Comfort and Sleep Defintions

Acupressure: Acupressure is a pain relief measure and is a descendent of acupuncture .

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Addiction: Addiction is a pattern of compulsive drug use despite adverse consequences1.

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Adjuvant analgesics: These are medications developed for other uses that can reduce certain types of pain and enhance the effects of opioids, while decreasing the side effects and anxiety associated with pain2. Examples include tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, benzodiazepines, and anticonvulsants .

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Analgesics: Analgesics are pharmaceutical agents that relieve pain by decreasing the perception of pain and altering responses to discomfort3.

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Anesthesia:

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Local anesthetics cause a loss of sensation to a localized body part and can be applied topically or injected . Side effects include itching, burning, and localized rash .

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Epidural analgesia involves an anesthesiologist inserting a catheter in the mid-lumbar region to deliver a narcotic directly to opiate receptors in the spinal cord4.

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Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a behavioral therapy that provides patients with information about their physiological responses and ways to control them .

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Circadian rhythm: Circadian rhythms help determine human sleeping patterns and regulate the 24-hour cycle of biological processes5. The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating sleep5.

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Cutaneous stimulation: These techniques stimulate the skin's surface cutaneous nerve fibers6. Large diameter fibers carry impulses to the CNS, and pain is controlled by closing the gate . Examples include massage, heat application, and cold application .

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Dyssomnia: Dyssomnias are classifications of sleep disorders characterized by insomnia or excessive sleepiness7.

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Endorphins: Endorphins are produced in the CNS and result in prolonged analgesia and euphoria8.

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Epidural infusion: Epidural analgesia involves the infusion of a narcotic, such as preservative-free morphine or fentanyl, into the epidural space4. It provides pain relief in smaller doses with fewer side effects4.

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Guided imagery: This involves a patient creating an image in their mind that involves one or all of the senses9.

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Insomnia: Insomnia is a dyssomnia characterized by difficulty falling asleep, intermittent sleep, or early awakening from sleep10. Common treatment is sleep hygiene10.

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Narcotic: This term can refer to opioid medications like morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, and others that relieve pain and provide euphoria by binding to opiate receptors and activating endogenous pain suppression in the CNS11....

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Neuromodulator: This term does not appear in the sources.

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Neurotransmitter: Substance P is a neurotransmitter that increases the firing of nerve impulses13.

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Nociceptors: Nociceptors are peripheral receptors that respond to potentially damaging stimuli14.... They are special pain receptors unevenly distributed within muscles, tendons, SQ tissue, and skin16.

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Non-opioid analgesics: This term does not appear in the sources, but NSAIDs are mentioned as a treatment option for mild to moderate pain17.

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Opioid analgesics: Opioid analgesics are used to treat moderate to severe pain11. They increase the pain threshold, decrease pain perception, and decrease anxiety and fear18.

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Parasomnia: Parasomnias are patterns of waking behavior that occur during sleep7.

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Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA): PCA allows clients to administer pain medications when they want them using an infusion pump19.

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Peripheral neuropathy: This term does not appear in the sources.

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Prostaglandins: Prostaglandins are hormones that send additional stimuli to the CNS13.

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Relaxation: Relaxation techniques decrease skeletal muscle tension and anxiety and may help patients sleep . Examples include meditation, yoga, and progressive relaxation .

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Threshold: Pain threshold is the amount of pain stimulation a patient requires to feel pain20....

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Tolerance: Tolerance is a common physiologic result of chronic opioid use, where a larger dose of opioid is required to maintain the same level of analgesia1.

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Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): TENS involves controlled low-voltage electrical stimulation applied to large myelinated peripheral nerve fibers via cutaneous electrodes . It inhibits pain transmission .

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Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea is the absence of breathing (apnea) or diminished breathing effort (hypopnea) during sleep between snoring intervals