Sleep Disturbances and Neuropathy
Did you know that if you have neuropathy or nerve damage, you tend to experience heightened nerve pain at night?1 It is because you have fewer distractions2 to keep your mind off the pain. It can also be because of the cooler temperature hindering proper blood circulation3 to the parts of your body where nerves are most sensitive.
More than that, neuropathic pain associated with sleep disturbances4 can result in poor sleep quality. This type of pain hinders you from getting a well-deserved good night’s sleep! Eventually, it also leads to increased pain sensitivity5. As this progresses, it is likely that you may be undergoing a cycle of sleep deprivation and low pain threshold.
Read the following potential disorders6 commonly associated with sleep disturbances and neuropathy:
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)7
PLMD is considered a disorder if your insomnia cannot be explained by other reasons aside from the repetitive and uncontrollable movement of your legs and arms during your sleep. PLMD’s exact cause is still undetermined, but it shares underlying factors with Restless Leg Syndrome (RSL) like nerve problems.
Restless Leg Syndrome8
RLS is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncomfortable feeling of itching, prickling, pulling, or crawling in your legs. These sensations cause the overwhelming urge to move your legs even when your body is at rest. In most cases, RSL’s cause is unknown, just like PLMD. Do take note that severe symptoms are mostly experienced by older adults and are usually associated with medical conditions like neuropathy. In general, symptoms tend to worsen when your body is inactive. For instance, you might have the urge to move your legs even when you’re just lying down. You can even be so restless that you are compelled to get out of bed to pace and stretch, just to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. Overall, this disorder makes it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep at night.
As we mentioned, chronic nerve pain and sleep deprivation can be a cycle. As such, treating either nerve pain or poor sleep quality can help. The former can improve sleep quality while the latter can reduce pain9.
It’s important to talk to your doctor sooner rather than later to get the proper treatment. As the saying goes, “Better safe than sorry.” Most of the time, many individuals delay seeing their doctors such that they might already be experiencing permanent nerve damage10, which could have been avoided had it been checked earlier.
While waiting to schedule an appointment, make caring for your nerve health a part of your daily routine. Try Vitamins B1 + B6 + B12 (Supraneuron®) with proper diet and exercise! It has an high dose of B complex vitamins for nerve health including: Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12. Alongside proper diet and exercise, these B vitamins help in the maintenance of proper nervous system functions like promoting nerve repair, acceleration of nerve tissue regeneration, and recovery of nerve function. They also help in addressing symptoms of nerve aging such as numbness, tingling, and sharp pains.
Remember, Vitamins B1 + B6 + B12 (Supraneuron®) is NOT a direct treatment to insomnia or any of the sleep disorders mentioned above. It is to be taken to help with your nerve health care to reduce the pain you experience throughout your day. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
References
- How to stop the cycle of nerve pain and sleeplessness, in https://lluh.org/services
- Neuropathic Pain and Sleep: A Review, in https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Insomnia and Older Adults, in https://www.sleepfoundation.org
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, in https://myhealth.alberta.ca
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RSL), in https://www.sleepfoundation.org
- Neuropathy & Sleep, in https://neuropathycommons.org
- Why is Neuropathy Worse at Night?, in https://health.clevelandclinic.org
- Geller M, Oliveira L, Nigri R, Mezitis SG, Ribeiro MG, et al. (2017) B Vitamins for Neuropathy and Neuropathic Pain. Vitam Miner 6:161. doi: 10.4172/2376-1318.1000161
ASC Ref Code B109P101422SS