@jeffrapp Shoes and socks - anything that makes contact with my feet - is an ongoing issue. If it's cold, I have socks that are over sized for sleeping, but sometimes I can't tolerate them. I've been shopping for shoes that are a size larger than my size 13 feet, and have a roomy toe bed, so I can layer enough insoles so I can walk with at least some level of comfort. (Yeah right. Comfort!?) I bought a blanket lifter on Amazon to keep the bedding off my feet. I have a pillow for my feet, and sometimes I can be ok with my feet resting on it, but most of the time I arrange the pillow so my heels are on it and my toes off it but not touching the bed. I have to sleep on my side facing to the right, partly because I use a bipap machine and the mask stays in place better. Aside from that, it hurts my feet if they touch each other or even if my knee touches my other leg.

I suppose you've tried lidocaine cream 5%. I recently got some online for around $30, instead of the $150 prescription version. I use it at bedtime when my feet are hurting more than usual, and it numbs them enough so I can get to sleep.

I've never drunk alcohol, so at least that's not a possible factor for me. But I guess it's a numbing medication for lots of people.

Each of us has to explore the possibilities and figure out what works for us. I've been amazed over the past ten years at how many cures there are out there for the many kinds of pain. I'm afraid that I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to my pain threshold. So many people deal with way more than I do. I admire the resilience I see in what many people write on this Connect site.

Jim