Sleeping Well With Psoriatic Arthritis
psoriati症状carthritis, including joint pain and skin itchiness, might make it hard to fall asleep or can wake you during the night. And lack of sleep often exacerbates symptoms, according to asurvey published in the Psoriasis Forum. Callis Duffin, the lead researcher on the survey, explained it this way: “It can get into a vicious cycle. The hurting anditching leads to poor sleep, which leads to fatigue, which leads to more pain and itching, which leads to even worse sleep."
Keep a regular sleep schedule
在同一时间睡觉和起床每一天,uggests theArthritis Foundation, even on weekends and holidays. While it is tempting to sleep in on the weekends to make up for lost sleep, this often backfires and makes it more difficult to sleep the following night. A consistent routine improves the quality of your sleep.
Consider participating in a sleep study
A sleep clinic can work to determine reasons why you can’t sleep. For example, is your sleeplessness due to pain? Or could it be sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep? The国家银屑病基金会suggests asleep studycan provide you with reasons and treatments for all of your sleep issues.
Cut back on caffeine
If you are having a hard time sleeping, you might depend on caffeine to get you going in the morning. But when youconsume caffeinewell into the afternoon or evening, you might be contributing to your sleep difficulties. It can take six hours for one-half of the caffeine from a cup of coffee to leave your system, according to theNational Sleep Foundation. Avoid caffeine consumption for at least six hours before bedtime.
Use your bed for sleeping
Avoid other activities in bed, such as reading or watching television, suggests the国家银屑病基金会. If you want to read, do so in another room. Your bed should only be a place for sleep, or intimacy with your partner.
Pay attention to when you exercise
Exercise is important for people with psoriatic arthritis, butexercise can affect your sleep. Exercising intensely can stimulate your nervous system and keep you awake, according to theNational Sleep Foundation. Keep these types of exercise to mornings or early afternoons. Lifting weights, however, does not impact sleep and strength training at any time of day can improve sleep.
Create a wind-down routine
Use theevening hours to de-stressand care for your body. For example, you might listen to music or take a cool bath to relieve itchiness. Find what works for you to relieve symptoms so you can enjoy better sleep.
Make your bedroom conducive to sleep
Keep your room dark and cool. The国家银屑病基金会suggests a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees. Turn off your phone and other electronic devices. Make sure you have comfortable pillows and mattress.
Keep a log of your sleep patterns
Keep track of what time you go to bed and what time you get up each morning. Write down whether you took a nap during the day, how much caffeine you consumed, whether you exercised and what time you exercised. Include other information you feel may have impacted your sleep, such as stress. TheNational Arthritis Foundationsuggests that you share this information with your doctor so you can work together to find solutions.
Talk to your doctor
Your doctor may havesuggestions to help you sleep, and can help determine the reasons for your insomnia. For example, you might need to be screened for depression, sleep apnea, or heart conditions, according to the国家银屑病基金会.
Eileen Bailey is an award-winning author of six books on health and parenting topics and freelance writer specializing in health topics including ADHD, Anxiety, Sexual Health, Skin Care, Psoriasis and Skin Cancer. Her wish is to provide readers with relevant and practical information on health conditions to help them make informed decisions regarding their health care.