Pain is my Strange Bedfellow
“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
William Shakespeare
Trying to sleep with my pain…
It’s another night, and I have moved from my bed to the couch and back into the bed again. I was briefly on the shower floor, praying that the warm water would do the trick, only to wind up back on my couch watching cartoons before landing back in, you guessed it, my bed.
I am part way through a pain flare, and for the sake of my partner I think tomorrow night I may just sleep on the couch... or the floor. Sleeping with pain is a nightmare! The problem is when I do not sleep, neither does he, but selfishly I need the comfort of his back to press into. The alternative is a heat pack, but I find the scent nauseating! I am stuck in a vicious cycle. Sound familiar?
The Sleep Health Foundation states a fact that everyone within this community would understand, “…Pain disturbs sleep,” and that “the sleep disturbing effects of pain are well known to us.” However, at this stage in my pain journey I am more after solutions as opposed to an obvious realisation.
So how do I overcome this? How do we overcome this?
Apparently pain and sleep have some common mechanisms, which is why poor, fragmented sleep reduces the brain’s capacity to deal with pain. My lack of sleep is worsening my body’s capabilities to endure my pain flare, meaning I am in for another night of broken sleep if this pattern is to continue.
In the past I had developed a dependence on sleep medication, and to this day I do find myself reaching for that assistance when I am in the middle of a particularly bad pain flare. There are downsides to this, my mental health seems to decline if I take them consistently, and the lingering brain fog is not ideal either.
Seeking alternative solutions, I have since found myself downloading sleep assistance apps. They seem to share similarities with a focus on meditation and the importance of breathing. I have tried Positive Routines, a sleep app, and it has helped.
“In normal sleep, the parasympathetic nervous system dominance is one of the hallmarks of good sleep. Regulated breathing that incorporates deeper, longer breaths can encourage this aspect of better quality sleep.” Ryan Brooks, The Sleep Coach
Unfortunately, for those of us with persistent pain conditions, it can be challenging to get into a parasympathetic dominant state during sleep, so diligent regulated breathing is a proactive behaviour we can do to encourage this.
…Is it time to relearn our breathing techniques?
I feel like laboured breathing is going to be a lot easier for someone to sleep next to, when the comparison is tossing and turning, with frequent, loud groaning as I move from room to room. Unfortunately, I am not one to suffer in silence!
The Sleep Foundation does note that opioid medications can depress normal breathing, which is something to be mindful of if you too, are having difficulties regulating your breathing. I have often found lavender oil to be a useful addition when I am forcing myself to sit in stillness, while I focus on relearning my breathing techniques.
There are things you can do, either with or without pain medication, to increase the chances of good quality sleep. Here are some tips you might find useful at night to help manage your sleep:
Use relaxation strategies to reduce tension in the body that may increase pain (e.g. have a warm bath, try YouTube for a relaxation recording or deep breathing exercises)
Learn mindfulness skills and practice mindfulness meditation
Practice distraction techniques that are also relaxing. You could try listening to a relaxation recording using guided imagery, listening to music or a podcast or use other forms of mental distraction
Be aware that anxiety can increase the way you experience pain
Use appropriate medication as prescribed by your doctor
Use heat packs if recommended by your health professional
Use pillows under legs, hips or knees to improve comfort in bed
Try a brown or white noise sound. Spotify have 8 hour loops of brown noise I’ve found helpful
Read before bed
Early in the evening, write down a brain dump of all your thoughts and to-do lists. I’ve found it helpful to get it out of my head so I don’t ruminate later
Hopefully some of these ideas help you. I’ve found that sleep is a practice, and you actually need to practise sleep strategies to get better at it.
This post has been shared with consent. The views reflected in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of APMA. This space has been provided to give our community a voice, without bias.
APMA does not offer medical advice through the blog entries. Please speak to your healthcare professional for any information surrounding a condition and/or medication.