Insomnia

[candi183]

I have not been able to sleep for more than 5 hrs a night for a few yrs now. I also can't sleep on my left side or it causes severe pain in my shoulder. Is there anything I can do to get a normal sleep pattern or about my shoulder?

[hava]

Your left and right nostrils play a very important part during sleep. The body makes you turn in bed, to make sure you breathe from both nostrils equally, as one nostril  is normally blocked.Do this pranayam to balance your breathing and you will notice better sleep in days and the need to turn will decrease gradually.The effect is gradual, so continue the pranayam once a day for life, after you feel better.Your feedback in 2 weeks and 3 months will help others.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom pranayam –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30  minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

[Dr Rajput]

Hi, welcome to the forum, you seem to have chronic insomnia. In young to middle aged individuals, sleep maintainance problems tend to be associated with stress, anxiety, or circadian rhythm sleep disorders. They may also be associated with sleep disorders (eg, sleep apnea, periodic limb movements), medical conditions that cause pain (like shoulder pain in your case), psychiatric diseases (eg, anxiety, depression), or the use or withdrawal of alcohol, nicotine, or other substances.

The therapy for this condition includes retaining of normal circadian rhythm by non-pharmacological therapy which includes; Photo therapy, maintenance of sleep hygiene. You need to go for morning exercises (as suited to pregnant state) which will make you fresh and active all day and tiredness at the end of day will help you to induce sleep naturally.

Shoulder pain can be due to injury to muscles, tendons, ligaments, arthritis, compressed nerves, degenerative disc disease etc. You can apply topical painkiller, hot compression will help you. You need to undergo x-ray, radio imaging to rule out the exact cause. Anti-inflammatory, NSAID will help against prescription. I suggest you to consult physician and sleep specialist. Take care and regards.