Pain-Relieving Strategies That Help You Fall Asleep Faster

Getting quality sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your physical and mental health. Sleep allows our brains to create new neural pathways, our cells to repair damage, and our immune systems to remain in balance.

Like most organisms on the planet, humans are meant to sleep at night. As the sun goes down, our body produces melatonin naturally. Melatonin is a hormone created in your brain that helps regulate your sleep cycle and lull you off to bed.

Emerging evidence indicates that melatonin may also have a role in pain management. This sleep-inducing hormone may benefit people with fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic pain.

If you suffer from chronic pain, getting high-quality sleep is crucial. But how can you get to bed if the pain is keeping you up at night? The following strategies may help:

Avoid Bright Lights at Night

Why is it so easy to stay up late at night if we’re hard-wired to go to sleep when the sun goes down? Thanks to artificial lighting, electronic devices, and hectic schedules, most of us aren’t getting to bed when we should. Artificial light can negatively impact your body’s ability to produce melatonin, making it even more difficult to fall asleep.

To combat this challenge, dim your lights in the evening. If you’re a heavy user of electronic devices with screens, consider buying an artificial light blocker. When it’s time for bed, put away your smartphone and shut off all electronics.

Maintain a Comfortable Environment

You can’t expect to get healthy sleep if you’re uncomfortable the whole time. For a good night’s rest, sleep on a comfortable bed rather than your couch. Also, try to keep your room around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the ideal temperature for most sleepers.

Try Natural Supplements

Supplements are excellent for relieving pain and winding down for a better night’s sleep. Plus, they’re much safer than sleeping pills.

Natural supplements for pain relief include turmeric, ginger, devil’s claw, comfrey root, and magnesium. Supplements that promote sleep include melatonin, lemon balm, valerian, chamomile, and passionflower. Try combining a pain-relieving supplement with a relaxation technique like deep breathing for better sleep.

Have a Warm Bath

A warm bath filled with epsom or Dead Sea salt can help relax your body and muscles. In turn, the bath reduces pain and allows for better sleep. Try dimming the lights in your bathroom and adding an essential oil like lavender for enhanced relaxation.

Avoid Carbs and Sweets Before Bed

Eating a high-carb meal or a sugary dessert before bed could make it even harder to stay asleep. Try to avoid sugary foods at least two hours before bed.

Address the Root Cause of Your Pain

If you’ve been suffering from chronic pain that keeps you up at night, you should find a pain doctor in Cincinnati for treatment. There are a lot of natural remedies available if your pain is keeping you up at night. However, the best solution is to treat the source of your pain directly, which is usually fascial, which refers to the connective tissues throughout your body.

The local myofascial pain specialists at Blatman Health and Wellness Center know how to treat pain without the use of invasive surgeries or addictive pharmaceuticals. For example, they offer platelet-rich plasma therapies to reduce your pain naturally, helping you drift off to sleep when at-home strategies don’t work. To schedule an appointment, complete our online contact form or give our office a call at 513.956.3200.