If You Live With Chronic Pain, We Need to Talk About Sleep.
- Jenna Young
- Mar 24, 2023
- 3 min read
One of the (many) problems of living with a chronic illness, and particularly chronic pain, is that deep, restorative sleep is hard to come by. In fact, it's estimated that 95% of folks with Fibromyalgia experience chronic sleep disturbances (1). Ninety. Five. Percent. And that doesn't mean that we just need an extra cup of coffee in the morning to get started. It actually contributes to the vicious cycle of chronic pain in many ways, including:
Additionally, poor sleep often leads to brain fog (6), low mood, and depression (7), which many of us already experience, and all of which feed into poor quality of sleep and - you guessed it - an increase in pain. It also means less energy to do things we know can improve pain symptoms, such as movement, preparing nutritious meals, participating in self-care, or even making time for positive social interactions.
When we sleep, there are 4 different stages that we cycle through: stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and REM sleep (8). Sometimes, people refer to these stages as Non-REM sleep (stages 1-3) and REM sleep. They are classified by differences in eye movements and brain activity. I made this little chart (9,10) to use a reference.
Stage | Characteristics/Benefits |
Stage 1 | Occurs during the first few minutes of sleep, body begins to relax, brain activity begins to slow |
Stage 2 | Body relaxes more, breathing and heart rates slow, eye movement stops, brain activity changes |
Stage 3 | Muscles relax even more, brain waves are the slowest, body restores and repairs itself, and immune system is strengthened. Contributes to insightful thinking, creativity, and memory. |
REM Sleep | Brain activity is similar to an awake brain. Eye movement becomes rapid, breathing rate becomes irregular, pulse increases, most muscles experience temporary paralysis. Most dreams occur here (research shows that they can also occur in non-REM sleep), and it is vital to cognitive functions such as memory and learning. |
Now, based on this information, it might make sense to think that I'm going to tell you that you should just get more sleep. I'm not going to do that. I've been on the receiving end of that comment, and it is not in any way helpful. But, if sleep is an issue for you, here are a few things to try:
Take a Nap (Preferably Earlier in the Day)
A lot of sleep experts don't recommend napping, arguing that they can make you feel groggy and mess up your sleep cycle, making it harder to sleep at night. I get the impression that these sleep experts haven't experienced chronic pain (or chronic sleeplessness). Chronic pain is exhausting at the best of times. In my opinion, sleeping during the day is better than trying to function on zero sleep, with amplified symptoms. That said, I do have some naptime recommendations:
For chronic sleeplessness, nap in 90-minute increments. Otherwise, keep your naps to 20 to 30 minutes. A 90-minute nap is the approximate length of a complete sleep cycle (moving through stages 1, 2, 3 and REM sleep) (11). Since cycling through these different stages is integral to our health, this could be very helpful, especially when we're chronically sleep deprived. However, if you aren't in a position to be able to dedicate 90-minutes to a nap, stick with a shorter one, capping it at 20 to 30 minutes. This will be long enough to get some light sleep and help you to (hopefully) feel more refreshed, but too short to move into deep sleep, which (when interrupted) can lead to grogginess.
Try to schedule your naps earlier in the day. If you find that napping during the day makes it harder to fall asleep at night, consider keeping 8 hours (or more) between your nap and your regular bedtime (12). So, if you normally go to bed around 10pm, aim to take your nap before 2pm whenever possible.
Try Restorative Yoga
Try Following a Short, Guided Meditation
Audit Your Sleep Hygiene
I know that getting good sleep is near impossible with chronic pain, especially during a flare. But I hope you are able to find some supportive techniques to help you feel more rested. For me, my weighted blanket and restorative yoga made the biggest difference.
Cheering you on,
Jenna xo
References
(1) Whale, K., & Gooberman-Hill, R. (2022). The Importance of Sleep for People With Chronic Pain:
Current Insights and Evidence. JBMR plus, 6(7), e10658. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm4.10658
(2, 4) Haack, M., Simpson, N., Sethna, N., Kaur, S., & Mullington, J. (2020). Sleep deficiency and chronic
pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. Neuropsychopharmacology :
official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 45(1), 205–216.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0439-z
(3, 6) Pacheco, D., & Rehman, A. (2022, April 29). Pain and sleep: Common sleep disturbances & tips.
Sleep Foundation. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-
health/pain-and-sleep
(5, 7) Choy E. H. (2015). The role of sleep in pain and fibromyalgia. Nature reviews. Rheumatology, 11(9),
513–520. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2015.56
(8-9, 11-12) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Sleep phases and stages. National
Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/stages-of-sleep
(10) Summer, J., & Singh, A. (2023, March 2). REM sleep: What it is and why it matters. Sleep Foundation.
Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep/rem-sleep
(13-14) Lasater, J. H. (2016). Relax and renew restful yoga for stressful times. Shambhala.
(15) Summer, J., & Rehman, A. (2022, December 16). Meditation and sleep. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved
March 16, 2023, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/meditation-for-sleep
(16) Suni, E., & Vyas, N. (2023, February 23). What is sleep hygiene? Sleep Foundation. Retrieved March
24, 2023, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene
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