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News Releases
Tips for a Better Night's Rest
Columbia, Mo. (March 30, 2005) - Twenty percent of American adults or 42 million people report that pain or physical discomfort disrupts their sleep a few nights a week or more, according to the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep in America poll. Pain is the leading cause of insomnia, especially for those who have arthritis.
"Sleep disorders are very prevalent in the population with arthritis and may be a symptom that the arthritis is not under control or of another underlying sleep disorder," says Celso Velazquez, M.D., assistant professor of rheumatology at the MU School of Medicine.
Yet many people don't recognize how large the problem is. Lack of sleep can result in difficulty maintaining alertness, lack of energy, impaired mood, and trouble handling stress. It can also put you at risk for injury, poor health and accidents. As part of National Sleep Awareness Week (March 28 - April 3), the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC) at the University of Missouri-Columbia offers some tips for a better night's rest.
According to the Southwest Regional Arthritis Center in Springfield, Mo., you should:
- Stay warm. Consider using layered bedding, an electric blanket or an electric mattress pad.
- Find the right mattress. The curvature of your lower back should determine the mattress' firmness. Some people with arthritis are better off using a softer bed, which fills in the curves of their backs.
- Find a correct, comfortable position. You might want to place a pillow or a rolled towel under a joint, such as a hip or shoulder, to give it proper support.
- Avoid regular naps. If you need to take a nap, do it by mid-afternoon and for 15-30 minutes only.
- Exercise regularly, but not within three hours of bedtime. A gentle, preferably supervised, aerobic fitness program (i.e., walking, aquatics, stationary bicycle) carried out on a regular basis is very helpful for improving the quality of sleep and controlling aching muscles.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks and foods in the afternoon and in the evening.
- Avoid or give up smoking.
- Avoid heavy meals or feeling hungry before bed. A light, healthy snack is best
- Create a conducive environment that is quiet and dark.
- Go to sleep and awake at the same time every everyday.
If these approaches don't help or if sleep and pain problems don't go away, it may be time to consult your physician. For information about MARRTC, visit the Web site at www.marrtc.org.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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