In fibromyalgia most of people face sleep issues, they cannot get proper sleep. So we ask our community “Living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic illness” a question What are your tips for coping with sleeping challenges due to pain and other symptoms?. They came up with their ideas that help them in getting sleep.
Here is what community share it with us:
1. Kim Hyrnick — I get up if i cant sleep. Read, or play majhong. If my hands let me colour a Mandela..valerian tea. But mostly a lot of long hours through the night awake.
2. Robin Mitchell-Kuter– Warm bath then right to bed. No tv, no talking…right to bed.
3.Juels Grothman — Hot shower & sleeping pill…usually sleep sitting up due to hip pain.
4. Daisy DeHaven Funkhouser — Relaxing in the hot tub for 20 minutes, helps me rest for a few hours, but up by 2 am….if miss the time in hot tub, there isnt much sleep at all….like Robin, who takes a hot bath, the heat helps the muscles relax, which gives you a window to fall asleep….not much for the nerve pain…but some sleep is better than none.
5. Alisha Jeannine — I broke down and bought an adjustable bed with a total memory foam mattress. It cost
$$$$ bought it has helped tremendously!
6. Stacey Oflynn — I sleep on the couch alot as I feel I get support when lying on my side I’ve something to rest up against
7. Sinead Obrien — My recliner chair, when I just can’t sleep in the bed with the pain is very bad
8. Annette Rauf — I have loads of pillows including body pillow as supports the body plus memory foam topper
Controlling the heat is lighter duvet and just throwing it off as my temperature goes up and down and this is where the pillows really help ?
9. Helen Browne-Jinks — I have memory foam mattress topper and take amitriptyline helps me sleep.
10. Amy Groff — Watch movies, read,talk to someone on facebook or text someone of someone still up that late or play a game until i am to exhausted to care about the pain
11. Tracy Woods — I have just bought an electric bed which has been a god send
12. Diana Du De Voire — Also sleeping naked in a cold room with a ceiling fan. I also bought satin sheets. They are always cool and very soft and they aren’t that expensive. I bought two sets and paid roughly $40 each. Hunt on the web for the best prices. Some people don’t like them because they think they’re slippery. I find it easier to move in bed with them.
13. Yolanda R. Castillo-Newsome — I have to 1) Stay up as late as I can until I can’t keep my eyes open, either on my Shiatsu massager or my heating pad, because it hurts too much to get into bed, try to get comfortable, and get unstuck from my back to either side in misersting pain, 2) have a fan going, all year round, 3) bunch up my comforter in between my knees, 4) fall out only to toss and turn, wake up in a few hours along with my bladder…. gotta go Now! 5) hobble down stairs to just barely make it to bathroom, hurt while I try to wipe, 6) set myself on my heating pad because I hurt too much to trek back up the stairs, so I pass out on heating pad for an hour or two, 7) go back upstairs and repeat steps 2-6!
14. Carol Roberts-Romero — I look real funny at night, very thin cotton nightgown. And Ted stockings really help. A lot of Vicks and Ben gay. Pm meds and a lot of motrin and asprin. Thin neck pillow light weight blankets. Lay there and pray for Lord to take me in my sleep
15. Renette Kaline — Mentholatum rubbed on my painful areas, tylenol n smoking marijuana helps w/sleep. Lately i bn hvn allergic issues to diff meds so taking benadryl helps….except i dnt cannot wake up till 11am. Forgot to mention 800 gabapentin 3X’s a day. Ugh!
16. Kris Pohyba — My husband & I sleep in separate bedrooms (only because of my fibro, our relationship is great). I don’t have to worry about bothering him with my tossing & turning & getting up constantly. I can better regulate temperature and my pillows. And I don’t have to keep going up & down the stairs, triggering muscle spasms. Both of us are sleeping better since we made the change
17. Yvette M Trigueros — Very itchy at night cant stand sleeping sides anymore i feel like hips are being torn apart neck/back stiffness i cant stand any pajama material at night anymore or elastic of underwear I feel like its cutting in my skin, always cold, wake up stiff and migraines, i sleep with soft blanky on my face for or 4 hrs
18. Connie Sharpley — I have a lot of pillows a foam mattress on top of my regular mattress and I set my pillows up like a fort. I also have a sleep number bed. I spend some nights starting with getting a comfortable number then setting my pillows up like a fort usually that helps with some of the pain. I sleep under three blankets all seasons I’m always cold. I sometimes take Tylenol 3 if I can’t tolerate my pain.
