COPD and sleep

COPD brings with it many factors that can make it difficult to get a good night's sleep. These include having to sleep sitting up or taking medications that "rev you up" or cause you to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Emotional changes such as depression and anxiety can also impair sleep. Medications can be prescribed to induce sleepiness, but there are steps you can take to get a better night's sleep without relying on a drug.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control Best Hospitals for Respiratory Disorders Learn more about asthma in our online guide COPD-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

• Try to do only two things in bed--sleep and make love. If you are having difficulty sleeping, do not watch television in bed, read, or just lie awake watching the clock. After 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing like reading a magazine, watching old sitcoms (but not in the bedroom), or looking out the window. When the "edge" starts to come off, return to bed, and if you are not asleep in 20 minutes, get back up. This time, think of a low-energy chore you have wanted to do (such as putting photos in an album or cleaning out the "junk drawer), and do it. You may not have gotten a full night's sleep, but you will have accomplished something. And the next night, your body should be more tired and ready for sleep.
• Avoid napping. If you don't nap, you're more likely to be tired enough at bedtime to fall asleep.
• Try to get approximately 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week. This can be as simple as going for a walk.
• Don't do anything too stimulating in the two hours before you go to bed. During this time, try to avoid exercising, arguing with someone, working, etc.
• Don't go to bed hungry, but also don't eat a big meal or a lot of carbohydrates just before going to bed. Instead, have a small, high-protein snack such as cheese and crackers, a glass of milk, or some nuts.
• Keep your sleep environment conducive to sleep--cool, dark, and quiet.
• Don't drink caffeinated beverages after 5 p.m.
• Try to keep regular bedtime and wake-up times.

If you snore, you may have a condition called obstructive sleep apnea. With this condition, the quality of sleep is poor, and oxygen levels may fall to dangerous levels. This is especially risky for people with lung disease such as COPD. If you awaken tired after a full night's sleep, tend to fall asleep during the day (especially while driving), or lack energy, you may have this condition. Check with your doctor, who may arrange for a sleep study in a nearby sleep laboratory.