Did you know that how much sleep you get directly affects pain levels? Let us help you!

Sleep disturbance increases the risk for new-onset cases of chronic pain in pain-free individuals and sleep disturbance worsens prognosis for those suffering from persistent pain conditions.

Here is some information on how sleep works to help you understand how to improve your pain (or your health!)

Sleep drive is due to two main processes in your body;

Sleep pressure (or homeostatic sleep drive)
Adenosine is the main chemical that drives sleep pressure. It naturally builds up in your brain the longer you’re awake regardless of whether it’s day or night and the more you have around the bigger your sleep drive.
Circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm is affected by temperature, light exposure throughout the day, food and when you eat, temperature and movement and exercise. These are all important variables that you can manipulate to tell your body when and how long to sleep.
If we can learn how this interplay works, we can greatly improve our sleep, and ultimately our health!

So how can you use this knowledge to help you get better sleep?

Don’t use caffeine late in the day
It blocks adenosine (the chemical that makes you sleepy and affects sleep drive) and with caffeine on board your body won’t be able to tell that you’re sleepy. Caffeine has a half-life of 8 hrs which means that you have to give it quite a long time to break down before you try to sleep.
Naps
Don’t take naps if you are having a hard time sleeping for more than 7 hrs at night. When you sleep adenosine breaks down and you won’t have enough of it at night to make you want to go to sleep.
Keep your room cool
Keep your room (<65 degrees) to optimize your circadian rhythm. Your core temperature will be at its lowest 2 hours before you wake up and gradually start to increase. Your temperature will peak around late afternoon and then gradually decrease towards the evening thus repeating the cycle. You can keep your circadian rhythm on track in those late hours of the night by keeping your room cool.
Bathing before bed
Bathing one to two hours (ideally, 90 minutes) before bed in water at 104 to 109°F. A warm bath or shower stimulates the body’s thermoregulatory system, causing blood circulation from the internal core to the peripheral sites of the hands and feet and actually helps the core temperature drop.
Light Exposure and screen hygiene
Get good light exposure at the beginning of the day (Within 30 minutes of waking up, go outside and view sunlight for 2-10 minutes) and decrease the amount of light you are getting at night. This is a tricky one for Alaskans in the winter. Here are some tips:
Screen exposure more than 2 hrs before going to bed is one of the biggest culprits of confusing our circadian cycle. Blue light (the type of light that comes from our screens) makes our brain think it is morning again!
Eating
Don’t eat less than 2 hours before bedtime. It will raise your body temperature and increase your heart rate which confuses your circadian rhythm.
Exercise
Exercise and movement are optimal for improving your circadian rhythm but not in the 2 hours before bedtime.
Drinking and smoking
Any amount of alcohol and THC will disrupt REM sleep. Alcohol is a sedative but not a sleep-aid and is a potent REM sleep blocker.