1 out of every 10 of us spend a day in pain during a month -- and 86 percent of us don't sleep because of it. Try these tips to prevent pain from disrupting your sleep.

By Ellen Michaud with Julie Bain

13 Sleep-Better Tips

Pain not only interferes with your ability to get a good night’s sleep, it actually disrupts the sleep you do get by encouraging your brain to wake you up throughout the night. That’s because pain and sleep share common biological pathways, says Julie K. Silver, M.D., an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. So even if your eyes remain shut most of the night, chances are your brain still isn’t getting the deep, restorative sleep it needs. As a result, you wake up in the morning feeling far from refreshed. Also, sleep deprivation actually increases your sensitivity to the pain. Yeah, you read that right. So pain = less sleep = more pain.

Want to escape from that nasty little loop and get some sleep? Here’s what Dr. Silver prescribes.

1. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. When pain first raises the alarm that something’s wrong, pay attention. Precisely where is the pain? On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 indicating the worst possible pain imaginable, where is your pain? What makes your pain worse? Do any other symptoms accompany it?

2. TRACK YOUR PAIN. If the pain’s not severe—and remember, severe pain requires a doctor’s immediate intervention—keep a pain log and track the pain for a month, says Dr. Silver. Jot down when it occurs, its rank on a scale of 1 to 10, and what makes it better or worse.

3. MEDICATE. Whether it’s delivered as a pill, patch, cream, or injection, medication can be God’s gift to the hurting. Ranging from acetaminophen and lidocaine patches to low-dose antidepressants and muscle relaxants, the arsenal is awesome. But every one has side effects, and not every one works in every situation. Work with your doctor to find the best approach.

4. ENLIST YOUR DOCTOR'S HELP. There is no virtue in bearing pain. Its your body’s alarm system that something is wrong. So get to the person who can help you figure out what your body’s trying to say: your doctor.

5. DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID. While you’re waiting to see your doctor, don’t aggravate your pain. If you have hip pain every time you run, don’t run. Walk instead.

6. HEAT IT UP. Try applying a hot pack to the area in which the pain occurs for 20 minutes a day.

7. COOL IT DOWN. Try a cold pack for 20 minutes once a day. Wrap the area in a towel to make sure the outside of the pack doesn’t touch your skin. Cold packs reduce inflammation and provide a temporary numbing effect.

8. HAVE A MASSAGE. Schedule one session a week and see how you feel.

9. OR TRY ACUPUNCTURE. Just keep in mind that it takes six to eight sessions before you’ll notice any effect. This is not a quick fix.

10. MOVE. Have your doctor refer you to a physical therapist who can design a personal movement program that targets the area in pain. Also, work with your therapist to get an aerobic exercise program that works for you.

11. STAY ON TOP. Treat pain aggressively early in the day, says Dr. Silver, and you’ll be more likely to control it more effectively and with less medication throughout the day and evening. Play tough girl and let it remain at a low ebb all day and it’s sure to build. Then, when everything’s quiet and you’re lying in bed trying to sleep, it’ll get you but good.

12. PARY. A survey by researchers at Stanford University Medical Center found that 62 percent of women under 50 who had pain prayed for relief. Seventy-one percent of women over 50 prayed. The result? Prayer worked in half of those who tried it. Amazingly, it relieved pain just as well as prescription meds.

13. SEE THE PAIN DOCTOR. If you still can’t get on top of your pain, schedule an appointment with a doctor who specializes in treating pain.
在每个月的某一天，我们每十人中就会有一个遭受疼痛的折磨。这其中大约有86%的人因为疼痛而无法入眠。试试下面这些小窍门，他们能够让你免受因疼痛导致的失眠之苦。

13个让你睡得更好的小窍门

疼痛不仅让你无法好好睡一觉，实际上它可能让你整夜无法入眠。哈佛医学院身体医学和复原专业的副教授Julie K. Silver解释说，这是因为疼痛和睡眠共用的是同一条生物通道。因此，即使你整夜闭着眼睛，你的大脑很可能也无法进入它所需要的深层的，恢复精力的睡眠状态。结果，你早上醒来，感觉精神一点都没有得到恢复。不仅如此，由于睡得不好，你对疼痛会更加敏感。所以，现在你就明白了这样一个道理：疼痛导致睡得少，睡得少导致疼痛加剧。

想逃出这个怪圈，让自己睡得好些么？以下是Silver医生开的处方：

1。听从身体的感受

疼痛刚开始的时候就予以注意。是哪个部位疼？假如把痛程度分为0-10这11个级别，0代表着一点都不疼，10代表你能想到的最疼的程度，那么你的疼痛属于哪个级别？那些东西或者行为会加剧疼痛？除了疼痛之外，有没有其他症状？

2。把疼痛记录下来

Silver医生说，如果疼痛不是太严重（记住，严重的疼痛发生时，必须立刻寻求医生的帮助）那么试着给建立一个记录表，记下一个月内疼痛发生的时间，每次疼痛的剧烈程度（从1到10）以及会使疼痛加剧或者减轻的一些情况。

3。寻求药物治疗

无论是吃药，贴剂，抹药膏或者打针，药物是上帝送给疼痛受害者的礼物。从扑热息痛和赛罗卡因贴剂到低剂量的抗抑郁药以及肌肉镇静剂，种类繁杂，举不胜举。但是，每种药物都有副作用，而且也不是万试万灵。所以，要同你的医生一起努力，找出适合你自己的最好的治疗方案。

4。寻求医生的帮助

一味地忍受疼痛是没有必要的。疼痛是身体的警报，告诉你身体中的某个部位出现了异常。因此，到能够破解警报真相的那个人，也就是医生那里去寻求帮助。

5。别使疼痛加剧

在等待医生诊疗的期间，可别因为某些行为使疼痛加剧。假使你每次跑动的时候，腰骨部位都会疼痛，那么千万别跑动，老老实实的走。

6。试试热敷

每隔20分钟，试着用热水袋对疼痛部位进行热敷，也许会有帮助。

7。试试冷敷

每天一次，试着用冰袋对疼痛部位冷敷20分钟。记得用毛巾在疼痛部位的四周围个圈，这样可以防止冰袋的触及正常部位的皮肤。冰袋能够减少疼痛部位的灼热感，同时也起到暂时性的麻痹效果，减少疼痛。

8。做一做按摩

每周做一次按摩，看看情况是有所改善。

9。试一试针灸

记住，针灸可不是立竿见影的治疗方法，大约在6-8次治疗之后，才能感觉到效果。

10。让身体动起来

让医生给你推荐一位物理治疗师，请他给你设计一套专门针对疼痛部位的活动方案。同时，跟你的物理治疗师一起设计一套适合你的有氧运动项目。

11。坚强地面对疼痛

Silver医生说，尽早地，主动地治疗疼痛，更有可能在一整天内少依赖药物治疗，同时更加有效地控制疼痛。坚强地面对疼痛，一整天内都别对疼痛太过在意，肯定能够成功。然后，夜深人静的时候，就躺在床上试着睡觉，你肯定能睡着而且睡得好。

12。祈祷

斯坦福大学医学中心的研究人员开展的一项调查表明，50岁以下受疼痛折磨的女性中，有62%的人希望通过祈祷减轻她们的疼痛。而这个比例在50岁以上的女性中是71%。结果如何？几乎半数以上祈祷的人真的不疼了。这的确令人惊奇，祈祷就像处方药一样解除了疼痛。

13。看疼痛科专家

如果试过以上方法仍旧不能战胜疼痛，那就约见专治疼痛的专家，寻求他的帮助