Neuropathy and Sleep: What Patients Need to Know

​Peripheral neuropathy and sleep don’t always mix well. Sixty-eight percent of neuropathy patients report increased nerve pain at night, contributing to restlessness and sleep disruption. Moreover, neuropathy and sleep disturbance create a vicious cycle. Neuropathic pain causes sleep issues, and, in turn, lack of sleep exacerbates nerve discomfort.

How can you help your peripheral neuropathy patients avoid this terrible cycle, restoring their health and getting a better night’s sleep? Here’s what your patients need to know about how neuropathy impacts rest and what they can do to take back their lives and health. ​

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Raising Awareness About Peripheral Neuropathy and Sleep Loss

Are your patients reporting peripheral neuropathy worse at night? If so, there are many reasons for this. For starters, nighttime comes with fewer distractions. Without errands to run, phone calls to make and take, and meetings to attend, pain can take center stage in the body, upsetting a patient’s ability to feel restored at night.  

Unfortunately, a patient’s brain can become so focused on the pain that it makes drifting off to sleep impossible. Moreover, things like bed sheets can feel as though they exacerbate the issue. Some patients say they feel as if their sheets are stabbing them. Other factors upping pain levels include cooler temperatures, which can intensify nerve sensations. 

Physical and emotional stress throughout the day also affect how many zzz’s patients get. From workplace stress to vigorous exercise, daily activities can enhance the physical impacts of neuropathy, contributing to chronic pain. ​

Improving Patient Nighttime Rest

Sadly, lack of sleep contributes to ramped-up neuropathic discomfort. So, your patients must break this pattern through proven strategies. For some individuals, it helps to visualize something they love while dozing off. 

This technique proves especially helpful for those who experience increased pain due to a lack of nighttime distractions. Whether patients think about a dream vacation, a loved one, or their favorite food, these comfort thoughts can help lull them to sleep. Check out these three visualization techniques.

If dipping temperatures trigger another patient, adding more blankets to the bed or sleeping in warmer pajamas might provide a quick fix. As for neuropathic pain accompanying daily stress, options include alternating a physical routine from daily to every other day. And for emotional stress triggers, patients may be helped by taking a brief afternoon or evening walk. Even ten minutes can make a big difference. Find out more about how to provide peripheral neuropathy patients with symptomatic relief. ​

Neuropathy and Sleep

What makes the techniques above work? They encourage patients to rethink how they perceive pain. Of course, like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. So, you’ll want to encourage patients to turn these recommendations into healthy habits. But dealing with neuropathic pain doesn’t end there. 

Patients should understand that the NeuropaCalm Care Program offers a cutting-edge pain management solution that addresses the challenges of neuropathy and sleep. By raising your patients’ awareness about diabetic peripheral neuropathy, its symptoms, and therapeutic interventions, you can change lives for the better. 

In the process, you’ll also skyrocket your facility’s return on investment (ROI) while helping customers remain healthier and happier for longer. Learn more about offering your patients our personalized, holistic NeuropaCalm Care Program. ​