Good sleep is essential for your body and brain to function during the day. When you do not get enough sleep, your body will start to shut down and your brain will lose focus. Here is what you should know about getting good sleep when you have chronic pain.

How much sleep a day should a person get?

Depending on the person’s age, the amount of sleep you need is different. However, the average amount of sleep for an adult is at least 7-9 hours of sleep each day.

When you sleep, your brain is preparing for the next day. Getting enough sleep helps the brain function properly. A good night's sleep can improve learning, problem solving, decision making and boost creativity.

Your body uses sleep to repair damaged tissue in your body. Sleep helps balance your body’s hormones and triggers hormones that build muscle and promote healthy growth and development.

What’s the connection between sleep and pain?

Chronic pain is a common condition that affects over 60 million people. Sleep and pain are often connected. Pain can wake people up during the night and lack of sleep can make pain worse.

(Read also: Simple steps to get good night sleep)

What happens if I do not get enough sleep?

When you have deadlines to meet at work or your have an exam the next day, the first thing you give up is sleep. However, a lack of sleep affects how you think, react, work, learn and interact with others. People with sleep insufficiency are at higher risk of developing health problems. Prolonged lack of sleep can lead to medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Not getting enough sleep can make you get hungry more often and have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior and coping with change. 

Lack of sleep at night can lead to micro sleeping. Micro sleeping is small moments of sleep during the day. You cannot control your micro sleep. It is as if your brain is sleeping, but you are physically awake. Micro sleeping is the body’s reaction to lack of sleep. It can be dangerous to micro sleep when you are driving or operating heavy-duty machinery.

How can I get enough sleep?

It might be hard to get good sleep when you wake up three or four times a night from pain. However, these are the things you can do to ensure better sleep.

Take medication and therapy

People with chronic pain already have to take a lot of medicines to control their pain. So, they might not feel like taking more drugs to get good sleep. However, this method is effective for people with chronic pain to get some sleep. Therapy like acupuncture, electrical stimulation, nerve blocks or surgery can be used to reduce the pain for better sleep, as well.

Change sleeping position

People with back pain or neck pain should not sleep on their stomach. This position can make your spine arch in unnatural ways and make the pain worse. Sleeping on your back with a pillow underneath your knees usually help elevate the pain by taking pressure off the spine. If you often toss and turn during your sleep, you can get body pillows to prevent tossing and turning. You can keep a pillow between your knees to keep them from knocking against each other. There are pillows specifically designed for people with neck pain to support their neck. If you have a long flight or if you plan to sleep while riding in the car, you should use a travel pillow to support your neck and prevent it from rolling from side to side.

Your sleeping position is important and you should take into consideration other conditions like heartburn or stomach ailments. Check with your physician before switching your routine.

Find your zen zone

Some people have problems sleeping because they cannot ignore the pain. This can distract them from falling asleep. To clear your mind for better sleep, you need to find your zen zone. You can try this simple, pain-reducing exercise:

- Find a comfortable position in which to lie down.

- Focus on even breathing for a few minutes. 

- If any thoughts come up, do not dwell on them. Let them go without labeling them as “good” or “bad”.

- Set yourself in a neutral mind zone and focus on your breathing.

- We know that the brain and body are connected and stress, depression and anxiety play a part in how we perceive pain. Try allowing yourself to experience these thoughts without embracing them to prime your body for healing, restorative sleep.

Relax your muscles

Spend some times to pamper yourself with a hot bath for a few minutes before bed. While resting, relax your body and mind. You can turn it into a relaxation ritual with soft calming music or aromatherapy (try lavender to aid sleep). By relaxing aching muscles to break the cycle of pain, you can drift off to sleep more easily.

(Read also: People who lack sleep are more likely to catch colds)

Create the mood

Some people can ignore the environment in which they sleep. What you do not know is a change in bedtime routine can make a big difference in how well you sleep. By setting up the right environment, you can fall asleep and stay asleep more easily.

- Control environmental noises. Some people need complete quiet to sleep, some people refer to have white noise while they sleep.

- Refrain from playing with your phone, TV or laptop when you get in bed.

- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

- A short nap at noon is OK but avoid long naps for 4-5 hours in the afternoon or evening.

- Do not drink coffee, alcohol or tea before bed.

- Do not work out 3-4 hours before bed. Adrenaline from the work out will prevent you from falling asleep.

- Do not share your bed or your room with pets.

Stop thinking about pain

Spending your day thinking about pain can bring on negative thoughts that affect your sleep. Keep a positive mind throughout the day, think about doing your hobby or reading a book or magazine, as long as it takes your mind off pain and makes it easier to sleep.

Taking supplements

Some supplements can promote sleeping, such as melatonin. Seek your doctor's advice before taking supplements.

Seeking doctor’s help

Some conditions can cause sleep deprivation, such as sleep apnea and insomnia. These conditions and pain might stop you from sleeping. You should talk to your doctor and treat these conditions first to eliminate the causes of your sleep insufficiency.

Chronic pain might be something you have to live with but sleep insufficiency should not be. If you have trouble sleeping that does not stop with medication and lifestyle changes, you should see your doctor to see if anything can be done to help you sleep better. (kes)