Pain medications
When pain wakes you in the night it is hard to get back to sleep. By the time you take something for pain and wait for it to work, you may be up for the night. If you are having ongoing pain, and you aren’t sure what is causing it, make an appointment to find out. Anything from arthritis to gall bladder problems could be the culprit. Once you know what is causing the pain, talk to your medical provider about the best way to manage it. There may be ways to minimize your pain by taking long acting medications before you go to bed. If you are taking over-the-counter medications more than once a week, talk about your pain with your doctor. Non-prescription pain medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, and aspirin taken properly may be all you need. But if your pain is ongoing, and especially if it is worsening, it’s important to understand what is causing it.
A word about alcohol
It is tempting to use alcohol to relax and feel sleepy, especially after a hard day. But using alcohol at bedtime will actually erode the quality of your sleep. It can also lead to a tolerance, requiring more and more to achieve the same effect. And used with any other sleep medications and it will intensify the actions of those medications, in some cases even fatally. Steer clear of alcohol for sleep. It causes more problems than it solves.Remember these points if you want to treat your insomnia successfully:
- If you are on any regular medication, check first to see whether sleep disturbance is a side effect. If it is, talk to your doctor about other choices.
- Treat any underlying causes of your sleep problems. If you are anxious or depressed, or if you have ongoing pain, there may be ways to treat these problems that will eliminate your sleep troubles.
- Use medications as a last resort, after you have tried other methods for dealing with your sleeplessness.
No doubt about it, you need your sleep. Menopause offers enough challenges all by itself, and insomnia can make it seem impossible to manage. Find the best way to get to sleep and stay asleep so you will have the energy to meet your day, every day.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health,
“NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Statement on Management of Menopause-Related Symptoms”, NIH Consensus and State-of-the-Science Statements, Volume 22, Number 1, March 21–23, 2005. Retrieved 28 January, 2008.
National Institutes of Health, “NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Statement on Manifestations and Management of Chronic Insomnia in Adults,” NIH Consensus and State-of-the-Science Statements, Volume 22, Number 2, June 13–15, 2005
Pagel, J.F., Bennett, L.P.,“Medications for the Treatment of Sleep Disorders: An Overview,” Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry, 2001; 3(3): 118–125. 28 Retrieved 28 January, 2008.
