Painsomnia

I’ve shared before that in addition to insomnia, I also live with Crohn’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and migraines. Although I am on medication to manage each of these conditions, I am not asymptomatic. I still struggle with aspects of each condition – most notable being chronic pain. Painsomnia describes the combination of chronic pain and insomnia.

Chronic pain and insomnia: painsomnia

I bet you’d never guess that chronic pain significantly fuels my insomnia.

Well, friends, I’m here to share the nitty-gritty truth, because I know in my heart I’m most definitely not the only one who experiences this.

Levels of pain: dull aches to miserable

There are a few types of pain I experience across my other conditions. There’s the sort of minor dull ache – discomfort that is absolutely noticeable but not debilitating. Next, there’s the intense and full-on miserable level of pain. Then, there’s the high alert – something is absolutely wrong – I need extra attention and perhaps additional medical care level of pain.

Just as it sounds the dull ache sort of pain is unfortunately something I’ve become quite used to. It’s an annoyance, it’s uncomfortable, but I can usually move and work through it. I can also usually fall asleep while experiencing it, even at the height of my insomnia.

Intense pain level: high alert

The other 2 levels of pain, the intense and high alert pain, can keep me awake for days.

Medications, therapies, doctors appointments, infusions, braces, pillows, heating pads - everything at my disposal to manage my pain may be enough to keep me out of the hospital; but it often destroys any semblance of sleeping or a sleep routine that I've built to a place of maintenance.

Pain that is throbbing, stabbing, acute, or chronic tends to distract one's brain from being able to relax or rest. If the said individual also struggles with a sleep disorder, well, I'll be the first to guess that means everything else goes by the wayside.

Pain and sleep challenges

When I am struggling with my pain levels, a few things routinely occur. First, it's incredibly challenging to fall asleep just because it's bedtime. Next, it's difficult to sleep well or to stay asleep, especially if the pain is enough to jolt me out of a sound sleep. (If you know anyone who lives with rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease, they will attest to the uncapped potential for devastating pain.)

When the pain occurs during the day, sometimes medication or sheer exhaustion causes me to doze off, or even take a structured nap. Although this helps at the time, a nap absolutely alters my nighttime routine, my schedule, and the quality of sleep I usually get.

Tips for managing this cyclical event

As someone who has experienced painsomnia more than my fair share, I want to share a few things that have made it more bearable for me.

Give yourself grace

You obviously didn't cause your pain or your insomnia, and so much of how it interacts is unfortunately out of your control. Being kind to yourself is critical in navigating this.

Be flexible in your scheduling

As someone who has a long-standing history of insomnia, I've found what generally works best for me is flexibility with regard to sleep, wake times, and details around sleep hygiene. However, when my discomfort is high and I am experiencing intense and debilitating pain, my sleep schedule must be re-arranged in order for me to get through the days and the nights equally.

Talk to your doctor

While you may think about asking your doctor for medication to reduce your symptoms or control your pain, you may also want to discuss temporary or as-needed medication to help you sleep when it's hard to come by.

I hope these thoughts help. If you experience painsomnia, is there anything else you'd add to my list? Share your tips in this forum with the community.