Why Do Things Hurt Worse At Night?
 

Don't mean to be complaining....again....:o....but, Is there a real reason why things always hurt worse, and tingle more, and basically most sx seem SO much worse at night. It seems that anymore, I can't get rest because I'm up and down, in and out of bed until the wee hours of the morning?????

Do I just have my days and nights backwards like a baby, or is there a real physical reason for this?????

Thanks!

It makes alot of sense to me, that because of the usual stresses of the day, your muscles tighten up and are painful at night.

I find, stretching those painful muscles, thoroughly, relieves the pain and discomfort and helps to relax you, so that you can get to sleep.

Some people take a muscle relaxant at night (like Robaxin). I take the more natural approach, but also love Robaxin, when necessary.

Feel better, Friend..:hug:

Maybe because there aren't so many distractions at night. I mean you are laying down to go to sleep and there is not much to distract you.

Hi Friend2U,
I have heard of many PWMS that stay up late and get up late. I know my circadian rhythm is turned around, or broken (sigh). I can go to bed late and wake up late, and get a good night's sleep, much better than when I try for an earlier bedtime.

I do miss the mornings. If I have an early appointment, I end up with very little sleep when the alarm goes off. I have tried to turn myself around but to no avail.

I do find while up at night I "notice" more of the aches, pain and sensations more. Like the MS hug starts getting bad around 10 pm. I try to be on the net or just read a book until I'm tired enough to conk-out.

I think Karousel is right, less distractions at night. Too much peace and quiet, and you think of your pain or symptoms more. It makes them magnify out of portion to the day. JMO :)

I do exercise a bit and stretch like Sally said, to try to work out the stiffness. I don't know if it is all muscles spasms, or age related with me. I wake up with tightness, that takes an hour to loosen up. I sit and have coffee, then move, then sit and then move again.

If you are not as active in the evening, as the daytime, I think that has a lot to do with it. If you're worn out from the day, exhaustion does it too. I wish I knew. :confused:

What do you think might me the answer Freinds2U? It could benefit a lot of us. :hug: Maybe we need to work the night shift, ya think? :)

I wish I knew the answer!
 

:confused: But it sounds like I am not alone. I really don't mind just for myself to keep the strange hours. But it's not as ideal for the rest of my family. My dh is pretty patient with me and tries to understand.

I think it is true that it is so quiet at night and once my eyes go shut, my body starts screaming at me about all it's complaints!:eek:

I get up from bed to do the stretching exercises. It is a very temporary relief, until I lie back down. Then doesn't take long for my muscles to go stir crazy again.

I'm sure since I am up moving around in the day, I just don't notice things so much.

I guess I just wish I could know if I should keep trying to fight it and try to get on the same schedule as my family... although I have tried, but to no avail.

Thanks. :hug:

Oh how I wish I knew the answer to the whole sleep question with MS!!! Between it and the fibromyalgia, the pain becomes so much worse whenever I try lying/sitting still for any length of time. Plus my circadian rhythmn is messed up too -- must have something to do with that portion of our brains. Like you can see, it's now 1:05 am and sleep won't come until daylight even though the fatigue causes me to doze off in this darn chair.

I actually tried sleeping in my bed instead of recliner two nights ago, only to have to get up and switch with a terrible backache that lasted two days. Of course I can't move very much once I get in bed, not even to turn over, so that's probably why I end up so sore. If I have an appointment during the day, I make it for afternoon. Having nobody else here to worry about, it doesn't matter what hours I keep although my family and friends think it's sooooo weird sleeping during the day. If they spent a day in my shoes, they'd change their tune quickly! But when you can't go anywhere anyhow, what difference does it make?

Sorry I don't have any helpful suggestions, but just know you're not alone.

Gentle hugs........... :)

Judy,
 

I know what you mean about making afternoon appointments. I use to want the earliest appt available, so I had the rest of my day... But since the ms has progressed, I am just no good in the morning. We do have to make adjustments in our lifestyle don't we?!

I can see, at least I'm in good company... though I wouldn't wish this for anyone! You take care too! :hug:

I know why things hurt so much at night.

