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.