How to Stop Gout Pain at Night and Sleep Better

From verywellhealth.com

Gout is a form of arthritis that can affect nearly any joint in the body. Symptoms can come about suddenly and intensely. While gout attacks can occur at any time of day, many people are affected in the middle of the night or during the early morning hours. Symptoms can be so severe at times that they contribute to poor sleep.

This article will focus on the hypotheses on night-time gout attacks and the ways to combat them.

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Gout and Night-time Pain: What’s the Link?

The exact link between gout and night-time pain remains unclear, but it's common. One study found that the risk of having a gout attack between midnight and 8 a.m. was 2.4 times higher than during daytime hours.

Hypotheses for why these flare-ups may be more common at night include:

• Decreased hydration during the night
• Decreased body temperature
• Decreased cortisol (stress hormone) levels

However, more research needs to be done to confirm these hypotheses.

A gout is an inflammatory form of arthritis caused by an increase in uric acid (hyperuricemia) in or around joint spaces.

Hyperuricemia develops either by overproduction of uric acid that is, the body is making too much or getting too much through food/drink) or under-excretion (not enough is leaving the body through the urine). Risk factors for developing gout include:

• Having obesity
• Having cardiovascular disease
• Having diabetes mellitus
• Being assigned male at birth
• Consuming alcohol
• Eating a diet rich in seafood or meat

How to Relieve Gout Pain and Flares Before Sleep

Gout flares are often associated with severe pain, swelling, and redness of the joints. Symptoms can begin suddenly and become very severe. During a gout flare, the following medications may help:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen sodium)
• Colchicine
• Corticosteroids

These medications can be used to decrease inflammation and the severity of the flare. Cold compresses to the affected joint may also be beneficial.

Making sure to stay hydrated during the day can help to prevent dehydration during the night and decrease the likelihood of a gout flare. Proper daily management of gout will also help decrease the incidence of flare-ups, times when symptom activity increases.

Gout and Sleep Apnoea

Studies have found that people with sleep apnoea also had an increased risk of gout. Further studies are needed to investigate the link between poor sleep, uric acid levels, and gout.

Daily Management for Gout and Better Sleep

The key to proper management of any disease is having the correct diagnosis. Once gout has been confirmed, a healthcare professional can tailor a treatment plan to the individual and their disease activity. Treatment for daily management of gout can include the following:

• Proper hydration
• Eating a low-fat, low-purine diet
• Avoiding alcohol and high-fructose products
• NSAIDs
• Colchicine
• Corticosteroids, particularly during flares
• Urate-lowering medications such as Allopurinol and Febuxostat (Uloric)
• Pegloticase (Krystexxa)

An effective treatment plan can help prevent gout flares in the future and thus decrease the chance of disrupted sleep.

Summary

Gout is a painful, chronic condition that can lead to sleep disturbances if flares occur at night. While research still needs to be done to determine what the exact association is between gout flares and night-time is, there are measures which can be done to help decrease the risk of gout flares in general.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-stop-night-gout-pain-at-night-8610291