How are you fixed in the bedroom department?

Ah, the bedroom. The place for sleeping, dreaming, loving, and waking up to a new day. For a lot of people, that first yawn in the morning means it’s time to jump out of bed, get some clothes on, have a spot of breakfast etc. then get going with the rest of the normal daily routine. For the arthritis sufferer, though, it’s usually somewhat different.

For most of us, it’s impossible to jump out of bed—depending on where we suffer from the disease, we have to take some time to manouevre ourselves into a comfortable position that will enable us to get dressed. My shoulder and wrists cause me the most problems first thing in the morning, so I’ve adjusted my movements accordingly, including having a footstool beside the bed, as the knees are also a bit dodgy. Of course, everyone is different—the main thing is to try and find the routine that’s most convenient for you. As mentioned in an earlier post, try to have the furniture arranged so that you have an obstacle free passage at all times. As for other rooms, fit easy-to-use handles on your wardrobe, dressing table etc. If you spend a lot of time in the bedroom, make sure you have a comfortable chair, a bedside lamp that you can switch on and off with a gentle touch, and of course, a remote control if you’re going to have a television there.

Of course, the most important item of furniture is always going to be your bed. A lot of folk say that there is nothing quite like a water bed for a comfortable night’s rest—the only complaint sometimes being that they had trouble getting out of them in the morning. For the majority, however, a good mattress is the norm, but the definition of “good” for this particular item varies quite a bit, depending on where the aches and pains are situated.

Some people recommend a mattress consisting of a combination of layers, starting with a platform or bedboard to give a solid base, a firm mattress on top of that, and then a layer of eggcrate foam. A bed board is usually a ¾ in. (18mm) thick piece of plywood cut so as to fit the bed, and placed between the box spring and the mattress. It provides support both for sleeping, and for getting out of bed. The eggcrate gives soft padding to cushion the hips and shoulders, while also giving the firmness needed for good back support. Folk who use this say that the eggcrate handles the body very gently, sort of caressing it, you might say. Its manufacturers state that it buffers the body by means of its many pockets of air, keeping pressure off any painful spots. There are those who prefer a mattress that is made entirely of foam rubber (polyurethane).

For those with a fairly healthy bank balance, there’s the option of buying a sheepskin or electric mattress bed warmer. Flannel or thermal sheets are a less expensive method of warming up a cold bed. An electric blanket is quite often the number one choice for having over the sleeper, although some folk say that they’re quite happy with a warm cover or a sleeping bag.

Something that seems to work well for everyone is an extra pillow, or several pillows to raise the knees, to give the neck a special padding or cradle, or just to keep the the blankets off feet if they hurt. There are many specialized types out there, such as butterfly pillows, orthopedic pillows, arthritic pillows, leg rests etc., but a piece of foam shaped and cut for your specific needs can do the job just as well.

I’ve heard of a few who prefer to have their mattress or eggcrate pad on the floor for a firmer support. I have used this method twice, for a couple of weeks each time—this was not because of arthritis, but due to a really painful back—and I found it beneficial. Contrary to rumours, I did NOT have to invest in a mobile phone to communicate with my spouse, who was in the bed a couple of feet away.