2019, Responses from: Dr Alex Bartle
I often sleep poorly because of my chronic pelvic pain. I’ve been on the public waiting list for a while to get some help as the pain often keeps me awake. Are there any self-management strategies I could try to get a better nights sleep?
Dr Alex Bartle: The first thing to say is that any ‘external’ cause of insomnia (Children, partner snoring, illness, pain etc.) needs to be addressed whenever possible. The problem with chronic pain, of any sort, is that it is chronic and therefore there seems to be no end (unlike having a baby!!).So, there is not immediate or easy ‘fix’. However, many of the strategies that you have mentioned above will be helpful. Gentle exercise outside in the day, reducing screen time before bed, and finding some distracting activity – reading, drawing, playing guitar, playing a board game etc. will help to distract from the pain and help sleepiness. Relaxation therapies are also helpful, going to bed in as relaxed state as possible using mindfulness, self-hypnosis, prayer, yoga, Tai-Chi, whatever results in some relaxation. A warm, even hot bath can also help with relaxation, and enhance sleep, and a hot water bottle (with care) can be comforting on your tummy.
ENZ Response: Just like a proper diet and regular exercise, a good night’s sleep is vital. You can find more information about sleeping well on our endo management page. We also suggest you read through the information about fatigue (pg. 13) and chronic pain (pg.17 & 18) in the free free downloadable e-book on our website