Can't sleep, due to chronic pain and overthinking, what helps?

[Turnitupto11]

I have chronic pain issues, not unbearable most of the time, but stops me sleeping. I take painkillers when I have to, but don't want to take them all the time. I also over think all the time and can't switch off.

I've tried headspace, sleep podcasts, breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, bedtime stories on audio, nothing helps. I relax whilst listening, but afterwards my brain starts whirring again. I can't fall asleep with earphones in, too uncomfortable. I even bought a headband with earphones in, but I sleep in my side and it's still uncomfortable.

I can't take over the counter sleeping tablets because they're all based on antihistamines and I get terrible restless legs, which obviously doesn't help with sleeping! I've tried valerian tea, kalms, they don't seem to do anything.

Any suggestions?

Does your pain ever allow you to any kind of exercise eg swimming?

Have you tried listening to yoga nidra on the headband earphones? I lie on my back (normally sleep on my side) to listen to the nidra and must fall asleep as I wake up in the morning on my side with the headphones still on!

With the yoga nidra, the alternative is that you can do it during the day for a few weeks until you've got the hang of it and can do it yourself

It doesn't involve any movement, just listening and focussing on different body parts slowly and mindfully.

I have an aromatherapy bath oil that puts me in an almost comatose state of relaxation. It's expensive but worth it:

www.aromatherapyassociates.com/deep-relax-bath-shower-oil.html

@FusionChefGeoff

With the yoga nidra, the alternative is that you can do it during the day for a few weeks until you've got the hang of it and can do it yourself

It doesn't involve any movement, just listening and focussing on different body parts slowly and mindfully.

I've not heard of that, I'll have a look. I bought wireless earphones especially for use in bed but they hurt my ears after a while.

[quote DukeofEarlGrey]I have an aromatherapy bath oil that puts me in an almost comatose state of relaxation. It's expensive but worth it:

www.aromatherapyassociates.com/deep-relax-bath-shower-oil.html[/quote]
Sounds lovely, but sadly I don't have a bath, just a shower cubicle.

Have you read 'the way out' by Dr Alan Gordon? Lifechanging book.

Curable app helped me so much, and I just play stuff in my iPhone next to my head, I can't wear earphones.

I'm also so sorry to hear about your pain it's exhausting and you have my sympathy.

@applecrumbleforteaagain

Curable app helped me so much, and I just play stuff in my iPhone next to my head, I can't wear earphones.

I'm also so sorry to hear about your pain it's exhausting and you have my sympathy.

Thanks. I'd disturb my oh if I did that, he's a very light sleeper.

I've downloaded the curable app, got 14 days free trial. Thanks for the tip.

This worked for me

Used it every night for a month. Now (years later) it can still send me to sleep.

@Grumpycatsmum

This worked for me Used it every night for a month. Now (years later) it can still send me to sleep.

Thanks

I use aromatherapy, miss using them in the bath but a diffuser works well or even in a spray bottle as a face and pillow mist, for the pain you could blend them in a carrier oil and self massage. Happy to suggest oils if you'd like more info.

Lavender pillow spray. Visualisation exercises. Painkillers.
Pillows - depending on the source of the chronic pain - v shaped pillows; wedge pillows; weighted blankets, etc.

Thanks. I have pillow spray and do self massage, it helps briefly, but the pain comes back as soon as I'm in bed.

The pain is in my shoulders, arms, hips, knees and ankles I have a wedge pillow which helps relieve the pressure on my knees a little. It's the shoulder and arm pain that gets to me most, I just can't get comfortable.

I do take painkillers when it gets too much, but don't want to take them all the time, plus they don't help much. I have a microwaveable wheat pillow that I heat up and put on my arm but the weight becomes unbearable quite soon.

Here's a good one:

A meditation teacher once taught me a mantra which I find really helpful for reducing pain. You focus on the pain, tense then relax your body two or three times so you can feel the difference between tension and relaxed muscles, then you say in your head: Thank you pain for leaving my body. Over and over, slowly and gently and calmly. What helps is that it trains you to release the pain not cling onto it. With some quite vicious pains like period pain or headaches I found it got rid of the pain completely, very quickly. It nearly always reduces the pain significantly. The idea is to think of pain as something that is trying to find its way out of your body, like breath.

Thank you, I just find it difficult to stop my mind straying .

I listened to the Alan Gordon podcast last night about pain, it was very good and I actually got to sleep after listening to 2 episodes. I only used one earphone so that I wasn't laid on it.

@hivemindneeded so do you just tense everywhere? I'm keen to try this I can't quite picture how to do it.

@applecrumbleforteaagain, if you are lying down you tense your bum, squeeze your legs together, pull your tummy in, curl your toes, hunch your shoulders, make fists of your hands, scrunch up your face etc - basically you try to tense and contract every muscle you can for the count of about 4 then release and exhale.

If that is too hard, do it bit by bit, but make sure you include the area around the pain, as it will already be contracting to try and protect the damage causing the pain, but that mentally holds the pain in. (Sorry none of this is in any way scientific, I'm just trying to explain how it feels when I do it.)

@hivemindneeded that's really helpful it made sense!

It's the same that is taught for anxiety and panic attacks, but I'd never thought to use it for chronic pain.

Off to tense!

@applecrumbleforteaagain

Curable app helped me so much, and I just play stuff in my iPhone next to my head, I can't wear earphones.

I'm also so sorry to hear about your pain it's exhausting and you have my sympathy.

The Curable app and associated podcasts are very good, I would recommend them to anyone with pain. It's helping me sleep and reducing the discomfort.