Did you know that fully fifteen percent of Americans suffer from chronic pain? If you look at the elderly population in isolation, that number jumps to a staggering 50%, and if you suffer from chronic pain of any sort, you know how miserable it can be.
Unfortunately, the pain itself probably isn’t the only thing you have to contend with, because almost two thirds of chronic pain sufferers also suffer from sleep related problems. This probably comes as no surprise to people who suffer from chronic pain. The simple fact is it can keep you awake at night. It can cause insomnia, and even if you manage to fall asleep, odds are that it won’t be restful. You’ll wake up feeling tired, sore, and groggy, and that fog will stay with you for several waking hours of your day.
The most common form of chronic pain is back pain, but it’s by no means the only one, and that pain can be the gateway that leads to other problems, ranging from simple exhaustion to difficulty concentrating, and worse.
Since the two problems so often occur in tandem, it’s quite likely that by addressing the source of your pain, you’ll also address your problems getting a good night’s sleep. In some cases, however, even after the pain is gone, your sleep problems will persist.
This may be caused by simple, environmental things you can control, like keeping an irregular schedule or drinking caffeinated drinks just before bed time. Those types of issues are easily corrected. Simply set a regular bedtime for yourself, and stop drinking your caffeinated drinks earlier in the day.
In a few cases, however, even after taking these steps, the problem persists. In those cases, you’ll want to see your doctor and have a sleep study performed. You may be suffering from sleep apnea or other sleep-related disorder.
In virtually every case involving sleep disorders coupled with chronic pain, however, your first, best bet is to address the source of the pain, to see if that doesn’t solve your problem. Odds are excellent that it will.