Bad Sleep: A Cause and Effect of Arthritis

Aug 6
08:01

2011

Bill Fields

Bill Fields

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Poor sleep quality can worsen arthritis. Making sure that you practice some great sleep tips can help your quality of life. A regular sleep schedule and a comfortable mattress can make your life that much more stress free!

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If someone is getting a poor quality of sleep,Bad Sleep: A Cause and Effect of Arthritis Articles it can be just as problematic as joint pain and limited mobility for many of those people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, sleep disruption is a consequence of arthritis, and something that needs to be paid attention to.

Fatigue, recognized as a symptom of arthritis, does not often take into account what arthritis does to sleep. The pain that arthritis creates, as well as inflamed joints, can often take a toll on regular healthy sleep patterns. Sleeping becomes difficult and painful, and often people wake up feeling worse and even more stiff than when they went to bed. Sleep is meant to be restful.

Insomnia is one thing that rheumatoid arthritis can worsen or create. Insomnia is when people have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Arthritis can worsen this in the fact that it is difficult to sleep when one is uncomfortable or in pain, which is a large part of arthritis symptoms. Stress is also an issue, and arthritis can create undue stress due to the fact that it is a painful disease that can prevent you from living your life the way that you would like.

There are treatments, of course. There are many things that can be done to help be sure that you get the sleep you deserve, such as limiting alcohol intake (which interferes with REM sleep), limiting caffeine, using sleep medications, and having a regular sleep schedule.

Another idea for a better sleep for those who have arthritis is being sure that you are using a comfortable, good mattress that suits your needs. A medium-firm mattress has been proven to be the best fit for most people (and especially good for those with difficulty sleeping). There are all sorts of great mattress brands, such as Tempurpedic mattresses and Serta mattresses. Tempurpedic mattresses conform to the shape of your body and assure that you have good sleeping posture by keeping your spine aligned. This is very important for those with arthritis and with joint pain, as it helps sleeping posture and can help you get a better night’s sleep, in turn helping stress levels and anxiety when it comes to rheumatoid arthritis. Serta mattresses are also great; they are comfortable, good quality mattresses. If your mattress is old or sags in the middle, it could be affecting levels of pain as well as quality of sleep! If your mattress is over 9 years old, it’s time to find a new one. Tempurpedic and Serta are just two different types of mattresses to help you get a great night’s sleep.