Experts Share 4 Ways To Help Stop Achy Muscle And Joints  From Ruining Your Sleep Tonight

62% of Brits admit to having sleepless nights because of muscle and joint pain. Here’s how to rest easy…

Most of us will have experienced a poor night’s sleep, or a period of bad sleep, at some point or other, and it’s likely you might be familiar with the groggy, tired feelings that can follow a lack of decent rest. But what’s causing poor sleep? 

One big reason behind the nation’s sleepless nights is pain. That’s according to research by the topical muscle and joint pain specialists – Deep Relief – www.deep-relief.co.uk – who have found that 62% of Brits have endured poor sleep thanks to muscle and joint pain.

But with the clocks going back at the end of October and potentially more time spent in bed, it’s important to shift these sleep struggles and get sleep back on track. 

Deep Relief expert hub member and pharmacist, Mark Burdon says: “A lack of sleep doesn’t just leave us sleepy the next day. Sleep is vital for overall good health – for both mind and body – which is why the NHS recommends that all adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep every single night. It’s National Self-Care Week from November 18 so there’s no better time to make sleep a priority.”

GP and Deep Relief expert hub member, Dr Gill Jenkins adds: “The problem we face is that good quality sleep can help to heal pain but muscle and joint pain is clearly the reason behind so many people’s bad sleep. It’s a catch 22. Research actually shows that sleep deprivation can alter the nerve signals in the brain and reduce the pain threshold. And, a lack of sleep has been shown to also hinder emotional and cognitive abilities, making it harder to cope with pain.”

The pain that Brits are experiencing is varied, however the majority (57%) say they suffer from back pain according to the Deep Relief real-world research poll. Muscle pain in particular, felt by 51% of Brits is also a burden with 56% saying they suffer from lower back pain, 46% are dealing with leg pain and 34% say they suffer from shoulder pain. As for joint pain, 41% say they feel it in their knees, 34% feel it in their back and 26% feel joint pain in their shoulders. 

But what’s causing this pain? According to the Deep Relief real-world research, 33% feel joint pain due to a sports injury, 32% experience joint inflammation because of walking and 26% feel it due to gardening. 

A high 79% of people get twangs of pain which they ignore and 29% say they do this because it is part of ageing.

Physiotherapist, sleep expert and a Deep Relief expert hub member, Sammy Margo explains: “Pain doesn’t need to be a natural part of ageing, especially when it disrupts sleep, a pivotal part of good health. A staggeringly high 92% of Deep Relief respondents believe there should be more understanding of joint and muscle pain and the same number rightly feel that muscle and joint pain leads to other sorts of pain. So, we need to sort out the pains we’re feeling and get the nation feeling good again.”

Many Brits are also hiding their pain, as 75% of people try to mask the muscle or joint pain they’re experiencing and 31 percent do so because they believe this makes the pain less severe.

A high 72% also try to hide the emotional pain which is associated with joint or muscle pain and 31% do this as they do not wish others to see how much the pain is affecting them. A quarter of Brits (25%) also say they feel embarrassed.

Mark Burdon adds: “Ignoring the pain could just make it worse, in turn, ruining sleep even more. So, it’s crucial we find ways to deal with the pain and help to make bedtime more comfortable.”

4 Expert Tips For A Good Night’s Sleep

Rather than letting pain disrupt your sleep, it’s time to take action and make sleep a priority, for the sake of your overall health and wellbeing. 

#1. Sort your sleep position.  Physiotherapist Sammy Margo explains: “Finding a position that’s comfortable can help to avoid pain from disrupting sleep and it can stop you from developing pain in the first place.”

Sammy Margo adds: “If you’re a side sleeper, place a pillow between your knees to align your spine and hips. If you sleep on your back – which is the best position to try and sleep- pop a pillow underneath your knees, to take pressure off joints.”

If you can, avoid sleeping on your front as this can lead to neck pain from turning your head to the side as you sleep. 

#2. Use Deep Relief. Sammy Margo recommends the Deep Relief range as a good place to start to ease achy muscles and joints, as each product provides a simple step to ease aches. 

Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel offers penetrating, fast-cooling targeted pain relief which starts working in 10 minutes.¹ “It’s ideal for those who need powerful pain and inflammation relief for the back, muscles, or rheumatism,” says Mark Burden. Deep Relief Joint Pain Gel  also offers effective relief of pain associated with non-serious arthritic conditions as well as muscular aches, pains, and swellings such as strains, sprains, and sport injuries, plus back pain. Both the Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel and Deep Relief Joint Pain Gel contain two painkilling ingredients – Ibuprofen and Levomenthol with a triple action. 

Mark Burden adds: “Ibuprofen is an effective, evidence backed Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), which works on reducing pain and inflammation. Meanwhile, levomenthol works on the nerve endings in the skin, giving a soothing, cooling effect, while its counter-irritant activity stimulates the nerves that perceive cold and inhibits those that perceive pain. All combined in an aqueous gel, which adds to the soothing and cooling effect. The Deep Relief gel formulation penetrates through the skin rapidly, achieving high, therapeutically relevant local concentrations in underlying soft tissues, muscles, and joints.”

#3. Wear Deep Relief Actiflex Patch at night.  There is a way to help ease achy joints throughout the entire night.

Sammy Margo adds: “I love  Deep Relief Actiflex Patch as it’s a non-medicated, easy to use, cooling, soothing patch designed to get you through day or night. It’s perfect to wear under clothing or while sleeping, for up to 12 hours and offers a flexible fit for shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles.

#4. Make sure you move. You may think that when you’re suffering from pain, the best thing to do is stay still during the day. However, Sammy Margo says this couldn’t be further from the truth.  “Include a range of different types of movement throughout the day, such as swimming, walking, squats, and stretching to help maintain a good range of motion and joint flexibility. Be sure to always warm up first to help avoid further pain. If you’re a desk worker or you spend a lot of time driving, then you should aim to take regular breaks where you can to stand up and stretch out and move.” 

Ultimately, pain doesn’t need to be the sleep saboteur that it so clearly is. Sammy Margo in summary explains: “We can all experience a good night’s sleep, we just need to put the correct steps in place to ensure our muscles and joints aren’t keeping us awake at night so we can get the healing sleep we need. I highly recommend the Deep Relief products as they offer fast-acting, targeted relief so Brits can sleep easy.”

Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash