How can I sleep better when I have pain?
If you are experiencing pain when you go to sleep, you need to figure out what sleep position is most pain-free, and you need to relax. Watch as sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, discusses some things you can do to sleep better when you are in pain.
Transcript
If you're experiencing pain right before bed or after you lie down, one of the first things you want to think about is what position
can I put my body in so that I don't experience nearly as much pain. [UPLIFTING MUSIC]
For some people, it's a pillow between the knees. For some people, it's a pillow underneath the legs. For some people, it's making sure that your pillow isn't overstuffed
and pushing your head too far forward, causing neck pain. So really think about your environment, your sleep position, even your bed and your pillows,
and try to get yourself in the most neutral position, meaning the position where you feel the least amount of pain.
Another thing that you can do is look at over-the-counter medications that might be helpful temporarily for your sleep,
as well as your pain. I tell people that you can't just treat the sleep, and you can't just treat the pain. You've got to treat them together.
And a lot of OTC medications can be helpful with that. In a lot of my patients, we use ibuprofen and diphenhydramine
together. That allows people to get drowsy but also helps reduce inflammation at the same time. Then you find your right sleep position,
and then you remember that this is not an anxiety-provoking scenario. Yeah, you might get a great night's sleep. You might not get a great night's sleep.
That happens with people all the time. But the good news here is it's highly unlikely that you're going to get no sleep whatsoever and really try
to lower that level of anxiety. The third thing that I talked about with people is trying to relax while in bed.
A couple of things that people can do-- deep breathing exercises are certainly something that can be helpful. But a lot of times, I have people do what's called progressive muscle relaxation.
That's where you tense and relax those muscles from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Another great thing you can do is a hot bath before bed.
That can be very helpful for people who have low back pain, even some neck pain. Or even a casual massage from your bed partner
can be very helpful to help cause that relaxation response in the muscles to allow you to fall asleep. [AUDIO LOGO]
sleep disorders
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