Need suggestions for specific pain relief at night

[ginag]

I am having trouble sleeping even on a quality mattress. I would like to know if anyone knows of a wraparound pad or something with a gel pad or cushion just to soften and take the edge off. Specifically, both sides of my hips are painful as well as my shoulders. It is very bad at night. It seems all I can find are the hot/cold packs online. That is not going to stay in place. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[tatt]

Try a memory foam mattress topper? I know someone who uses a fairly thick one for hip pain. How do you define a "quality" mattress - I try lots before I buy and spend as much as I can afford.

 

[ginag]

It is a Serta...it is always hard to really know what is best when you have to lay on a mattress in a store. However, I have not tried a memory foam topper. That is a good suggestion and I appreciate it. I will try one.

 

[tatt]

I have a vispring - us prices here https://www.us-mattress.com/vispring.html. It's midrange as I didnt feel the benefit from the most expensive ones. In store they tend to ask me several times if I need help - I'm paying a lot of money and I will lie there a long as I want to make sure I'm not wasting my money.

 

[tatt]

Just realised I havent suggested you have a magnesium sulphate bath before bed. Dissolve magnesium sulphate in a warm bath, soak for 15 minutes, pat dry and dont rub dry. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant and also helps anxiety. It may help you get a better nights sleep. I buy sacks of food grade mag sulphate on amazon.

 

[ginag]

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I appreciate the information on magnesium. Will try..

 

[Shannon]

An Epsom salt bath (magnesium sulphate), any time of the day is extremely helpful for nerve, joint, and muscle pain. Perhaps a bath before bed may get you relaxed enough to sleep. I use 2 heaping handfuls in a fairly hot bath and soak at least 15 mins or more. When I was working (10 hour shifts at the time of plantars fasciitis dx) I would come home and cry my feet hurt so bad. Epsom salt soaks, every single night after work, was the only thing that kept me going until I got proper sole inserts for my shoes.

I elevate the head of my mattress with a wedge between the mattresses. I also have pillows under my knees and feet so I'm almost sleeping in a 0 gravity kind of sleep position on my back that I find is very comfy despite my all-over chronic and severe body pain (severe fibromyalgia + others).

Alternatively, if you don't sleep alone like I do and/or cannot put a wedge between the mattresses, try body wedges to help hold you in a comfortable position at night?

Lastly, a memory foam bed topper or similar may be an option as well. Depending on your budget of course.

 

[Tammy7]

I elevate the head of my mattress with a wedge between the mattresses. I also have pillows under my knees and feet so I'm almost sleeping in a 0 gravity kind of sleep position on my

Hi Shannon, can you provide a link as to the kind of wedge you purchased........or the name? Thank you

 

[Shannon]

I don't have a link, I'm sorry. I'd estimate my wedge gives a space between the mattresses at least the height of my hand from the bottom of my palm to my tallest fingertip. So, at least 6 inches? Look for a wedge 8 inches or so, to accommodate the wedge sinking into the bottom of your top mattress, if that makes sense?

Now, my wedge is only the width of a person. So unless I set myself right over that wedge (which is between my queen mattress and the queen box spring), I can end up sleeping on a slant to the right lol. I just found that the wedges I tried that you slept on top of the mattress were never high enough or wide enough so I just put one between my mattresses, using what I had.

However, I have seen wedges that are the entire width of your bed, like a queen bed. You could just use it on top of your mattress, like this one, or even use a full width wedge to go between the mattresses like this one. There are cheaper options to try when looking to find out what height of wedge works best for you - blow up wedges like this one. Whatever you choose, if it goes between the mattresses I'd look for something very firm (not a blow up one).

How tall should the wedge be? Well if you are like me and need to be elevated due to back pain or other significant upper body pain, you probably don't need to be elevated too much. If you had GERD, however, then I do believe the rec'd height to be 8 inches? You'd have to double check that. There are a few companies my disability works with when it comes to medical devices and supplies. Perhaps call a similar company in your area and talk to a representative to help recommend something for you.

Or have your doctor refer you to someone in case insurance will cover it. For instance, if my doctor prescribes something to me, even a bed wedge, my disability will cover it - but only through 3-4 different companies they will work with. I can't just go get what I want from wherever I want and send them the bill. It may be similar or different in your circumstance.

Also note that it is kind of unnatural for you to be elevated too high, it's not good for your spine to be properly aligned. I have to also have pillows under my knees and I even have my feet on pillows too. Pillows because wedges can be waaaay too expensive when a couple of firm pillows work just fine for me. Again, I sleep alone and don't have to contend with a partner who may grumble about my having too many damn pillows lol.

You'll have to experiment to some extent, I suppose. Another thing you could try is call a sleep study clinic and ask about the types of wedges they recommend or have for their clients to try. The last sleep study I did (I have sleep apnea) I had asked for a wedge or extra pillows to elevate me and they had quite the selection of wedges - and the MOST comfortable bed I'd ever slept on in my life. I told them I'd be taking it with me when I left haha.

Lastly, you might consider a pregnancy pillow. Those DO wrap around your entire body. Like this one.

Ooh, I have one more suggestion. If you are a die hard side sleeper, there are wedges that help you with that as well. Kind of like yoga wedges that help you keep the same position. So like a pregnancy pillow but a wedge instead.

That's about it for ideas for you @Tammy7 and ginag. I sincerely hope you find something that enables you to sleep comfortably again. Sleep is SO very important to our health.

NOTE: All links in this post go to Amazon.ca as I live in Canada. They are NOT affiliate links.