19. Jennifer Jay — Homemade Banana tea. I make it every night before bed and I get the deepest sleep especially on high pain days or days where it’s too hard to fall asleep. I wake up rested and in less pain and soreness
20. Theresa Mann-George — Light weight big soft comfortable comforter.Air on,and big fan at foot of bed.nightly meds,light weight gown..have severe insomnia, get three,To four hrs. Sleep.i have to sleep upward,My DIGESTIVE problems and back.lidocaine patch for my back.
What are your tips that help in sleeping, share your tips with us in the comments below.
My nightly routine consist of playing games on my phone for Facebook, or tossing and turning for hours before I finally fall asleep only to get a few precious hours before my alarm goes off for work …
I sleep with AC on in addition to the heat pump. And a box fan. Thin gown, and a pillow between my knees to help with the hip pain. Lidocaine patch on my back, 2 zanaflex at night when i cant hold my eyes open. I avg about 4 hrs sleep at a time.
Bought an infrared sauna, use that. Also a wool bed pad that holds in the heat to help with nightly pains. Finally Golden Turmeric Coconut drink. I can get through most nights, but of course there are always those late night television and “MagicPuzzle ” that has to be used on occasion
Hello. My name’s Michelle. I’m 47 yrs . I have had neuropathy in My feet ankles legs..burning stinging electrical shocks. Night time laying down or sitting or driving in.a car was just hell. I’ve been on gabapentin for several years and it has really helped but it was still painful and aggravating. I finally seen a neurologist last month. She increased my gabapentin and added cymbalta. I was concerned about the cymbalta because things I read online. But I took it any way. I needed pain relief Once a day 60mg. She said it could take a few weeks but after one week the burning stinging and shocks were 75 :-)% better. I continued to take it one daily its been 32 days now and I am so grateful this is helping me. Just wanted to.share my experience.
Neuropathy pain is hell to live with..
Cymbalta and gabapentin helps me..
Wow! Great comments! I have discovered so many of the techniques listed myself through trial and error. I’m eager to try some of the ones I haven’t tried!
I also sleep on the sofa occasionally because the back support helps and I tuck my restless legs in between the back and bottom cushions. I use a heat pad to target high pain areas; it’s amazing. I use compression, zippered socks for the knees; they substantially help if not stop the pain. I sleep when I can including during the day, no more guilt. I get up against every urge in my body and walk a bit. I use a feather pillow and roll it to support my neck. I use lidocaine patches as needed and take cymbalta and gabapenten (which has been my lifesaver). I could barely move before, but now I have more good days. I was diagnosed with fibro as a co-mobid disease after suffering from headaches including clusters; fibro is the lesser of two evils. I take lots of other meds for pain for the headaches. I have joined support groups for both and they help tremendously. It helps to know I’m not alone, to offer support, to vent, to receive support, and to learn. Hope this helps.
Honestly, I would prefer Facebook notification or a text message instead of email if you have new posts etc.
you can join our closed community (by clicking on the community button in the menue or through this link http://www.facebook.com/groups/WellnessAssociation/)
secondly you can follow us on our social platform by liking and following our page : https://www.facebook.com/gowithhealth/
Done. Thanks.
Pain relief as in oromoroph coedine tramadol all keep me awKe till 5-6 am ( time to get up ) I have a throw on my bed as I can’t stand duvet touching my legs and I wear pj shorts. I’ve not long been diagnosed and am getting more symptoms sore skin legs are worse constant pain all over. I was diagnosed through what I thought was a heart attack but fibromyalgia and it’s got worse in the last 4 weeks I take pregablin and just started nortryptaline so waiting to see if they are any good x I have pillows all around me and I sleep upright cos my back goes into spasms (I’ve got a broken coccyx and arthritis in the spine) tried heat pads but no success I’m allergic to lidocaine patches which I found were excellent but no I’ve got to be bloody awkward haha I just try and grin and bear it sleep when I can ( daytime tv is crap anyway ?) I listen to Glenn harrold relaxation apps they are good I fall asleep to them sometimes but then I wake up. It’s a vicious circle waiting to see a rheumatologist see if they can help x sorry for waffling it’s 245am and I’m wide awake ?Xx