How to Get Better Sleep With RA
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[MUSIC PLAYING] Sleep is critical. If somebody is having sleeping problems and they have rheumatoid arthritis as well, it can intensify the pain. If patients feel that their sleep is less than ideal, they should write down what's going on in that setting, maybe what they had to eat, maybe what they had to drink prior to going to sleep, and just what the life stresses may be that may be contributing to sleep issues.
In certain cases, we'll ask patients to do simple non-medicational ways to get better sleep. That would include, for example, having a warm glass of milk at nighttime. The release of tryptophan can help with sleep as well. Making sure that you're not having alcohol or caffeine in a few hours before you go to bed. Exercise is actually critical. It helps you burn some calories, and it helps you sleep better at nighttime.
The bedroom should be a quiet place for you to be able to relax. No television, no computer, no iPhone. It needs to be a place where you simply go to bed and not have a whole host of other activities going on.
Now if despite that, you are still unable to get a good night's sleep, you need to talk to your physician. That may mean the escalation of medication, or it may mean adding in some other type of medication like an anti-inflammatory or a steroid in order to alleviate those symptoms.
Every patient's different, so we tailor what the patient needs to their life. We want you to get a good night's sleep. We want you to get six to eight hours of sleep if possible. And if that's not happening, ask your doctor what can be done in order to accomplish that.
In certain cases, we'll ask patients to do simple non-medicational ways to get better sleep. That would include, for example, having a warm glass of milk at nighttime. The release of tryptophan can help with sleep as well. Making sure that you're not having alcohol or caffeine in a few hours before you go to bed. Exercise is actually critical. It helps you burn some calories, and it helps you sleep better at nighttime.
The bedroom should be a quiet place for you to be able to relax. No television, no computer, no iPhone. It needs to be a place where you simply go to bed and not have a whole host of other activities going on.
Now if despite that, you are still unable to get a good night's sleep, you need to talk to your physician. That may mean the escalation of medication, or it may mean adding in some other type of medication like an anti-inflammatory or a steroid in order to alleviate those symptoms.
Every patient's different, so we tailor what the patient needs to their life. We want you to get a good night's sleep. We want you to get six to eight hours of sleep if possible. And if that's not happening, ask your doctor what can be done in order to accomplish that.
