I have often wondered about pain at night too.

It appears at least for me... that when walking around I have little pain/burning.

As soon as I lie down, within 20 minutes it starts. If I get up and walk around, it goes away.

I think, that other nerve pathways get priority when we are moving around. Proprioceptive nerves especially are important for walking. I think this is like the heat receptors vs cold ones.
When we use menthol, and stimulate the cold receptors, they take priority and over ride the heat ones for a while (as long as the menthol is there). I read about this nerve priority on a paper once a while back while looking for the reason Menthol works so well. So I think that this "priority" issue is present for night time pain. Once we are off the feet, those signals end, and the old burning ones then get thru.

Just my impression.

I have been researching about night pain and most of the doctors think we feel more pain because we have nothing else going on to distract us from the sensations.
Not True, mine begins immediately on laying down , way before I am asleep.
There is a very interesting article in this weeks New Yorker mag. also available newyorker.com.
Its about horrififc itching but the explanation of how nerves send messages to the brain is very different than what we have been told AND the treatment is amazing. Using mirrors to fool the brain and it works. Cures phatom pain (missing limb).
While reading it late last night I believe it may be relevant to our pain sensations. I hope to write the researcher for advice.
Read the whole article as the relevant part is towards the end.

My mind is just as engaged reading as typing here.

The only difference is that my feet are on the floor, sitting at the computer.

If I read or not, my feet feel the same within 20 min of lying down.

The various pathways are labeled afferent, and efferent.
If you keyword search those terms you will find physiology texts, that explain it.

The feet are the most distant part of our nervous system to the brain. It only makes sense that there is a priority system to determine sensation. This is how Neurontin is supposed to work...to block the spinal cord gateways so you don't perceive the pain as much (it may or may not work well, for some people who have different nervous system issues).

Thanks but my pain is arms, lips, much worse than feet or legs. I'll look it up unfortunately those meds do nothing for my pain. I've had MRI of the neck which was fine so not a orthopedic problem.

Another one who can't sleep at night,when I was in nursing school,you saw
that all the time.I feel it's night and and you have to thing of is the pain.

Oh is raining again,we are going to float to CA. Sue