Taking Pain Meds in the Morning, Aids Sleeping at Night

Chronic pain syndromes, such as arthritis, have a long term history of causing sleep disturbances.

The usual treatment has been to use medications and other alternative therapies at least 3-4 hours prior to the desired sleep time.

Now a new study indicates that taking long acting opiates in the morning, increases the total amount slept during the night by one hour, and reduces the time getting to deep sleep from 2 to 1 hours.

Ironically, the same long acting opiate when given prior to bed time increases sleep disturbances.

Prescribing physicians need to be aware of these findings to provide more effective treatment for their chronic pain patients who are having sleep problems.