Insomnia's Affect on My Chronic Pain

I have an undiagnosed illness that randomly causes pain. Add pain to insomnia, and I feel like I am getting very little sleep.

The reappearance of more bothersome pain is disrupting my new sleep schedule, and I am worried about the consequences.

Developing a more normal sleep schedule

I struggled for many years to work my way into a more normal schedule. I was up all night and slept through most of the business hours during the day. This schedule made it much harder to get anything done. Appointments were disruptive to my sleep schedule and robbed me of precious time needed to sleep.

I recently settled into a better schedule, which was perfect timing considering I now need to take a pill every morning around the same time. It is now more than just desiring this kind of schedule - I have a need for this schedule.

Struggling to maintain a sleep schedule

With the reappearance of pain and losing more and more sleep at night, I find myself wanting to sleep later in the morning. It is hard to convince myself to get up when I haven't gotten enough sleep. I fear this might ruin my schedule.

So far, I have been able to force myself out of bed each morning, but it is quite a struggle. I keep reminding myself this schedule is right for taking my needed medication.

However, if I find myself struggling to function for too many more days I worry I might start slipping and fall back into my old schedule.

Coping with pain at night and its effect on insomnia

Dealing with pain is a challenge during any hour of the day, but my pain is much more noticeable at night. I can move around during the day to find some relief, but lying still in bed at night worsens the pain and makes it impossible to go to sleep until I can convince my mind to ignore it enough to fall asleep.

How do you manage pain and get enough sleep at night? How do you manage to maintain a sleep schedule when you struggle to get enough sleep at night? This is my current struggle. I am desperately trying not to fall back into my old lack of routine, but it is becoming extremely difficult.

Balancing pain and insomnia to maintain my sleep schedule

I was lying in bed last night begging my mind to quickly adjust and block out the pain so I could fall asleep. As the time got later and later, I noticed I was nearing my old bedtime.

I cannot slip back into my old schedule, and I cannot function on less than a certain amount of sleep. What am I supposed to do?

The obvious solution would be to find a way to relieve my pain, right?

Trying to adjust to my painsomnia

Unfortunately, I have been unable to find relief. I simply endure it. Eventually, my mind learns to block it out enough to manage. The pain has just now reappeared after being absent for some time, so I am in the adjustment period and hoping I adjust before it ruins my sleep schedule.

Do you deal with chronic pain? How does it affect your sleep schedule? How have you coped with insomnia and chronic pain? I would love to hear about your experience.