You may experience difficulty sleeping because of the emotional distress of receiving a diagnosis of MND, or the stress of living with MND.   In these circumstances you are encouraged to speak with your treating Neurologist.

Sleeping difficulties may also be caused by discomfort arising from immobility, pain due to stiffness of joints or muscles, excessive saliva or dry mouth, or a variety of other reasons.

Some strategies suggested are:

• Try not to remain in the same position in bed for too long.
• Satin or silk sheets may help moving about in bed.
• An electric bed can be adjusted to a variety of positions at the push of a button. Side rails, bedside furniture and extra pillows can give added support
• A segmented overlay mattress and specialised pillows distribute body pressure more evenly.
• Muscle spasticity or pain from muscle tightness and joint stiffness may be relieved with medication prescribed by your doctor. Non-prescription analgesics such as aspirin or paracetamol relieve mild discomfort.
• Joint pain may be relieved by stretching or range-of-motion exercises before retiring. A Physiotherapist may be able to find the origin of the problem and recommend a remedy.
• Breathing may be helped by elevating the head and chest with an extra pillow or two. This relieves pressure on the diaphragm and improves lung expansion.
• Before going to bed, avoid over-exertion, caffeinated drinks, smoking, and heavy meals. Too much food puts pressure on the diaphragm and aggravates breathing problems.
• Retire at the same time each night and reduce daytime napping. Make sure the bedroom is quiet, cool, dark, and comfortable. Light bedclothes allow easier movement in bed.
• Impaired swallowing reflexes may cause a build up of saliva or mucus. This is annoying, especially for those with an ineffective cough. Sleep with the head elevated to prevent secretions from moving toward the cough reflex centre.
• A slow rhythmic back rub or a light massage of aching muscles promotes relaxation. One exercise for reducing stress is deep abdominal breathing. Soft music or reassuring conversation can promote sleep.