If Your Joints Hurt More at Night, Do This Before It Gets Worse

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, arthritis expert, gives us tips:

A body at rest…

The main physiological problem is (usually) that your joint cartilage behaves like a sponge that isn’t being compressed in the evening, so it absorbs fluid, increases pressure, and makes your joints feel more sensitive when you lie down.

There are three factors that make this more impactful (and not in a good way):

• Overnight inflammation: your body naturally increases inflammatory activity at night to support repair, which can amplify pain if your joints are already irritated or arthritic.
• Reduced distraction: your brain has fewer competing inputs at night, so pain signals become more noticeable and can be amplified by anxiety or worry.
• The sleep–pain vicious cycle: poor sleep increases pain sensitivity the next day, which then makes it harder to sleep again, creating a self-reinforcing loop.

And the remedy? Gentle movement, followed by gentle rest:

1. Seated ankle or leg movement: sit at the edge of the bed, and alternate lifting your heels and toes, or gently kick your legs, to get fluid moving through your joints and reduce stiffness, before lying down.
2. Side-to-side knee rocks: lie on your back with your knees bent, and gently drop your knees from side to side, or alternate lifting your knees if that feels better, to give your brain a calming focus and ease discomfort.
3. Progressive relaxation: lie as comfortably as you can, and inhale while tensing your shoulders up, then exhale and fully relax to release that tension (and calm your nervous system) before sleep.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!