In a three year study, researchers found that the less you sleep, the more likely you are to experience widespread pain. The study controlled for osteoarthritis and collected data on lifestyle and habits. Increased age was also correlated with widespread pain.
But it wasn’t just less sleep, it was non-restorative sleep too, meaning your prescription sleeping pill with all its other crazy side-effects is contributing to the problem. So is stress. And as widespread pain worsens, it begins a vicious cycle. Pain causes sleep loss which causes more pain.
The first step to breaking the cycle is identifying what’s keeping you up at night (and note, many people talk about needing less sleep as they age, but you do still need 7-9 hours per night).
Make sure you have the scene set. Check off that all five senses are in sleep-mode. (Taste, you ask? Many toothpastes are meant to be stimulating—either brush earlier or switch to a milder flavor).
If you’re stressed, start by identifying your stressors. Fix what you can, then use meditation to help let go of spinning your head around what’s left. It’s also a great tool right before bed if you can’t stop thinking enough to fall asleep.
If you’re in pain, talk to your doctor. If there’s no medical cause, you can try alternate solutions like yoga, heat/cold (a hot bath, or Dakota Muscle Relief), a massage, or Body RLF (this is especially great for soreness caused by exercise).
And if you still can’t sleep, try a natural sleep aid like Nite MGR. Pairing it with calcium will help your whole body (melatonin, found in Nite MGR, also plays a role throughout the body).
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