Midnight Shenanigans with Psoriatic Arthritis

Sleep, how I miss you. We used to be such good friends. When you left in the mornings, I would feel refreshed like having a good cup of coffee with a friend that is good for the soul.

These days I am left feeling tired and grumpy and always wanting more.

How does sleep affect psoriatic arthritis?

Fatigue is probably one of the hardest symptoms of psoriatic arthritis to control. It can often leave you feeling as if you are fighting a losing battle. No matter how often you sleep, or for how long, you wake up tired. This is if you manage a few decent hours anyway.

Sleep evades me for many reasons, be it sore skin, sore joints, or just general insomnia. When this happens I have found ways to cope.

How to cope with lack of sleep with psoriatic arthritis

Legs feel like lead weights, your arms too tired to tie your hair in a messy bun so your mind matches the feeling. By forgetting the grocery list and anything else you may have deemed important. If you sit still just long enough, your eyes will fall shut. Begging you to turn down the light so that you can rest. How can you find what will work?

Here is a shortlist of no-nos in the middle of the night. While none of these will cure your fatigue or your sleeplessness, they have proven helpful in my life by not making things harder than they need to be.

Say yes to sleep. Say no to snacking

Do not eat in the middle of the night if you are awake. All that snacking does is teach your body bad habits and boy, will it learn quickly. Soon enough, your body will wake you to eat, as if you need another reason to wake up.

I adore herbal teas but half a cup is enough. Goodness knows you will be needing a bathroom break in the night too. Try and stay away from caffeinated drinks, as that only makes the rest harder to attain.

No screen time means more restful sleep

There is a reason people say screens are bad when you are trying to sleep. My personal reason is that I will get stuck and watch all night till sunrise. Reading is a much better choice for me, as the chance of me falling asleep is much higher.

Writing also helps, in a journal or a letter, whichever you prefer. Being a lover of snail mail means I enjoy handwritten letters and postcards. No better time than the middle of the night to get this done.

Repeat your sleep routine

Whatever your bedtime routine is, if you find yourself awake in the middle of the night, go through the motions. Repeat your routine and trick your body into thinking that bedtime has once again arrived to take you away to slumberland.

Get up and move

There is nothing worse for me than tossing and turning. Though you may not want to, get up, make your bed so when you come back later, it is clean and fresh and ready. Generally changing your location helps too. Shift to the lounge or breathe some fresh air. Read your book and when you are ready you can make your way back and try again.

Sleep tight!