Sleep/pain management [edit]

I see you're having problems with sleep (probably because of your back pain). I get a lot of pain from fibromyalgia, and I also have a sleep disorder where I get 0% stage 3 and stage 4 sleep with lots of alpha intrusion; I arouse from sleep 39 times in an hour, and only get stage 1 (awake), stage 2 (drowsy) and REM (dream). I have read that sort of sleep pattern is very common with fibromyalgia. Stage 3 and stage 4 is when you get the delta wave sleep, which allows your body to release growth hormone to heal up the body. That sort of sleep pattern also results in low cortisol. Not sure for me which is causing which, chicken or the egg sort of thing, but I do know I hurt less when I get better sleep.

Something I've found lately that DOES help me with my sleep (I think I'm now getting some delta wave sleep, which I was getting none of before), thus less pain, is AmbiScience's Pure Sleep (I have the pro version). It's an iPad/iPhone/iTouch application, but is now available on Android. It uses binaural beats and isochronic tones. I have tried binaural beats before with various computer software or music CDs, but they would only work so far for me (maybe because of the start of failing hearing from age?). But the isochronic tones seem to be working really well for me. I've been using it faithfully all week, and I feel human today (which is really, really rare for me). I look forward to seeing how my body improves over the next few weeks. I'll be curious to see if over time it permanently fixes my brain to properly generate the right brainwaves for sleep and I can stop using the isochronic tones.

I use the Deep Sleep 1.05Hz - HP/SPK entrainment setting, and use for sound rain and thunder (I find those sounds relaxing). You can select a music track, too, but for me I like the music (I choose something from iTunes) so much that if I wake I'm focusing on the music instead of sleeping so I just don't do the music. HP = headphone, SPK = speaker. The HP only settings are binaural, the HP/SPK are isochronic ... I use speakers (too uncomfortable sleeping with headphones).

Just something to think about (if you have an iPad/iPhone/iTouch or Android) to help you with your pain management and sleep. I'm sure some of the other entrainment settings could be specifically used for pain management (I own several of AmbiScience's entrainment packages, so I can find things outside what's more aimed at sleep). If you don't have one, Dquixote, send me a PM with a mailing address, and I'll try to capture a sequence via my computer and put onto a music CD and mail it to you. I don't know how well that will work, but it's worth a try.

[The edit]: By the way, my husband sleeps better for it, too. He doesn't snore if I'm playing it (he's a house-shaking snorer), and he falls asleep immediately and doesn't shift around in his sleep.