No matter if you are suffering from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or gout, you may notice that it seems like you knees tend to feel more painful the minute that you hop into bed.
If you like to know the reason behind such phenomenon, keep on reading — below you will come across some of the most common causes of nighttime knee pain.
Also, below you will find some of the most effective home remedies for knee pain at night that can help you attain much-needed 7 to 9 hours of sleep that’s uninterrupted and restorative.
Let’s first check out some of common causes of knee pain at nighttime:
Absence of Distractions
During the day, your mind is preoccupied with all sorts of things. When the sun goes down, on the other hand, there are not a lot of activities and tasks available for you to get busy with.
It’s for this reason exactly why it is very much likely for you to notice your knee pain — the more you focus on it, the more intense the pain seems to get.
Stress and Fatigue
Especially after an exhausting day, the levels of stress hormones in your bloodstream are elevated. Numerous scientific investigations show that pain perception tends to increase when there are lots of stress hormones around.
Health authorities recommend those who are experiencing knee pain to get enough physical activity. However, it is a completely different story if too much physical activity is obtained as it can exacerbate the symptoms.
Reduced Physical Activity
As the day ends, it’s very much likely for you to engage in less and less physical activities. The moment that you hit the hay, your knee joint gets very little to no movement as you wait to get to dreamland.
Because of lack of movement, there is a possibility for your knees to wind up stiff — attempting to move it can certainly leave you experiencing some discomfort or pain.
Lowered Breathing Rate
Having very little to no physical activity can cause your breathing rate to drop, and this is something that can lead to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream.
According to scientists, having more carbon dioxide than oxygen in the body can cause the blood vessels to dilate or widen, and this can increase pressure in the knee. Needless to say, such can lead to intensification of pain.
Now let’s check out some of the best home remedies for knee pain at night:
Elevate
The goal is to reduce circulation to the knees in order to minimize swelling, stiffness and pain. Such can be done by placing your feet on a couple of pillows to take your knees higher than the heart level.
Warm or Cold Compress
Nothing can make pain and stiffness go away more effectively than applying warm compress on the affected knee. If you can notice some swelling, it’s a much better idea to opt for cold compress as heat can aggravate inflammation.
Relaxing Bath
Especially if you’re feeling stressed, it is a wonderful idea for you to have a soothing bath before hitting the sack in order to lower your stress levels.
Guided Meditation
One of the best ways to have your stress levels lowered considerably is to meditate. If you’re someone who is new to the world of meditating or you tend to get easily distracted, consider doing guided meditation in which you will be instructed by an expert on the steps to take.
Turmeric Tea
Experts say that there are a couple of reasons why a cup of turmeric tea at night is good. First, it can help reduce knee pain as it’s packed with anti-inflammatory compounds. Second, turmeric tea can help promote a good night’s sleep.
