Painsomnia — it’s not a legit medical condition but many are legitimately being punished by it. These days, you can see it being used on social media especially by individuals who are battling chronic pain as well as insomnia.
In this article, we will talk about some of the most important matters you need to know about it. Don’t forget to repost this later on before you go!
Getting to Know Painsomnia
Just in case you haven’t noticed it yet, painsomnia is a combination of two words: “pain” and “insomnia”. It goes without saying that it is pain experienced at bedtime, which can keep the individual from having a good night’s sleep.
It’s not just any pain that can cause painsomnia to come into being, but the kind that’s been around for a long time already: chronic pain.
This is why painsomnia is more commonly seen or heard from individuals who are dealing with health-related concerns that can cause long-term pain. Some of them include various kinds of arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis (MS), stomach ulcers, cancer, and even anxiety disorder and clinical depression.
A Vicious Circle Created
The problem with painsomnia is that it can make its two components, which are pain and insomnia, feed one another. So in other words, it’s something that can make both issues worse.
Experiencing pain upon hopping into bed can leave you battling insomnia. Having insomnia can increase your pain perception. As you can see, it doesn’t really come as a big surprise why someone who is battling painsomnia can easily wind up in a vicious circle that can be really difficult to escape.
However, it’s important to note that dealing with either pain or insomnia is usually enough to keep that nasty circle from self-perpetuating. With such being the case, the only problem left is deciding which one of them should be tackled — and how.
Managing Pain Naturally
If you are suffering from painsomnia, it’s important to identify the root cause. Is it due to long-term pain primarily? Or it is because you have insomnia why you have pain that doesn’t go away?
Most people who have insomnia have chronic pain to blame. If you believe that pain is the one accountable for your nightly problem, here are some of the steps that you may take in order to put an end to your painsomnia:
Remain physically active.
Believe it or not, being active physically can help to reduce chronic pain. This is most especially true if what you’re diagnosed with is arthritis — leading a sedentary lifestyle can make your joints stiff and achy even more.
Meditate regularly.
Both stress and lack of sleep can aggravate pain, and this is exactly why meditating especially before bedtime is a wonderful idea. You may wind up with anxiety or depression due to painsomnia, and it’s something that can be managed by meditation, too.
Count on hot or cold therapy.
If there’s stiffness and pain, consider using hot therapy. If there’s swelling and pain, try using cold therapy instead. Some people prefer alternating hot and cold in order to attain much-needed relief from pain all-naturally and effectively.
Drink turmeric tea.
Thanks to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, having a cup of turmeric tea on a regular basis can help to lower pain. It’s a great idea to take it at night as it has calming abilities as well.
Getting Rid of Insomnia
There are also many different all-natural remedies for insomnia. Giving any one of them a try at bedtime is recommended especially if you put much of the blame for your painsomnia on failure to get a good night’s sleep.
In order to deal with insomnia, check which of these can help you take a trip to dreamland without having to slip a sleeping pill down your throat:
Take chamomile or jasmine tea.
So many people who are battling insomnia can attest to the effectiveness of having a cup of freshly-brewed chamomile or jasmine tea at bedtime. Drinking it is recommendable, too, if insomnia can be blamed on acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Drink a glass of warm milk.
One of the most popular home remedies for insomnia is a glass of warm milk. Sadly, this remedy is not ideal for those with lactose intolerance or inflammatory conditions as it can leave them wide awake rather than asleep at night.
Perform yoga.
There are a couple of reasons why doing yoga on a regular basis is good for managing painsomnia. First, it can help to alleviate insomnia and long-term pain. Second, it can help to reduce stress and anxiety due to either insomnia or long-term pain, or both.
Undergo cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Contrary to popular belief, CBT is not only intended for individuals who are battling mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder and clinical depression. It’s also proven effective for the management of insomnia and even chronic pain and stress.
Consulting Your Doctor
Definitely, both chronic pain and insomnia can keep you from having a happy, productive and healthy life. See to it that you consult your doctor and adhere to provided treatment plan if you are facing painsomnia. If the need to take a lot of medications is bothering you, talk to your doctor about exploring your other options.
