Pain is a complex topic that can have many causes and symptoms. Hip and lower back pain may be caused by sacroiliac joint pain that can be caused by an injury or a twisting motion. Morning muscle stiffness commonly afflicts those with arthritis or fibromyalgia. Muscle stiffness in knees may be due to tendinitis, a sprain, or conditions such as arthritis. In each of these cases, quality sleep can be a key element in pain management and pain relief.

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep impacts body chemistry in many ways and more are being discovered every day. According to the National Sleep Foundation, inadequate sleep has been shown to cause a decreased ability to control fat in proportion to muscle, increased craving for carbohydrates, decreased blood glucose processing, decreased immune system response, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke, among other problems. Sleep deprivation and the body's ability to heal itself are extremely closely related.

Several of these problems can contribute to a decreased ability to manage pain and disease and an increased level of stress, which then contributes to poor quality sleep, creating a vicious circle. So how do we break this circle? Two factors that can help are a reduction in overall stress and an increase in quality of sleep.

The Effects of Stress on the Body

Your body naturally produces a useful short-term stress hormone called Cortisol that promotes wakefulness and alertness, both of which are great in a world where you're hunting for food or running from a lion, but not so helpful when you need to relax and sleep. It's also not designed for long-term day-after-day use, and as most of us know when you're having a hard time making bill payments, dealing with a work environment, trying to relate to a rebellious teen, or experiencing chronic pain, you're usually talking about day-after-day events. In all of these cases heightened and prolonged levels of cortisol can be produced.

Too much cortisol and the immune system becomes weakened, the body begins to gain abdominal fat, and it's hard to get to sleep. So stress and relaxation management should go hand in hand.

Many people use physical activity to reduce stress. In cases where acute pain exists it may prove beneficial to engage in activities such as yoga, tai chi, cycling, or swimming to relax, strengthen the body, and build the immune system. Exercise has also been proven to be a necessity for long-term health and pain management.

These exercises can be particularly productive when followed by a short period of rest, such as a short nap or reclining to read a book. This gives your body a chance to rest and heal.

Other methods that can reduce stress are meditation, massage, engaging in a relaxing hobby, reading a book, or taking a walk. Sometimes stress reduction can be as simple as closing your eyes, relaxing your mind, and taking several deep breaths.

Gaining Quality Sleep

There are several things that you can do to improve your sleep quality. Here are a few tips:

• Take a short nap in the afternoon
• Stop drinking caffeine
• Eliminate alcohol in the evening
• Consider pain medications under a physician's supervision
• Use relaxation techniques before bed
• Reduce your stress
• Use quality bedding to reduce physical discomfort and gain pain relief.

Spine Health suggests using a quality pillow can provide support as well as pillows under the knees or between the knees if you sleep on your side, and a high quality mattress that provides support. Cuddle Ewe^TM can help by providing you with safe, comfortable bedding that helps stabilize body temperature and distributes weight away from pressure points. Click on any of these links to learn more:

• Wool-Filled Mattress Toppers
• Flannelettes
• Personal Wool Comforters
• Luxury Comforters
• Natural Wool Pillows

What are some of the types of pain that can benefit from experiencing quality sleep?

• Morning muscle stiffness such as muscle stiffness in knees often accompanies arthritis and fibromyalgia, but can also be caused from a variety of injuries or activities. Keeping warm and comfortable at night can help greatly. Gentle exercises in bed before rising may help. Consult your physician for severe conditions.
• Sacroiliac joint pain occurs in the lower back on one side or the other which may radiate out. Sometimes confused with sciatica. Also manifests as stiffness in the back after sleeping or sitting for long periods of time. Sometimes, particularly when the body is hyper-mobile due to frequent adjustments and poor muscle tone, the pelvis can shift due to movements made during sleep due to pain or discomfort. Proper support, comfort, and temperature control are important when sleeping.
• Several problem areas including the sacroiliac pain mentioned above may cause hip and lower pack pain. Other causes may be sciatica, disk problems, strains or tears, scoliosis, muscle spasms. Keeping warm and comfortable while sleeping are important, as is proper support.
• Upper back pain may be caused by misalignment of vertebra or rib joints. One possible source of problems is due to elevated arm positions when controlling a computer mouse. Temperature control and proper support are important when sleeping.

Always consult a licensed physician when experiencing problems with pain, before undertaking a treatment regimen.

Cuddle Ewe^TM is here to support your pain management sleep regimen by providing high quality bedding products that can help alleviate pain and deliver a good night's rest. Please visit our products pages to learn more and to order online, or feel free to call us at 1-800-290-9199 to learn more about how Cuddle Ewe^TM products can help you achieve a good night's rest.

Hot Pain Relief Topics

• Arthritis Pain Relief - natural arthritis remedy, alternative treatments for arthritis pain relief, rheumatoid arthritis pain relief, arthritis pain relief, holistic arthritis treatment
• Help For Fibromyalgia Pain - fibromyalgia with ra, fibromyalgia back itch, exercises to help fibromyalgia, fibermyalgia, fibromylagia, lyrica
• All Wool Mattress Toppers - all wool mattress toppers, wool filled mattress toppers, wool toppers for mattresses, 3 inch pure wool topper