Painiac 204: Sleeping When Everything Hurts

Painsomnia the difficulty of falling and staying asleep when dealing with chronic pain is a real challenge for painiacs. Research shows that one of the most important predictors for pain intensity is the number of hours slept the night before. If you sleep poorly, your pain will likely be worse the next day. Years ago, when the pain I live with was at its worst, I was unable to lie down flat in a bed. My back was so rigid and contorted in spasms that In fact, it was so impossible for me to lit flat that I had to get an MRI under anesthesia so that I could fit inside of the MRI machine. I would dread going to sleep at night. Whenever it would get dark, I would tense up and get nervous about the idea of trying to go to sleep. I started to develop simple practices that helped me find comfort, which started to change my sleep habits.

In preparation for this episode, I asked some of our Painiac community members to share their personal tips for sleeping well with chronic pain. I hope that this episode offers you some new and creative ways to rest better and sleep well. So grab a cup of tea or a cozy blanket and curl up while we explore the world of sleep.