Needs answers

Noeljob

I just woke up from sleeping lying down for the first time in about a year and a half. I have to sleep in my office chair with an ottoman. The past few nights I've been restless and felt like I needed to sleep in my bed for some real rest. I almost always sleep great sitting up. This morning it took me over an hour to literally rise up out of bed. My body locked up as always as i tried to get up and about. I'm in tears trying to move around. It's been an hour since I've finally got to my feet and im still struggling to get around. I've have in the past had to roll myself out of bed and hit the floor and crawl to the bedroom door and bang on it to get my family's attention to come and lift me up and set me down upright. I cannot move at all for some time. My upper back won't operate. My joints won't flex, arms knees hips. I wish I would've slept in my chair last night. I'm the type of person that needs to keep moving constantly or my body stiffens up. I'm 5'4" and about 145 pounds. I'm not obese or overweight but I don't workout like in a gym sense. I do a lot of physical labor. That's the only time I feel good. I'm 51 years old and am in better shape than I was when I was 40. I was really over weight back then at 182 pounds. I've had times when this sleep phenomenon happen over the years but it became everyday a year and a half ago. I thought it was my mattress. It was very firm. So we got a memory foam with a pillow top and that made my condition severely worse. I finally rose to my feet an hour ago and am just now able to walk without looking like I am a mini frankenstien. It took me an hour to get to my feet. Also every morning when I wake my fingers will hardly bend. That just started 3 weeks ago. I have to work my fingers out and after about ten minutes they're good. Here in about an hour I guarantee you I'll be up and about doing yard work or doing work on the house with no problems. If I don't keep moving I'll stiffen up and be very uncomfortable. This sounds strange but that's the way it is. My upper back is just now easing up. Does anyone else have this issue? I'm sure many of you wish you could do physical labor with ease. But damn Id like to relax every once in a while and take it easy. 8 literally can work from daylight to dark and then some but resting is pure hell. Oh, and hello everyone hope all is well with you today and hope you have pain free day.

chrisb

Hi @Noeljob  

Welcome to the versus arthritis forum. 

You have had problems with sleeping for some time, there are times when your body ‘locks up’ and you are in considerable pain; this affects many joints in your body.

 The obvious question to ask is have you seen a doctor at any point and shared your symptoms? If so, what did they advise? Did they diagnose arthritis? 

Without knowing what the cause of your distress is it’s difficult to suggest a course of action. It may be worth your while taking a look at our website, links below, but I’m not sure how helpful that will be: 

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/

I hope you get some useful feedback from forum members and that you can get to the bottom of the issues you face. 

Best Wishes

ChrisB (Moderator)

DebbieL

Hiya,

I’m not sure I have any real answers but I have a similar problem on a much smaller scale.

I have osteoarthritis in my lower spine and am 55 years old. I hate waking up in a morning as I know as soon as I move I will be in pain. The level varies a lot. On a bad day the first time I stand upright is terribly painful but I know if I keep moving it will get better and most of the pain will go. Often I try and move about a bit in bed before getting up. I went camping a while ago and just fell over twice when I got up in the morning- there is nothing to hold onto in a tent! It was like my back hadn’t woke up and couldn’t support me. My husband and I laughed about it as I was trying to get to the shower before someone else and was in a rush, but in some ways it was a little worrying too.

Mostly through the day I am fine and then when I go to bed the pain starts again and I need painkillers for sleeping.

I asked my physio why this happened and what I could do about it. From what he said this is how I think of it. Like a car engine, when I’m moving in the day the oil is around my joints and keeping everything mobile. When I go to bed the oil drains away from my joints and the nerves get irritated and my back stiffens up as there is no lubrication. There is nothing I can do about being still at night. The only advice my physio gave me was the more you do in the day the better the nights would be.

I find that when I’m exercising and then stop for a bit then the pain comes back when I start again. So I can go for a 30 minute bike ride, but if I stop for too long-to have a drink and admire the scenery, setting off again is painful, so no stopping for more than a few minutes. However keeping moving, gently through the day means stopping is not really painful.

I don’t know if this is helpful but it helps me to see things this way. Mornings are hard but I know that once I get moving most of my day is pain free.

Take care

Debbie

Louisa77

Hi @Noeljob

Just wondered if you've seen the article we published on our website Top tips for good sleep | Versus Arthritis, might be worth taking a look and see if there is anything you haven't already tried.

All the best

Louisa