Are you experiencing a vicious cycle where pain disturbs sleep and sleep magnifies pain?
Research shows that sleeping well with pain is possible. In this blog, we will be using the Live Well with Pain programme we show you how.
Poor sleep and chronic pain
If you are having trouble with sleep due to chronic pain, then these sources of information can be helpful. Without a night of good sleep, the day can seem even more challenging.
Understanding your chronic pain better
For your plan to be effective it’s advisable to understand your pain. You can do this through Tame The Beast. A theory written and produced by Professor Lorimer Moseley and Dave Moen.
One of the first things to focus on is how medical professionals are thinking about pain. Then to understand where the pain comes from. Identify if it is protective or over-protective. Then formulate a structured support platform, through collaboration with Health Care Professionals involved in your medical care.
A sleep management plan can be part of your pain management plan or work on its own. You can read more on the Mobilates blog page about Pain Management plans.
Good sleep hygiene
What is a sleep management plan?
Developing a structured routine that considers you as a person. Looking at everything from your daily/evening routines, levels and timing of activity, and consumption of food.
To be effective plans must be specific to your own needs. As those with LTHCs and disabilities know even a good night's sleep can lead to a bad day. So don’t expect instant success.
There's a need for perseverance, patience and willingness to try new things.
NHS Every Mind Matters programme has some tips which look at basic plans and topics:
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Regular Sleep Hours
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Creating a Restful Environment
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Move more, sleep better
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Confront Sleeplessness
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Write down your worries
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Put down The Pick Me Ups
Life Challenges looks further into how Long Term Health issues and pain can affect you. It recognises the difficulty in which pain can manifest. How it affects our sleep and looks at mental health, social isolation and discrimination.
It highlights how mental health problems can also lead to poor sleep. How managing this well can support self-esteem, low mood and the feeling of isolation.
Live well with pain booklet
Live Well with Pain has a booklet that you can download and explains issues that people with chronic pain experience. The vicious cycle that this involves. You can download a copy here. This theory involves six different triggers, which are:
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Medication
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Worry
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Not having a routine
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Noticing pain because of a lack of distractions
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Not being comfortable
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Experiencing changes in mood
Having identified the trigger it then looks at ways in which we can try and turn these around. Looking at five areas of our lives;
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Daily Routines
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Activity levels
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Food and Drink Choices
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Your nighttime routines
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Helping your mind and body to rest
These plan-building sections encourage us to think about our body clocks. See sleep drive as ‘friends’. Increasing sleep drive through the day helps our body clocks to be more balanced.
The isolation of chronic pain
Those with chronic pain spend more time inside. Then the body struggles to recognise what time of the day it is.
When creating a sleep plan, The Livewell Sleep Infomation Leaflet has a sheet to put this on. There are aims to meet REST goals:
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Realistic – Focus on one element at a time for at least two weeks
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Enjoyable – Make your bedtime wind-down time enjoyable (1 hour to 1 hour 30mins)
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Specific – The more detail the better
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Timed – Create routines that suit you
The top tips are;
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Avoid napping during the day. If you do then no longer than 15 minutes
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Try to do some activities outside
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Eat your main meal earlier in the evening and have a small snack before bedtime
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Make sure your room is dark so your body can release melatonin.
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Avoid checking the time through the night.
Analysis
A handy tip to help you analyse your plan is to use a sleep app. This can be downloaded onto your phone. Alternatively through trackers and smartwatches. Set it to go, tuck it under your pillow and switch it off when your alarm goes in the morning.
These apps give you a percentage score for each night breaking it down into; how long it took you to get to sleep, how long you were awake, light sleep and deep sleep. A simple way to help you analyse and progress with your plan.
These are just a few programmes and resources which come highly recommended from The Pain Clinic at Whipps Cross Hospital. The choice is vast. If pain and sleep disruption are significant factors in your life, working with a health professional can be beneficial.
Giving a more holistic and supportive document to work from should result in a better level of success. It may take a while but the advice is clear and precise. Stick to your goals – try new things – learn more. Then you can attempt to break the vicious cycle. Good luck!
Helpful Links
Tame The Beast – Understanding Pain
NHS – Every Mind Matters – Sleep
Live Well With Pain – Sleep Leaflet PDF
Pain Tool Kit – Patient Resources
Mobilates CIC provides online and in-person inclusive exercises classes for people in the UK. Classes centre around supporting people with mobility issues, chronic pain, disabilities and long-term health conditions.