Sleeping with hemorrhoids can be uncomfortable and unpleasant, making your sleep fitful and disturbed.
Indeed, it’s possible hemorrhoids will keep you awake at night but, given the importance of sleeping to rejuvenate and heal your body after a long, tiring day, it’s essential that you learn how sleeping with hemorrhoids can be attended to and the pain and discomfort mitigated.
Some background
Hemorrhoids are an increasingly common ailment that tends to affect people as they age. Indeed, they are most prevalent amongst adults between the ages of 45-65 years old. Estimates suggest that around 5% of all seniors suffer from hemorrhoids at one time or another.
The primary cause of hemorrhoids is constipation or difficulty in completely evacuating the bowel during motions. This occurs on an increasingly common basis as people age and is due to straining whilst on the toilet, which, in turn, puts pressure on the veins in the rectal area, causing such veins to enlarge. Heredity and genetics are also risk factors on whether one would develop hemorrhoids, as can obesity and diseases of the liver.
But why do people with hemorrhoids experience more pain by the end of the day?
Most patients suffering from hemorrhoids endure severe pain in the early evening or, possibly, around the time when they are heading for bed. One primary reason for this is because, during the day, the anal region is subject to pressure as people move around, walking, exercising and so on, following their usual activities. As a result, late in the day or early evening, the skin and area around the anus will become painful.
Not only this, but the body’s hormonal anti-inflammatory levels (i.e. hormones such as cortisol) are at their lowest at night, leaving resistance to inflammation relatively weak. Therefore, it’s important to stay comfortable during the day in order to sleep well at night.
Take steps during the day
It is wise to follow certain practices during the day to help alleviate the discomfort and pain of hemorrhoids at night.
Some of the best practices include:
- Drinking water throughout the day and making sure you stay hydrated;
- Do not wear tight-fitting clothes, which can aggravate the irritation caused by hemorrhoids;
- Do not move or walk too much in ways that can be overly strenuous or cause strain to the anal region, including intense workouts; this will irritate the skin around the hemorrhoids due to sweating. However, routine exercise is fine;
- Do not lift any heavy weights which might make you strain your lower regions;
- Keep track of what you are eating and take enough soluble and insoluble fibre. Avoid overly spicy food, especially within a few hours of going to bed. Spicy and oily foods might make you want to frequently visit the toilet, which is, clearly, not good for your hemorrhoids;
- If possible, sit in bathwater at least four times during the day to help soothe and relax the affected areas;
- Do not scratch or touch the hemorrhoids as this will cause irritation and more discomfort and pain.
How You Sleep When You Have Hemorrhoids
The way you sleep when you have hemorrhoids is critical, as this addresses not only the ailment itself but also the symptoms. The sleeping posture and behaviours one adheres to whilst you have the condition can either mitigate or aggravate it.
In short, whenever you sleep, maintain a position that does not exert any pressure on your anal area. In any event, here are some great specific tips to follow when sleeping with hemorrhoids:
- Sleep on a soft mattress as sleeping on a hard one will only serve to exacerbate the condition;
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes when sleeping. As with clothes worn during the day, sleeping in tight-fitting clothes may irritate the hemorrhoids and surrounding skin. If possible, sleep without underwear in order to give your anal area space to breathe and heal and allow it to recover;
- Ask a doctor to prescribe stool softener temporarily. If hemorrhoid sufferers can spend time straining and sitting on the toilet, this will, obviously, relieve pressure on the inner and outer veins of the lower rectum;
- When sleeping with hemorrhoids, ensure to stay in a position so as not to strain your anal region. You can also insert a soft pillow beneath your knees as this will relieve the pressure in your anal canal and help in reducing a load of your abdominal weight on your pelvic area.
Some people say that sleeping on your side is less likely to put any kind of pressure on your back and will help, whilst others say sleeping on your back is better as the muscles of the anal and rectal zone support the rectum (an internal structure) and the anus. Others maintain that sleeping on your front, whilst not good for your back, is not a bad thing even if you have hemorrhoids.
So, you have to find a sleeping position that is the most comfortable for you when you are experiencing hemorrhoids in order to reduce the discomfort and any pain at night as best you can.
NA Hemorrhoids Clinic Can Help
To avoid being kept awake or having a fitful sleep due to constant pain in the anal region, it is recommended that people suffering from hemorrhoids should immediately consult a specialist to understand the condition and find out what treatment will be best for them.
You can arrange for an initial consultation with NA Hemorrhoids Clinic, which has been in business for over 15 years, to see if they can help relieve the discomfort and distress which the condition can bring.
Amongst other things, the Clinic uses widely acclaimed traditional Chinese medicine methods, including a herbal ointment called “Ba Zhi San”, combined with modern naturopathic methods to effectively treat hemorrhoids.
So, why not contact us now and let us help you get over the problems associated with hemorrhoids?
