How to sleep better with chronic back pain
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EmailTips for a better night’s sleep when suffering from chronic back pain.
Chronic back pain can affect people of all ages. Constant pain may lead to both physical and emotional symptoms, such as irritability and feeling tired. This can be cyclical, as back pain also affects the ability to get quality sleep, and poor sleep may lead to an increase in pain, as muscles and joints are not able to get nighttime relief.
The good news is that you can decrease your pain symptoms through support from a medical provider and by engaging in proper exercise, eating a nutritionally healthy diet and getting good quality sleep.
Strengthening and stretching your body will also help. It is important to complete strengthening exercises at least twice a day (morning and evening). Lay flat on the floor, stretch your arms out, bend your knee and bring your leg over your opposite leg. Do this with each side a few times. As you get stronger, you will feel the difference.
Eating a proper diet also helps everyone physically and mentally. Food fuels and helps repair your cells. Refer to MyPlate.gov to see portion sizes and ideas on cooking healthy meals that the entire family will enjoy.
Enlist your healthcare team in your pain management and healthy lifestyle changes. Pain management sometimes takes an entire team. Seek the help and support of your healthcare team when starting any physical activity or dietary changes. Make an action plan for which daily life habits to improve. Track your pain symptoms along with changes you make in your daily life. Michigan State University Extension recommends that you pay attention to your sleep patterns and to consider keeping a sleep journal.
To maintain and improve your sleep, the Centers for Disease Control provides these suggestions:
- Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing and at a comfortable temperature.
- Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers and phones, from the bedroom.
- Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.
- Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
MSU Extension offers several health programs that can also help, such as Sleep Education for Everyone Program (SLEEP), the evidence-based Chronic Pain Personal Action Toward Health (PATH) series, Tai Chi and nutrition classes and more.
For more tips on maintaining your health and managing chronic disease, visit MSU Extension's Chronic Disease website.
