How Better Sleep Can Help You Manage Your Pain

Quality of sleep and the pain you experience go hand in hand. Whether you have chronic pain or just “slept in a funny position” you’ve experienced stiffness or soreness in the morning. Aches and pains can keep you from sleeping well or cause you to wake up during night. If that describes your situation, you’re not alone. Chronic pain interrupts the sleep of 20% of Americans multiple times per week.¹ It’s a vicious spiral that can reduce your quality of life. Equally as important, quality sleep allows your body to recuperate and gives you the mental energy to face your day fully.

A 2013 study found that poor sleep is a RELIABLE predictor for the worsening of existing pain or development of new pain. It goes on to say that poor sleep likely interferes with your body’s natural pain management processes.²

You might be surprised to learn that poor sleep can actually cause you to feel more pain than you would otherwise and quality sleep can reduce your sensitivity to pain.² Research has found that pain intensity can be greatly affected by the number of hours you slept the night before.³ Armed with this information you can see how important it is to manage your pain during the day and get the best sleep possible at night. With a healthy sleep routine, you may even be able to reduce the amount of pain medication need to take.

Your healthy sleep routine needs to be built on good sleep habits. We know that it takes about three weeks for a habit to become ingrained. Pick a few things from this list and dedicate yourself to making the changes for 21 days. You have to give yourself a chance to succeed. If after 21 days you think the routine is working, it will be that much easier to continue because you’ve already built the habits.

How to Fall Asleep

How To Sanitize Furniture, Bedding, And Laundry At Home

In the last post I wrote about keeping your mind healthy during quarantine. This time we’ll look at ways to clean and sanitize the soft goods in your home, including memory foam. Covid-19 cases are on the rise again. We don’t know what the infection rates will look like when flu season hits or what kind of health risks we might face in the future. The tips and techniques in this post will help you to minimize the exposure risk. The good news is that there are many simple and inexpensive things you can do to sanitize your home.

Laundry

Regular laundry makes up the lion’s share of weekly cleaning. And it’s a real possibility that we haven’t seen the worst when it comes to Covid-19 infections. It’s vital that we know how to disinfect our clothes at home. High temperatures and bleach are your best bets. For delicate items I’ll list some alternative methods.

Four Ways to Keep Yourself Healthy and Happy During Quarantine

This post is a little different from most of our posts, but I’ve been wanting to send out something like this for weeks. All of us at Ka Ua hope you’re well and I hope these tips help even if only in small ways.

2020 has been a year of upheaval, unrest, and disruption. The issues we are dealing with will shape our world for decades to come. With all of the external factors creating chaos in our lives it is even more important that we make the time and spend the effort build our personal resilience. This short list of ideas and practices should help you to cope with your currents challenges and can serve you well into the future.

How To Stay Comfortable On Long Trips

We just got back from a family trip, and as most vacations go there were long hours in the car and airplane as well as lots of walking, climbing stairs, and lugging bags around. Unfortunately, all of the adults had some sort of aches and pains to deal with over the course of the vacation. Crazy right? But can you relate?

I put together a list of quick tips that might help on your next trip. We did all of these over that last couple of weeks.

Image: https://www.prevention.com/fitness/workout-clothes-gear/a19633752/cheap-sneakers-women/

Frequent Pit Stops

Long drives can be a killer for tight muscles and joints. Try to plan your route with convenient stops along the way. Get going early and stop for lunch along the way. Maybe look for a scenic lookout or other landmark where you can spend a few minutes stretching your legs and getting your circulation going. I know it makes for longer travel time, but wouldn’t you rather arrive more comfortably. On one leg of the trip we broke up 6-hour drive into two drives and slept over in between. The drive may not have been fast, but it sure was a lot more pleasant.

Be Careful with Luggage

Summer Time Blues And “Alternative” Neck Pain Management

Hello, hello! I’m sorry we’ve been so quiet lately. We had a number of production delays and other fires to put out, but we’re still working hard to get the original 4 inch pillow in-stock as soon as possible. The new ship dates should be around the end of October. There will still be plenty of time to order for the Holidays.

