Stress and sleep are often linked together. If you are under a lot of stress, sleeping can be difficult. Not being able to sleep can generate stress. It’s no secret that getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is extremely important for overall health. This is a topic that is widely written about online, with this article by Miskawaan Health being one solid example.
Experts recommend that most people get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, depending on their age, health, and other factors. If you don’t get enough of it, you will likely notice changes in your mood, your ability to concentrate, and your energy level.
How to Improve Your Sleep When Struggling with Back Pain
Going through the day with back pain is hard. Trying to get a good night’s sleep with back pain is even harder. If back pain is preventing you from getting good rest, try the following tips.
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Find the Right Sleeping Position
Certain sleeping positions minimize back pain. Some experts recommend trying to sleep with a pillow underneath your legs or between your legs for additional support.
Are you a side sleeper? Stick a pillow in between your knees and pull your knees toward your chest. If you are a back sleeper, take a small towel and roll it up and put it underneath the small of your back. It is recommended that you avoid sleeping on your stomach because this puts extra pressure on your back.
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Invest in a Good Mattress
A good mattress is expensive, but it can make all the difference between a good night’s sleep and struggling with it. If you have wider hips, consider a softer mattress because it helps keep your spine straight as you are getting rest. If you have narrow hips, a harder mattress might give you more support. Checking out a store like MatressMatress is really a good idea. You can find a lot of different types of mattresses and see what would be good for you.
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Use Extra Care When Getting in and Out Of Bed
If you bend forward at the waist or you make jerky movements as you get into bed, you can aggravate your back pain. This can make it harder for you to get the sleep you need.
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Find Pain Relievers That Work
Some people have found that using CBD products can help alleviate discomfort and improve sleep. Topical products like roll-ons and lotions are applied directly to the area of discomfort and many have additional ingredients to offer moisturizing or cooling effects.
CbdMD offers a bundle of their 2 award winning products, CBD PM and FREEZE that tackle both discomfort and quality of sleep. The one-two punch can be a powerful weapon to help you combat losing sleep because of muscle soreness.
Take Steps to Minimize Stress and Improve Sleep
Sleepless nights can leave you feeling worried and staring at the ceiling. There may be little that you can do to immediately address whatever is causing you stress. However, there are some things that you can do that may help you get to sleep sooner and stay asleep longer.
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Be Mindful of Your Need to Relax
This may sound like double-talk. However, mindfulness plays a role in your ability to relax and sleep. Before laying down, incorporate relaxation techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing.
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Turn off the Screens
Television, laptops, tablets, and phones all emit blue light. Blue light can put your body’s internal clock into a tailspin. Avoid them in the hours leading up to bed. Look for a non-tech way to relax and relieve stress.
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Try a Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea has been used for centuries as a way of easing anxiety and making it easier for stressed individuals to fall asleep.
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Take a Hot Shower or a Hot Bath
A hot shower or a hot bath relaxes your body, and it can relax your mind. Once you get out of the hot shower and go into a cool bedroom, your body temperature drops. This instantly makes you sleepy.
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Exercise
This may seem counterproductive. If you exercise right before you try to go to sleep, it will prevent you from falling asleep quickly. However, if you add strenuous exercise through the day, it can help burn off tension, anxiety, and stress. If you need to exercise right before you sleep, avoid curls, push-ups, or bench presses. Instead, do squats. When you do squats, it forces blood down to your legs, and this has a naturally soothing effect.
Overcoming Nerve Pain to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Neuropathy can get worse at night time. This can lead to you having a series of sleepless nights and increased nerve pain.
The good thing is that your body craves rest. You can empower your body to give into its natural sleep cycle despite pain if you maintain a regular sleep schedule that includes going to bed and waking up at the same time. Create positive patterns around your bedtime ritual. This could include reading a book, using effective pain products like cbdMD FREEZE, and avoiding caffeine in the hours before you go to sleep.
The goal should be to create a calm sleeping environment. Blackout curtains can help cut out streetlights from your room. Keep your sleep area well ventilated by opening a window or using a small fan. Move your bed sheets and blankets so they are not rubbing up against your legs and feet as this can increase nerve pain.
There are a lot of things that keep you up at night, like stress, tension, pain, or anxiety. Still, adequate rest is important, and it is a key tool in helping with chronic nerve pain. By following some of the above-mentioned steps, you can manage anxiety and pain to where you will enjoy a good night’s sleep.