That's when it's the MOST inconvenient time for you to be in pain. I mean, you're trying to sleep, and everything that can hurt is annoyed at you for moving around during the day.

So, the Pain waits till you're trying to get comfy and go to sleep, and then it comes out and says, "Remember me?? I'm here to really annoy you and make your life as difficult as it can be. Enjoy!"

During the day, I can head off some things before they escalate--flex things that need flexing, stretch, move, re-arrange, change positions, adjust my stance or my pillows, stand up, sit down, and so on.

At night, I doze off (or not) and the discomfort gets a head start on me. I don't feel things coming on, and by the time I wake up, I'm not "ahead of the pain" anymore.

Sometimes I'm sitting here in my chair dozing off, puzzled to find myself thinking "I'm so tired, I wish I didn't have to go to bed". It's so complicated to get all of the details organized to be in one place for eight hours--(recliner tonight or bed? what's going on tomorrow?)--I'm usually oddly relieved in the morning, as if "Whew! I'm glad that's over and I don't have to do it again until tonight!"

I work hard to get things done during the day, but at night, when its time for rest, and sleep...nope, I sit and feel my bones ache, my muscles cry, my ears itch, my mind race, and my diaphram flip. I try to use the TV to distract me, and then I look up to see its midnight, and I should have been able to turn the tube off hours ago, but my body just isnt ready. I have had to set a time limit, and force myself to TURN IT OFF by X time or I know I will wait to be in bed the whole next day from being over tired.

I too feel my symptoms more dramatically at night than during the day.

hang in there. :hug:

Judy, what kind of recliner do you have? I hate mine!! Once I get in it and recline, it's fine, but it's so difficult to get in and out of. It sits to high and is a manuel (I should have gotten an electronic one..)

Help!!:hug:

Me, too. :( It's just like the MRI machine.....my nose starts to itch the moment I know I can't scratch it! :rolleyes:

Since I don't have to be on any certain schedule for work or otherwise I've just tried to quit focusing on "bedtime" and just sleep whenever I feel the need to. If it's 3 AM or 3 PM....,.if I'm sleepy I go to bed. If I happen to wake up during the wee hours of the morning and can't go back to sleep in a reasonable amount of time I get up. It seems the more I move around the less I ache....so there has to be something to the "in one position for numerous hours" theory. I've been known to do laundry or make my grocery list at midnight or later.

If you still work this probably won't work for you but it's working for me.....for the moment!

Dejibo - I just noticed in here that you said your ears itch - do you mean inside your ear canal or on the outside. Along with many of the other things that are happening to me (I haven't been dx'd yet) I have had itchy ear canals for years - probably 12. Started right after my son was born. I was told it was swimmer's ear (even though I don't swim) and given antibiotic drops but it never went away. The latest thing is for me to not use hairspray because the dr says that is irritating the inside of my ear. I don't use hairspray - still there.

oh, dont get me started on my ears! :mad: I struggled for so long before I finally got someone to listen to me about my inner ears. THEY ITCH! it was orgasmic to stick a bobby pin in there, and scratch! (please dont lecture me, I know its wrong) i was at my wits end with how itchy they were. I would get occasional ear infections, but nothing big enough for the MD to flag it. Once I was dx with sjogrens syndrome, I went to see an ENT about a sinus issue. She looked in my ears and said AHA! I see you have very itchy ear canals. She said I had microscopic cuts in my canal due to how dry my canals were. I bathe, and when i dunk my head to wash my hair, water gets in the canals. All the chlorine in the water didnt help. She gave me a steroid drop to use in my ears once a week, and demanded that I use ear plugs in the tub/shower.

It was well worth the money for this ENT to use the high power scope to peek in my ears to see the paper cut like breaks in the skin from the dryness. She said the itch must be maddening. Since starting on the prescription steroid drops once a week. WOO! I can sleep through the night without waking up digging in my ears. Like a dog with a bone, I couldnt leave them alone, it was horrible.

It may be worth a trip to the ENT to have them checked out. Dry skin conditions are pretty common on most of the drugs we take, and then throw in muscle relaxers, our lack of hydration, and chlorine in the city water, and whammo, itchy ears.

you can use a couple of drops of a hydrating oil like olive or coconut oil in your ears to see if that helps. Mine were so bad they needed the steroids to keep them from re inflamming. They make lots of products now for itchy ears, but most contain alcohol, or drying agents. Plug your ears when you shower, and get some moisture in there. it made my world more liveable.