Changing gears…

Photo credit: Yogajournal.com

Have you ever heard of or tried mindfulness meditation? If you’re starting to tune out, stay with for just a couple of minutes. I just saw an article on YogaJournal.com about meditation as a support for neck pain relief. The gist of the article is that most neck pain is caused by some sort of tension or stress. Mediation is a proven stress relief method. In fact, meditation is so well documented that it is recommended stress relief method in the Dr. Dean Ornish Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. The Ornish Program is a lifestyle change program that is proven to manage and some times reverse (yes, reverse) heart disease symptoms. Also, the Ornish Program is a paid benefit through Medicare, so it’s not some pseudo-science treatment, it has a track record of real results.

Five Simple Exercises For Healthier Ankles

Injury While Hiking

I may have mentioned my ankle injury before. In March I went on a backpacking trip to Kaaha (kah-ah-hah) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Most of the group went out early on Friday, but because I was working I had to head out in the early evening. It’s a 4 mile hike that takes 3-4 hours in daylight. I’ve never hiked this particular trail before so, of course, I took the wrong trail at the trailhead. Not a great start.

By the time I figured out that I was heading the wrong way it was getting dark. I had my headlamp and there aren’t any large animals to worry about, so I figured I would hike down in the dark. I was able to call the rest of the group on a weak cell phone signal so they knew my situation. Although it’s just 4 miles, the elevation change is about 2000 feet and most of that is in the first 2 miles on loose gravel. I think you can see where this is going…

Improve Your Neck Pain In A Few Minutes (A Day)

I mentioned in my the last email that my lower back feels much better if I do some light stretching every day. I’m a big believer low intensity maintenance. Not only can stretching improve blood flow, but it does some strengthening work for those muscles. I found this great info-graphic with super easy stretches you can do while sitting at your desk, on the couch, or even at the park.

Goodbye Sleeplessness, Hello Slumber

Tips and tricks for falling asleep and staying asleep when you can’t seem to wind down.

Nearly every adult has an occasional sleepless night. However, if you’re one of the millions of Americans who experience more disturbances than dreams, take heart, there are ways to promote healthy sleep without resorting to potentially-addictive sleeping pills.

Your sleep schedule

Dr. Michael J. Breus, better known as “The Sleep Doctor,” stresses that the most important thing you can do to improve your overall sleep quality is stick to a schedule. According to the clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, following the clock will reset your internal rhythm.

Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night – children may require 10 hours or more. The best way to create a healthy schedule is to plan for five 90-minute REM cycles each night. This equates to about 7 ½ hours. If your job or school day requires waking at 6:30 AM, plan to be in bed by 11 PM. The length of time you sleep is important since the most restorative sleep occurs in the hours just before waking.

Children’s bedtime schedules should include a winding down routine. This should be comprised of actions, such as putting on pajamas and brushing teeth. Having a predictable pattern of events leading up to bedtime will make it easier for children to transition from day to night.

Out Of Stock – Weʻre Sorry

Hello, everyone. I am sorry to have to post this, but we are out of stock. Have no fear, we do have a timeline to get a shipment. We should have new pillows available in the middle of September. Donʻt forget to sign up for the email list so we can notify you when they are back in stock. You know what? Because you have to wait, I will send out a 20% coupon code to the email list once we are back in stock. Tell your friends and family to sign up so they can get the coupon.

I didnʻt write to you “empty handed.” I found this short article on Self.com with some pretty easy neck stretches. It makes a world of difference for me when I stretch regularly. Of course, if you arenʻt sure, ask you doctor if these stretches are appropriate.

I like the first few because we have all been doing them for years. The article just spells outs “how” you should be doing it.

Hereʻs the first one:

Back In Stock – Limited Time

It’s been a crazy few weeks. I was on vacation (in Japan!) and we ran out of stock. There’s only so much I can do if I’m away from the office and running around from morning till night. We saw some incredible stuff, hung out in Akihabara, rode the bullet train, and of course ate a lot of amazing food. One highlight was the Kobe Beef at Yakiniku M Hozenjiyokocho . Oh. my. goodness. The premium platter was an assortment of intoxicatingly delicious cuts. But there was work to do, so we’re back.

Beef Sushi. Melt in your mouth tender. Surprisingly palatable for just about everyone. And the presentation gets an A+.

Streets of Akihabara. Not my photo, but I wanted to show you what it looks like.

Sleeping With Lower Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Shoulder Pain

How to Fall Asleep

Injury While Hiking