Whether it’s back pain or a toothache, pain affects your daily routine. There is no reason you should have to suffer sleeplessness due to pain at night as well! Pain robbing you of your good night’s sleep can be severely debilitating!
Peaceful shut eye in the throes of pain is an illusion. But there are ways to sleep soundly, despite the pain. Following simple and easy lifestyle changes may help manage pain and promote good sleep. Read on to know what you can do to enjoy sound sleep…
Ways To Manage Pain And Get Sleep
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Try Relaxation Techniques
Visualizing peaceful and pleasant scenes such as mountains, beaches, and so on, and imagine yourself breathing quietly and falling asleep is one of the common types of relaxation techniques (1). Practicing this kind of ‘positive imagery’ daily before bedtime may distract you from the pain and make it easier to fall asleep. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, has shown that imagining positive scenarios is effective in promoting positive effects (2).
The next time when sleep is elusive because of pain, hark back to that beach vacation, that walk in the meadows or anything that makes you feel positive, carefree, relaxed and safe. This should help you grab some zzz!
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Pay Attention To Your Sleeping Posture
How you sleep has a major effect on how you sleep. Sleeping posture determines sleep quality. A study published in Nature and Science of Sleep has concluded that poor sleepers spend more time on their back due to which the severity of sleep disorder may increase. (3)
Individuals with back pain experienced fewer complaints of pain after an intervention program that instructed them to change their sleep posture (4).
Changing your sleeping position according to the pain you experience may help improve your sleep quality and make you feel better.
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Avoid Consuming Coffee Before Bedtime
Although caffeine may have various health benefits, when it is consumed late in the day, say after 7 pm, it may keep your body from relaxing at night. A research study demonstrated that a moderate dose of caffeine before bedtime or 3-6 hours before bedtime could disturb your sleep significantly (5).
This seems logical – if you already have trouble sleeping due to chronic pains, you probably won’t choose to worsen sleep quality by consuming a cup of coffee!
So, what can be done to improve your sleep?
Avoid consuming coffee late in the evening for at least six hours before bedtime. If you are a coffee lover and need your evening brew, it is good to stick with decaffeinated coffee.
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Pain Controlling Herbs
A research study published in Surgical Neurology International, have shown that certain herbs may offer an effective way to manage pain, especially if consumed on a long-term basis (6).
The root cause of chronic pain is inflammation (7). So, to curb your pain, you must fight inflammation! Some herbs such as Boswellia (8), Ginger (9), Devil’s Claw (10), Hops Flower (11) and Yucca Root (12) etc. are known to possess anti-inflammatory and pain controlling properties. Some of these herbs (such as Hops flower) also have sleep-inducing properties, and hence consuming these herbs can help you get a good night’s sleep (13).
All these hacks to manage pain and get sound sleep are all rather easy to follow. Stick to them and you could experience a dramatic change in your life!
Dietary supplements are another easy way to deal with pain. Taking dietary supplements that fight inflammation and pain may be a good idea to improve your health!
When you are tossing and turning in bed, relief from pain is the boon you need! Your wish is our command.
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