Thank you for the advice! I will start plugging my ears when I shower and trying some moisture drops for my ears. That was never suggested to me by any doctor. Makes sense though. It wakes me up at night and you are right about the orgasmic feeling...such a relief when scratching sometimes. I don't use anything but my finger and fingernail, but sometimes I am scratching so hard and long I am sure I am doing some damage.

All interesting topics. Sorry Friend2U for changing topic.

My ENT said to put a little plain Baby Oil in the ears. Dip a Q-tip or a small tissue in the oil, or put in with a dropper.

He said it coats the ear, keeps it moist so no drying out and loosens wax build up. It softens wax, and it will run out when ready, leaving your ears clean and wax free.

Don't remove the oil, let it slowly run out. Most likely when sleeping or during the day. Avoid soap and shampoo in the ears too. Shampoo is a detergent. I clean my bathtub with shampoo on a scrubbing pad sometimes. :rolleyes:

He said Baby oil keeps from getting a wax build-up, that could get infected from not letting inner fluids drain out. It also prevents loss of hearing from wax plugging.

When I spray my hair, I put a piece of soft tissue or soft toilet tissue in the ear that covers the outer ear too. I also close my eyes just before pushing the spray button. Who needs that sticky stuff in our ears and eyes. But I spike my hair and must spray a bit. :D

I don't think I would like Olive oil or coconut oil in my ears. They are food products and I feel they may draw bugs. I fear a spider or fly will enter my ears. I once dug a spider out of my ear, in pieces. It made me paranoid after that. Yikes!

They have vitamin E oils and other massage oils on the market that are safe to use. I used olive oil (which is now a popular additive to many beauty products.) and it worked just fine. it was something I had on hand anyway. My MD didnt like the baby oil because its a petroleum product, and I have an old rupture on an ear drum from a previous infection. She was worried that some might slip into the middle ear. Droppers are better much easier to use. blink blink. go to sleep. Or blink blink, plug your ears and shower, or bathe. That way the cotton or ear plugs keeps the product in there for a min.

***bugs in the ear*** now I will be thinking about that all day! :eek: eww.


I have found the more PRO active I can be about my sleep, the better off I am. I make sure the room is DARK! no light from the TV box or alarm clocks. No nightlights. QUIET! or if you must chose some white noise. a fan or an AC or I guess a sound machine would work, but I am cheap. excuse me frugal. It still doesnt always work. There are some days that I lay awake and count my blessings and others that I lay awake and count my body aches. I hate those days.

I have been sleeping with a fan running since I was in college. I started using it to drown out the noise in the dorm. It does help. I also helps to drown out the ringing in my ears. Although the ringing is getting so loud that even a fan doesn't completely drown it out. I'm not sure what is up with that. I haven't really asked the dr about it. So many things I've just learned to live with.:o

I've been doing the same thing with a ceiling fan since I was about 9 years old. I've had tinnitus since I was very small.

I can remember my grandmother showing me a conch shell she had, and told me to listen to the "ocean" in it. I couldnt hear it because I had tinnitus and it overpowered the sound of the "ocean". Took me awhile till I learned in science class what the "ocean" was supposed to sound like. (sounds kinda like my tinnitus apparently)

Things generally hurt more at night because you are horizontal, not vertical. When flat, or flatter, the heart doesn't have to work as hard to get blood to the vital organs and brain and can be more efficient at just getting blood around to peripheral circulation. There is a better circulation to limbs giving nutrients and energy to tissue and muscle. This increased/better circulation to peripheries gives these bits more energy as it were, and they tingle and hurt more as their blood supply is increased. Same thing happens post surgery but patients tend to be lying down already.
That's what I was taught to tell my patients anyway... might be a crock of ***** though. Dunno :)

I actuallY find, I have more pain, discomfort and struggle, upon arising in the morning. It takes me forever to get all the kinks out, before I can get up..:mad:

Did I mention, how much I hate this rancid disease?