Sleep tips

[niall451]

Hi i can't remember the last time i wasn't tired, my life consists of 7 till 5 at work then the settee resting so i can struggle thru the next day then bed and waking up several times eventually getting up more tired than when i went to bed,please please can anyone advise i honestly can't remember the last time i slept well!

[Elaine1]

Can't help but this must be something to do with ra I wake up every 1-2 hours in the night try to stay awake during the day but makes no difference

[sylvi]

Niall, do you work full time,i am assuming you are. Can you aford to go to part time. If no to theses questions, have you been to the drs and seen about some treatment to help. I have amytryptaline to take at night. This drug goes hand hand with ra i am afraid. I some times put lavender oil on my pillow to help me sleep. Sleep i wonder sometimes what that is as well. I can have one good night followed by bad nights.

I hope this is of some use to you. sylvi..

[niall451]

Hi folks yeah full time,unfortunately i stand 10 hrs a day what's worse is my mtx has been stopped because of bad blood tests and i think it was just starting to work so very very fed up more

[helixhelix]

I'm v sorry for you, the RA tiredness is a real €$¥#%. It's probably worse for you as your RA is not under controlyet, and the inflammation makes you very, very tired. And yes, even if exhausted it can be v hard to sleep properly.

Have you tried all the usual sleep routine things? So doing some gentle stretching exercises, not eating just before you want to sleep, making sure you have a quiet and comfortable bedroom etc etc? Even tho' you're standing all day you may find doing something else like going for a gentle, peaceful walk in the early evening may help as it'll free up other bits of your body. Even when my feet are hurting I find that it's better if I get out just for a little bit, as relaxes me enough to actually sleep. Polly

[niall451]

Thanks for the tips guys im trying to be proactive not smoked or drank for 6 months now i know there is more i can do but important still pretty new to it,but a sympathetic ear goes a very long way peoples perception of ra in my experience is more"yeah my feet ache too" i want to shake them and shout you don't know the bloody meaning of ache lol and laughter is not the best medicine but it sure is a tonic

[Gina_K]

Well done on giving up smoking I am off them over a year. This may indeed contribute to fatigue sad to say.

Have you ever tried multi vitamin drinks like barocca vit C etc, can give you a boost around 3pm, or a bowl of veg soup, even a cuppa soup.

Good luck, sleep is a problem for a lot of people, but if you gwt 5 hours at nite and a nap during the day it is supposed to be enough...

Good luck, Gina.

[Hidden]

I sleep great since my husband lost weight and stopped snoring! I'm serious, I've had broken sleep for the past 24yrs and never realised until now that it was all his fault lol, now I sleep like a baby....a baby that gets up regularly at 2am and 5am to pee

Paula

[k3let in reply to Hidden]

oh that made me laugh! My hubby lost some weight too and my sleeping improved and yip I 'm up with you for middle of the night pee stop too! xx

[niall451]

you guys are the best

[Beth58]

That's exactly why I decided to leave work behind me, after 15 years of struggling I found myself resting in the evening so I'd be ready for the next day, then weekends were spent in bed, no social life, no family life and constant pain.

Have a chat to your GP they may be able to offer something to help you rest.

Beth xx

[Hidden]

Hi I can really sympathise with you. I'm sleeping terribly most nights just now - not sure why? - stress of work and children I think because my RA is not too active just now although I think I got into a habitual pattern of waking and panicking about locked joints (knees, wrists and shoulders) or fingers that won't bend from when it was really bad. My RA hasn't been like this for months though but it must have made a big impact. Mind you yesterday I had a migraine

after about 3 hours sleep the night before. I couldn't nap but took a full quota of painkillers and NSAIDs and slept from 9.30pm - 7.30am when the alarm went to raise the boys for school (Scotland!)

I found Amitriptyline really helped sedate me at night for a while but now it just makes me too tired the next day so I only take it when desperate. If you can get your doctor to prescribe it then you might find that it really helps calm you a bit and for me it helped with my over active bladder at nighttime a lot. But I only take it when flaring now which is thankfully not a lot. If you do get it then try and take it at before 9pm though in order to be fit for the next day. It's non addictive so that's a big plus at least.

Like Paula my husband's snoring contributes to bad nights - in his case it's not because of being overweight but because he works nights.

Your job sounds pretty hellish for someone with uncontrolled RA - I can't stand up for long periods even now so I don't know how you manage? Perhaps you need to explain to people at work that you just can't cope and need a chair? As others have said a slow winding down with a gentle stroll might help. Also try to avoid tv and electronic devices at night because they stimulate the senses and aren't good for sleep at all. Hope you have a good night tonight! Tilda x

[earthwitch]

A reasonably firm mattress with a two inch memory foam topper pad makes my bed much more comfortable for me, combined with having a long body pillow, and several other pillows (eg one between my knees when I'm on my side) around my body. I still end up waking in the middle of the night though.

[BossyB]

Hi Niall

I too work long hours and also 2 hours driving a day to and from work and i won't pack in work until i have too.. i too struggle to sleep as we all do due to this RA. I know you have given the drink up and i have cut down quite a bit (not given up tho). When i am in a situation like you not sleeping night after night, I get to the stage where I have a few glasses of wine and it knocks me out. Its not the ideal answer but it has worked for me..not every night obviously or i would be swapping between the Rheumy clinic and the booze clinic lol!!!!

Can't think of anything else to be honest as i am in the same boat and tried everything.

Deb

[Babyboolove]

Hello all,

RE: sleep and fatigue.. I'm 35, very fit and, other than the RA, very healthy; I never get ill. I'm untreated at the mo, was allergic to Methtrxte and leflunamide wasn't working, just made my hair fall out etc. I'm waiting for anti-tnf treatment and hopefully I'll be approved for it. I have found that the fatigue is becoming a real problem and is affecting my normal life. To combat it I excercise at home (I work from home, I sell second hand sofas which keeps me quite strong and fit) by doing press ups, sit ups, stretching excercises (the crab, touching toes etc) and I find that the more I do, the more energy I have afterwards. If I stop, I lose all my energy.

Also, I noticed a few of you have given up drinking, smoking etc. Good for you, however I am of the opinion that since I'm afflicted with this horrible condition I am going to enjoy myself as much as pos, I have cut down on drinking and smoking but find that both of these habits relax me and, since I enjoy them, I will continue to do both.

As a last word, I find that spending time with good friends and laughing the night away also provides me with relief from fatigue and sometimes the pain too.

Hope this helps i little...

[SarahKate-NRAS]

Hi Niall451

It sounds as if you have already had lots of good tips, but I though you might also find it useful to have a read of our 'guide to getting a good night's sleep': nras.org.uk/about_rheumatoi...

There's also a list of useful organisations at the end of the guide to places like The Sleep Council for further information.

I hope you start to sleep a little better soon.

Kind regards

Sarah Kate

NRAS

[2plus2]

Hi Niall,

Gave up and got some sleeping tablets from Gp today, will try one tonight and see if I can get past the 4 am waking up.

[niall451]

good luck plus2