P.S. I am having to buy a new mattress due to having it elevated. After only 6 years of buying the new mattress, springs are jabbing me in the butt. So now I have to look for a new mattress. This time it will be a foam mattress instead of a spring one and I have found what I want to get myself for Christmas. No matter what, this mattress won't have springs to jab me in the butt!

 

[ginag]

I don't have a link, I'm sorry. I'd estimate my wedge gives a space between the mattresses at least the height of my hand from the bottom of my palm to my tallest fingertip. So, at least 6 inches? Look for a wedge 8 inches or so, to accommodate the wedge sinking into the bottom of your top mattress, if that makes sense?

Now, my wedge is only the width of a person. So unless I set myself right over that wedge (which is between my queen mattress and the queen box spring), I can end up sleeping on a slant to the right lol. I just found that the wedges I tried that you slept on top of the mattress were never high enough or wide enough so I just put one between my mattresses, using what I had.

However, I have seen wedges that are the entire width of your bed, like a queen bed. You could just use it on top of your mattress, like this one, or even use a full width wedge to go between the mattresses like this one. There are cheaper options to try when looking to find out what height of wedge works best for you - blow up wedges like this one. Whatever you choose, if it goes between the mattresses I'd look for something very firm (not a blow up one).

How tall should the wedge be? Well if you are like me and need to be elevated due to back pain or other significant upper body pain, you probably don't need to be elevated too much. If you had GERD, however, then I do believe the rec'd height to be 8 inches? You'd have to double check that. There are a few companies my disability works with when it comes to medical devices and supplies. Perhaps call a similar company in your area and talk to a representative to help recommend something for you.

Or have your doctor refer you to someone in case insurance will cover it. For instance, if my doctor prescribes something to me, even a bed wedge, my disability will cover it - but only through 3-4 different companies they will work with. I can't just go get what I want from wherever I want and send them the bill. It may be similar or different in your circumstance.

Also note that it is kind of unnatural for you to be elevated too high, it's not good for your spine to be properly aligned. I have to also have pillows under my knees and I even have my feet on pillows too. Pillows because wedges can be waaaay too expensive when a couple of firm pillows work just fine for me. Again, I sleep alone and don't have to contend with a partner who may grumble about my having too many damn pillows lol.

You'll have to experiment to some extent, I suppose. Another thing you could try is call a sleep study clinic and ask about the types of wedges they recommend or have for their clients to try. The last sleep study I did (I have sleep apnea) I had asked for a wedge or extra pillows to elevate me and they had quite the selection of wedges - and the MOST comfortable bed I'd ever slept on in my life. I told them I'd be taking it with me when I left haha.

Lastly, you might consider a pregnancy pillow. Those DO wrap around your entire body. Like this one.

Ooh, I have one more suggestion. If you are a die hard side sleeper, there are wedges that help you with that as well. Kind of like yoga wedges that help you keep the same position. So like a pregnancy pillow but a wedge instead.

That's about it for ideas for you @Tammy7 and ginag. I sincerely hope you find something that enables you to sleep comfortably again. Sleep is SO very important to our health.

NOTE: All links in this post go to Amazon.ca as I live in Canada. They are NOT affiliate links.

P.S. I am having to buy a new mattress due to having it elevated. After only 6 years of buying the new mattress, springs are jabbing me in the butt. So now I have to look for a new mattress. This time it will be a foam mattress instead of a spring one and I have found what I want to get myself for Christmas. No matter what, this mattress won't have springs to jab me in the butt!

Thank you.yes....I am a die-hard side sleeper. You are right...sleep is so important for us. It helps to know other people experience what I am going through.

 

[Shannon]

Sending a virtual big but gentle hug! And positive, healing energy your way And yes, without the internet and the overwhelming positive support I've found online from people who have fibromyalgia, I'd have been in a very dark place. I am so very grateful for the support I found on Twitter when I was first dx'd in 2009.

I hope my long book/info post helps others, too.

 

[tatt]

If you have a divan bed you can raise the head of the bed by getting a couple of pieces of wood and sticking one under the head of the bed and a smaller one part way down the bed. we did this starting with a 4 inch block at the head and increasing it to 6inches later then using the 4inch block down the bed for extra support. It takes some getting used to and you - bedding -tend to slide towards the foot of the bed. You could also buy bed risers but just use them on the top of the bed. https://www.amazon.co.uk/bed-risers/s?k=bed+risers Always take any wheels off the bottom of the bed!

This is good for sleep apnoea and reflux but I dont think it would help with hip pain.

This supplement was mentioned on the main site as possibly protective against covid but seems to be used as a pain reliever. https://www.nourishhealth.com.au/5-things-about-pea-palmitoylethanolamide/

 

[DoriOakes]

My approach is contrary to what all the sleep professionals claim but it works very well for me. My Watch Logs 5-10 hours sleep every night With an average of about 7 hours. I was diagnosed with Post Polio syndrome in my childhood and this has been for at least 40 years of trying everything out there, from weighted blankets to nutritional changes and sleeping pills. Nothing worked. I use an electromagnetic field generated by an electric heating blanket. It definitely helps with cramping/pain sleep issues. My untrained view is that this directs the flow of energy in the muscles and helps them rest. I also need some sort of background sound to sleep that seem to prevent the mind stimulation created by silence which ends in nightmares. i turn on Netflix on some boring TV show like Bunk'd or the like. It really improves my sleep. Also the softest memory foam mattress I could get because when I am asleep it prevents me from tossing and turning and waking myself up.