trouble sleeping,” says Fontaine. Try to design your medication plan so that it provides maximum relief by the time you want to go to bed. Avoid evening activities that cause arthritis pain flare-ups. “Some people with arthritis find that they sleep better after taking a hot shower or using an electric blanket to relieve joint pain before bedtime,” said Andrew Lui, PT, DPT, clinical assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco.
2. Avoid stimulants before bed
It’s hardly new that coffee or other caffeinated drinks can disrupt sleep late in the day. But many people are unaware of other hidden sources of caffeine, including colas and some over-the-counter pain relievers. Always check the labels to make sure you are not getting any caffeine. Black tea also contains stimulants that can make some people wide awake when they want to sleep. In the evening, herbal teas are a better choice if you suffer from insomnia. Alcohol can help some people fall asleep, but too much can disrupt sleep in the middle of the night, making you wide awake and restless.
3. Dealing with everyday stress
The inevitable stress of everyday life can also disrupt sleep. You can’t eliminate them all, of course, but you can put them in their place. “One strategy is to avoid stressful activities or thoughts before bed,” says Fontaine. “Don’t watch the news if you are irritated by it. Don’t pay bills. Don’t make a list of all the things you need to do tomorrow. ”Instead, plan your schedule to do something relaxing in the hour or two before bed. Listen to music. Read a book. Work on a hobby for as long as you find it comforting. If you’re still worried, practice some relaxation techniques like meditation or progressive relaxation.
4. Exercise To Help Your Arthritis And Sleep
Be as active as possible during the day. This strengthens your muscles and joints – and it can help you get tired enough to fall asleep. Activity has also been shown to reduce stress, which promotes restful sleep. Being active isn’t always easy when you have arthritis. Still, activities like swimming, aqua aerobics, and moderate walking are feasible for many people with arthritis. “The common wisdom is to train earlier in the day as the workout can be self-arousing,” says Fontaine. “But some of our patients like to do a little activity in the evening – for example a walk through the neighborhood – to tire themselves. The best advice is to find out what works for you. “
5. Create a healthy sleeping chamber
Reserve your bedroom for sleeping. In this way, you associate immersion with falling asleep. “Avoid watching TV, reading, using the computer, or doing other stimulating activities in bed,” says Wilfred Pigeon, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester and author of Sleep Manual: Training Your Mind and Body achieve perfect sleep. “Make the bedroom as sleep-inducing as possible. Put up heavy curtains or blinds to avoid distracting lights. Use earplugs if sound is a problem. “
Which mattress is the best? Experts say that a medium-firm mattress is often best for back pain. “If you have knee pain, try placing a pillow under or between your knees to relieve stress on your joints,” said Kimberly Topp, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Services at the University of California, San Francisco . “A small pillow under your neck can help straighten your spine and prevent neck pain while you sleep. Experiment to find out what makes you comfortable. “
6. Don’t stay in bed
It may sound like a paradox, but staying in bed too long can lead to poor sleep. To treat insomnia, experts often limit the time people spend in bed. “By doing this, you are helping to make you sleepy enough at bedtime to fall asleep,” says Pigeon. “If you’ve been in bed for more than 15 minutes and can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something that isn’t too stimulating until you’re sleepy enough to get back to sleep.” The reason: You won’t get the bed associate with restlessness. Over time, this strategy will help you associate the bed with sleeping, not throwing it back and forth.
7. Use sleeping pills sparingly
Sleep aids can be useful for people with acute insomnia. But if you have chronic insomnia, which is often the case with many people with arthritis, the first treatment should be better sleep hygiene, says Pigeon. “Medicines treat the symptoms. Behavioral medicine can actually cure insomnia, ”he says. In fact, some studies show that behavioral medicine can be more effective for many people. “Sleep medication is often useful in helping people overcome dire insomnia,” says Pigeon. “But when people stop taking them, insomnia often returns – unless they learn to practice better sleeping habits.”
8. All together in good sleep hygiene
Basic tips for promoting good sleep habits are sometimes referred to as “sleep hygiene”. Together they can have a dramatic effect on improving the quality of sleep. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2009, older volunteers with osteoarthritis who participated in a sleep hygiene program reported significantly better sleep and less pain. The benefits were evident even a year after the program ended.
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