Getting a good night's sleep

[PainConcernProjects]

Many people living with chronic pain report difficulties with sleep. Pain makes getting comfortable in bed harder and can delay falling asleep. It can also reduce sleep continuity, which means increasing the amount of times you wake at night and waking you earlier than usual in the morning.

Understandably, people might assume that, while their pain persists, sleeping problems will also continue. Fortunately, this does not have to be the case – it is possible to get a decent night’s sleep despite ongoing pain.

Although your sleep problems might have started because of pain, if you have had sleeping difficulties for a long time (more than three months), pain is unlikely to be the only thing affecting your issues with sleep. Unhelpful thoughts, emotional reactions and coping strategies developed as a response to the initial sleep problems can all disrupt your sleep, even when the pain itself is well managed and no longer a trigger of insomnia. Sometimes people with chronic pain describe their insomnia as ‘having its own life’. This is fitting of the way in which other factors beyond pain can become more and more disruptive of sleep.

Our leaflet on 'Getting a good nights sleep' highlights these factors beyond pain that may be disrupting your sleep and provides tips on how you may be able to get a better night’s sleep.

Click here to download or request a posted copy: bit.ly/3QHuPXF

[Konagirl60]

This isn’t true for pain patients with injuries that won’t heal. Please stop the false narrative. Severe muscle spasms cannot be meditated away. Thank you.

[kenster1 in reply to Konagirl60]

my back pain started after being stabbed and ever since 02/03 it`s been really difficult and now suffer pain just about everywhere.

[Konagirl60 in reply to kenster1]

Can your doctor not give you medications for pain and sleep?

[kenster1 in reply to Konagirl60]

yeah take mirtazapine just been given zopiclone but only for 28 days nothing for the pain never been told it`s one thing or another but it`s something.

[Konagirl60]

Can you not be seen in a Pain Clinic?

That med is an anti depressant. You need relief of body pain. Can’t your doctor give you some Tylenol #3?

[Sarek]

I have to say pain management technics working in tandem with reasonable medication do work. They help with sleep, my mental approach and help re-educating my body's response to pain; A response that often makes it worse and gets me in a vicious cycle of pain, anger, upset, poor sleep, over work, for pain..... etc. Pain management isn't about saying "it's in your head" but that there is a way to help your body help you respond better. Unlike a drug though you do have to work at it!!😀😍