How To Sleep Better With Arthritis

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello everyone. 😊

Have you experienced sleep issues due to Arthritis? 

Painsomnia, this is considered the inability to sleep due to pain and it is a major problem for people with arthritis. 

People with arthritis are more likely to have sleep issues and it is likely due to several issues. Your levels of cortisol, a hormone that helps control inflammation, are lower at night. Lying down can cause inflammatory chemicals to pool in the fluid that cushions your joints, which makes them stiffen up. And your perception of pain may be heightened during the nighttime because you’re not distracted by anything else.

But just because painsomnia is normal and common doesn’t mean you have to accept it. 

Here are some tips to make your bed routine more comfortable: 

1. Use a neck roll or towel: note that sleeping without proper support for your neck can place extra stress on your cervical spine's joints, discs, and soft tissues. With the rolled towel in place, your neck is better supported and aligned with the rest of your spine.

2. Get creative with your pillows: put a wedge behind your shoulders, a tube pillow under your knees and then prop up each arm on a firm bed pillow. 

3. Sleep with a thin pillow: to keep the neck straight, you can sleep with the thinnest pillow possible. 

4. Keep your room cold: Heat has proven benefits for helping keep joints limber and in less pain, but hot sleep is often restless sleep. You can focus on cooling your bedroom via an open window or air conditioning set to max.

5. Sneak in an afternoon nap: another way to give your body the rest it needs to manage your arthritis is to take daytime naps. 

6. Get exercise during the day: Exercise can feel like the absolute last thing you want to do when you’re in the midst of a painful flare but if you can muster the energy to do some type of movement, it may help improve your sleep length and quality. 

Is there anyone struggling with this situation? Do you have any tips or recommendations? 

I'd love 😍 reading your comments!

Have a great day! 

[SunsetRunner]

I like a cool bedroom, too, @WilsonFitbit  but have found it helps to keep the problem joints warm. I often wear a wool knee brace to bed and sometimes wear gloves to keep my hands toasty warm. I’ve also found that the lighter the blankets, the easier it is to move around.

[WilsonFitbit]

Nice input @SunsetRunner!

I think I'll be buying a wool knee brace too. I was reading that it can offer great flexibility and it is ideal for sporting activities. Have you also used it for workouts or sporting activities? Can you tell me more about your experience?

I really appreciate it. 😁

See you around. 

[SunsetRunner]

@WilsonFitbit - I only wear the wool brace at night when I tend not to move as much. Part of my knee issue is permanent nerve damage which makes the area ultra sensitive to touch and wearing brace while walking would just aggravate things. But I don’t see why it could not be worn during workouts. It would depend on your purpose. Are you seeking warmth (wool brace) or support? For support, I’d go with a tighter brace. 

[SunsetRunner]

I’d like to share another pain relief idea. This is not for everyone. 

My doctor authorized my medical marijuana license, since I have a clotting disorder on top of degenerative arthritis and cannot take anything for the pain. I’ve never smoked marijuana  or used it for a recreational high, But talking to various people/users/doctors ... I developed a plan that works to take the edge off my pain.

1. My anesthesiologist told me that CBD is naturally anti inflammatory . She takes 10 mg every morning and suggested I do the same, taking an extra one at night if needed.  It helps. 
2. I also concocted my own “cocktail” of a CBD cream and 5 drops of a THC oil and rub that into my problem joints twice a day - morning and just before bedtime. 
3. Finally, if the pain is really bad at bedtime, I consume a small 5 mg piece of THC infused chocolate. It’s not enough to get me high but enough to relax me and let me sleep. My Fitbit sleep charts how my sleep is much more restful those first 4 hours until the THC wears off. 

Again, I would never suggest smoking it or getting high. I do NOT use THC recreationally. But this works for me. On a side note, I’ve also participated in a study (at the University of Michigan) on THC/CBD for pain relief, detailing my process. 

[WilsonFitbit]

@SunsetRunner I would say that I'll move for a tighter brace. I want this for support so wearing a tighter one could work. 😊

Thank you so much for sharing your second input and I'm glad to hear that it has worked for you. Still, a general recommendation for questions about health, is to contact the physician for professional advise. 

See you around. 

[brownoscar]

I have tried many of your recommendations and they work. Extra pillow make a big difference! I use one on each side as I am a side sleeper and by elevating my knee, I have no more hip pain. 

I wanted to comment on one more idea that I have experienced. I have gone low carb and no sugar since 1/1/21. It has eliminated almost all joint pain. My blood work has improved and my rheumatologist is quite pleased. I have lost 13 pounds as I don't count calories and am close to my goal weight. Many people find significant weight loss on this type of plan. I think it is very easy to do and I am a lousy dieter. The incentive of no pain is quite a motivator! I am 67 with an autoimmune disease.

[WilsonFitbit]

@brownoscar It's very nice to see you around! 

I am happy to hear that our recommendations have helped, and I also appreciate the time you've taken to provide your suggestions and the tips that have worked for you. Thank you so much for this! 🤗

Congratulations on your achievement! 😊

Have a wonderful day! 

[Cathyf123]

As someone with sleep apnea as well as arthritis, I want to warn everyone about neck position, pillows, and positional apnea. Positional apnea, also called "chin tucking" is what happens when your chin drops towards your chest -- exactly what you can have happen if you sleep on your back with lots of pillows. Think of this as putting a kink in your airway like a garden hose.

I inadvertently did this experiment when I had put on my CPAP mask and was reading trying to get sleepy. I was propped up on my pillows to see the book, and dozed off.

For comparison, this is what 7 minutes of relatively normal breathing while asleep looks like for me:

This is the 7 minutes that I dozed off while propped up on the pillows:

Adding up the times of those events, it's a little over half of the 7 minutes spent not breathing. Which is not good! (Yes, that AHI of 85.7 is a bit above the level of 5 which counts as sleep apnea.)

Chin tucking is not just while you are on your back -- you can also do it on your side in a fetal position. (Babies in the womb "breathe" through the umbilical cord and mama's lungs, so they can hang out in the fetal position all nine months. But once you've got to breathe through your own windpipe, you can't do that!)

I actually sleep in a soft cervical collar (which cost me $12 at the drug store.) It forces me to keep my chin up no matter what contortions I'm doing to try to get comfortable enough to sleep...

[WilsonFitbit]

@Cathyf123 It's great to see you around! 

Thank you so much for sharing this! Would mind sharing the name or specifications about the soft vertical collar? Was this recommended by your doctor? If it has worked for you, then I believe we can consider this too 🙂

See you around.