Are you dealing with pain right now? Maybe you have a sports injury or perhaps are recovering from surgery? Whatever the case, it can be a challenge to sleep well when you’re feeling pain at night. Here are a few tips that can help you figure out how to sleep better when you have pain:
Invest in therapeutic pillows
Therapeutic pillows can benefit anyone who has pain that affects their lives to the point where they can’t sleep at night. You may want full-body length pillows that help you position your body for optimal comfort and posture while resting.
Or, perhaps you need wedge pillows that can provide relief for your varicose veins and elevate your legs to a position that feels comfortable.
Practice meditation before bed
If you suffer from chronic pain, you may find it very hard to release tight back muscles and stress. Perhaps your body always feels tight. While you may be able to take painkillers and get massages when the pain feels like too much, meditation can also be helpful for the times when you just can’t seem to calm down.
From managing your breathing to helping you calm your mind, there are many benefits to meditating before bed. Whether you use a guided meditation app or simply meditate on your own, it could be helpful when trying to rest.
Take sleep supplements
Sleep supplements may not take away the pain you’re feeling, but they can help your body relax enough so you can get to sleep despite the pain. Be careful and do your research with the kinds of supplements you take, and speak to your doctor beforehand if you happen to be on a medication regimen. If you get the go-ahead, look for the most natural options out there.
Start a bedtime routine
It may be hard to get good sleep when you have chronic pain, especially if you’re on medication that makes you feel jittery, but it’s possible. Helping “trick your mind” to get to sleep is something you can do by practicing a routine every night before bed. It may look like taking a warm bath to calm your joints and any aches you may have.
Warm baths are typically very helpful in helping people relax. Add your favorite fragranced Epsom salt to the water for an even more soothing effect. Your routine may look like putting on a low-light lamp next to your bed and reading a book to get you to sleep, or it may look like meditating before you lay down to sleep.
Consider a new mattress
If you have recently had an injury that causes back or joint pain, the current mattress you have may not be helping your sleep at all. You may need a new puffy mattress that provides the type of softness or firmness your body needs to make sleeping with aches and pains easier.
While it is an investment, you may discover that it vastly changes the way you sleep at night—and that it is worth any money you may spend on it.
In Conclusion
From your bed to the position you sleep in, there are various things that can make it hard for someone with chronic pain to have a restful night. However, it’s not impossible to start sleeping eight hours (or more) a night with the tips mentioned above.
Keep in mind that in some cases, you may need supportive pillows to rest well every night. You could also benefit from prescribed sleep meds, so speak to your doctor about what may work best for you.