If you live with a sore back, knee or neck, you may have noticed that a bad night makes the next day harder. It is not in your head. Sleep and pain are closely linked, and each tends to affect the other.
Why the two feed each other
Pain can make it harder to fall asleep or to stay asleep. You wake when you shift position, or you lie awake thinking about the day ahead. Then, after a poor night, your nervous system is often more sensitive. Normal sensations can feel sharper, and it is harder to cope with discomfort.
That can become a loop. Pain disturbs sleep, tired people feel more pain, and worry about both can make it harder to switch off.
What a rough night does
Poor sleep affects mood, patience and energy. It also makes it harder to be active, which may be the very thing that helps your body. This is why the day after bad sleep can feel so heavy.
The loop can be gently broken from either end. You do not have to fix the pain before you work on sleep.
Things that often help
These are general ideas, and what works varies from person to person.
- Keep a regular wake time, even after a rough night. It helps your body clock more than catching up by sleeping in.
- Keep your bed for sleep. If you are awake for a long time, get up and do something quiet in dim light until you feel sleepy.
- Wind down for half an hour. Dim lights, put screens away and try something calm, like reading or slow breathing.
- Experiment with positions and pillows. A pillow between your knees or under them can help some people settle.
- Move during the day. Gentle activity, especially in daylight, often helps sleep at night.
Be kind to yourself
Checking the clock and doing the sums, “only four hours left”, usually makes things worse. Turn the clock away if you can. Remind yourself that resting quietly still helps, even if you are not asleep.
Try not to judge a night as a failure. One bad night is rarely a disaster, and your body often makes up for it.
When to get help
Speak to a clinician if poor sleep or pain has lasted more than a few weeks, if you feel low or anxious most days, or if it is getting in the way of work and relationships. A psychologist can help with sleep habits, worry and ways of living with pain, and a physiotherapist can help with movement.
Seek urgent medical care straight away if pain comes on suddenly and severely, if you have chest pain, or if you have thoughts of harming yourself.
You can read about psychology at Fernway or book an appointment.
This article is general information, not personal health advice. It cannot take account of your own history. See a registered clinician about your situation.
