Sweet Dreams: How to Deal with Arthritic Insomnia
If you suffer from arthritis, one of the most difficult symptoms with which you may have to deal is insomnia. This sleeping disorder prevents you from getting the rest you need to be healthy, which in turn makes your arthritis even worse. It can be a vicious cycle. There are many things you can do to combat arthritis, and it is important to consider all of these options so that you can get a good night’s sleep every single night.
Insomnia is categorized by a number of conditions. First, you can have difficulty falling asleep. Many people experience this at some time or another, but if you frequently cannot drift off, you may want to speak to your doctor. You may also wake up often throughout the night, for no apparent reason. Again, this happens occasionally to everyone and more so to people such as new parents, but if you find that you are tossing and turning more than once a week, you probably suffer from insomnia. Some people with insomnia, however, do sleep through the night. Their problem is that they wake up too early or they do not feel refreshed, even after many hours of sleep. Depending on how frequently insomnia occurs for you, you can be diagnosed with short-term insomnia, intermittent insomnia, or chronic insomnia.
People who suffer from arthritis also commonly find they suffer from chronic insomnia, or insomnia that simply does not disappear and occurs for a long period of time. There are many reasons chronic insomnia is prevalent in people who have arthritis. First, the pain keeps some people awake at night. This can occur with any illness, but some arthritic patients find that their joints are especially painful and inflamed after a day of activity. A second cause of the insomnia due to arthritis is the high level of stress most arthritis patients experience. For example, worrying about a doctor’s appointment can cause a person to stay awake all night. There is no difference for patients who or young and recently diagnosed or older and have dealt with arthritis for many years. Lastly, insomnia can be a side effect of the medications used to treat arthritis. Unfortunately, they may rid you of pain but cause you to stay awake all night. However, without taking them, you may also be awake all night, this time because you are in pain.
There are a number of things a person can do to combat insomnia. First, realize that you are not alone and that your doctor can help. Speak with him or her in regards to the medications that you can take to help you sleep, but realize that there are many side effects to these drugs, and they have an addicting quality as well. Taking steps to help de-stress your life can help you sleep at night, too. Only you and your doctor can decide on the best course of action, but speak to a medical professional to learn more because good sleep is absolutely necessary.
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