What do you do when you can't sleep due to the pain?

merri

I was thinking about this last night, and wondered what others did when they can't sleep due to the pain, or can't find a comfortable enough position.

I tend to (in this order:
- try some relaxation techniques
- try and meditate
- give up and get cross.

What do you do?

dreamdaisy

Alphabet lists of all sorts. Girls names of two syllables ending in 'a', trees, car marques, three syllables ending with 'er', boys names, flowers, sports, anything I can think of. It's a quiet activity so I don't disturb the sleeping beauty lying next to me. I also read my Kindle, think about people on here and how they're doing, plan my lessons for the next day, anything to take my mind away from the hurty bits. I eventually drift off then wake again about 90 mintes later and repeat. DD

stickywicket

I'm normally pretty good at crashing out but, when pain chips in, I get up and make a cup of tea and, if I can, timewise, take some paindullers. I'm actually the opposite of DD - any thinking keeps me awake. I like winter when I can go back to bed with a hot water bottle as that helps too. In summer I just drink my cuppa while flicking through some boring bit of last Sunday's newspaper and go back to bed assuming it will work. It usually does. If not, I just get up and read.

villier

Like sticky I get up and and make a cuppa got to be de-caf though as any kind of caffeine keeps me awake, I either try some mindfullness or watch catch up tv nothing to intense, something like corrie usually after a couple of hours meds have kicked in and tired enough to get back to sleep...........Marie xx

dreamdaisy

I find the concentration makes me drowsy whereas the getting up to do stuff makes the pain worse. Isn't it odd how we all vary? DD

frogmella

I'm afraid I resort to drugs! Not espescially hardcore ones though! I keep my codeine for such cases as I fond it makes me drowsy enough to sleep. I never had a problem on amitriptyline but do find that pain has kept me awake a few times since switching to gabapentin.

barbara12

I just read..it usually works..other than that more meds Im afraid...at least if I get some sleep the daytime isn't has bad...

marrianne

Listen to my Agatha Raisin c/d s .....or watch ITV 3 in bed ,sometimes resort to 3 Kalms. Good topic Merri .Marrianne

jillyb1

Talk to the dog and cat , the frustration of never getting a sensible reply tends to make me doze off . Jillyb

SteveBurns

Body temp needs to be slightly lower that normal for sleep, so don't wrap up, remove or replace cover.

Tea and coffee contain caffeine and that keeps you awake. Try Horlicks or similar

Darkness is required for the brain to get into "sleep mode". 8)

Try not to sleep during the day

Don't watch TV as that stimulates.

Pain will keep you awake so take pain killers/dullers about half hour before bedtime. :?

If all else fails just do what you like and try to enjoy being awake - you may need a power nap during the day :P

JuliaHod12

might sound funny to say it, but i do some exercises...........it seems to loosen up my muscles and also takes my focus off the pain!

best of luck xx

valval

get up chat to pal who does not sleep much on fb play some games or read then try to sleep again distraction always helps me val

salamander

Get up and have a couple of strong painkillers with a cup of decaf coffee. Get a hottie and put it on my feet (or any hurting bit) then settle down with a good book. Usually drift off after a while.

A really good trick for getting to sleep is thinking of countries in alphabetical order - A for Afghanistan, B for Belarus etc. Works most times for me.

LignumVitae

Hot milk and a book. LV xx

hileena111

Hi
I waken up a lot of times during the night but not long enough to consider doing anything.
The only thing is the rest of the sleep is not deep sleep so every morning I feel as if I havent been to bed!!!


Love
Hileena

applerose

If I can't sleep because of pain, I take 2 paracetamol and watch something on tv which doesn't need any brain cells. Usually after 20-30 minutes, I can't keep my eyes open. The following night, just in case, I take the 2 paracetamol and eat a banana with a cup of decaf tea with milk (milk on it's own would be better).

applerose

Food Hospital suggested a carbohydrate meal 4 hours before bed and 2 kiwis an hour before to help with sleep. Don't know if this works and not sure if you'd sleep through the pain.

stickywicket

applerose wrote:

Food Hospital suggested a carbohydrate meal 4 hours before bed and 2 kiwis an hour before to help with sleep.

2 kiwis Well, I guess they'd definitely tire me out

applerose

Sticky - you're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you? :oops:

frogmella

Haha! Sounds fun to me Pretty sure I'd sleep well then.

merri

2 kiwis eh? That's clearly where I have been going wrong

RitaW

I have problems sleeping,not just through pain but the horrid restless legs syndrome :x I try thinking of girls and boys names through the alphabet,then fruit and vegetables etc. Also I try relaxation and visualisation. x

elnafinn

I am so sorry to hear this, Rita. RLS is an awful condition. I suffer with it but intermittently only thank goodness. There is a great discussion forum at http://rlsuk.healthunlocked.com/blogs/167600/Welcome-to-the-Restless-Leg-Syndrome-Community

Loads of help, support and advice there. If you have seen a gp about RLS I hope he/she has been sympathetic and knowledgeable, because unfortunately it appears too many are not.

Elna x

RitaW

Hi Elna,Thankyou for your reply.I used to only get it occasionally,but lately it has become almost every night.It drives me mad because I am so tired.I will take a look at that link you posted.Thankyou. x

AndyMaz

Last night, while awake and in pain, I got to listen to the downstairs neighbours arguing in the street. Very classy.

Made me realise I was to move out of this area. People have no shame anymore.

salamander

bucket of water.....?