I'm just wondering if anyone else has made the association with having a 'regular' bedtime (I know sounds like we are children) and helping to prevent a flare or helping to come out of a flare.

I have noticed if I am so exhausted and hurting by evening (which is every evening) if I can get in bed before the fatigue and pain begin to increase I can help myself a great deal with staying away from a flare or when flaring helping myself out of it. For instance when I have a busy stressful day (and I know for most of us, everyday is that way) if I just give in to the fatigue and go to bed at 9pm or even 8:30pm or whenever, if I am really bad and do this for a couple of days I seem to really help the flare.

I know that is not always possible but if I keep up a pretty regular bedtime schedule of 9 or10pm (that is for me) and don't push myself past that invisable witching hour I seem to do better. Even though if I have to be up later and I sleep later in the morning that doesn't help. It seems that getting in bed (and taking the sleep meds) before the fatigue and pain go beyond a certain point is the magic formula for me to keep on a more even keel.

It is something I have always sort of noticed but with my hubby being ill and these long strenuous days I finally had to give in and tell him I was giving it up early and going to bed and if he was going to need my help it would have to be before 8:30pm or he would have to go to bed at the same time. I just finally came to that point and put 2 and 2 together and realized that is what I always do when flaring I go to bed early, and when I feel the best is when I have been able to maintain a somewhat REGULAR bedtime no matter how stressful or tiring the days have been.

Just wondered if anyone else young or old has noticed this in their search for a way to live with this disease.

Glojer

Hi Glojer,

I've started to notice something similar the past while. Going to bed earlier seems to make for a better day that follows. It was an "accidental discovery."
Even if I get the same number of hours by sleeping in when I go to bed later, I wake up w/more pain & the day goes downhill from there. A little magic about those hours before midnight ??

Honestly, I don't know why I often stay up til 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. I'm usually half-comatose, anyway, trying to stay awake for some inane TV show.

I'll have to try a regular 9:30 pm bedtime & see how I do.

Thanks for the tip!

Thanks elmhar for the input. I agree of course no matter how many hours I sleep, if I stay up later than my magic hour I have more pain and fatigue the next day. It seems to me it has something to do with that time frame when my body starts screaming I've had enough. When the pain and fatigue reach a point of which there is no return.

There are situations of course where I can't just give it up and go to bed. Times with family over or things to be done to help hubby while he is recovering but if I can plan right and get in bed at an earlier regular time it is such a help. I even wake up earlier and feeling better. Very strange!

I know what you mean about the T.V. shows. I learned my lesson when I was working and had to be up at 4am, I can now leave a show at any given point. All it took was a few very tired and sleepy 4am calls and I said to myself "self you are stupid, it is just a tv show."

Glojer