Insomnia can affect pain threshold and regulatory systems, but better and more sleep can reduce suffering.
Pain and sleep affect each other, creating a sort of vicious circle. Several studies have in fact shown that pain is one of the conditions that favor chronic insomnia.
At the same time it is equally evident how a disturbed sleep can contribute significantly to amplify the perceived pain. To combat both, it is therefore important to act on two fronts because sleeping better at night can have positive effects on pain and at the same time if you suffer less you can have a better sleep.
Sleep, health and pain
If good sleep is good for health, sleeping little and badly can have heavy relapses in the short and long term. The day after a sleepless night, the consequences are already paid in terms of drowsiness, difficulty concentrating and memory and irritability.
Chronic insomnia can also have several negative consequences on our health: it promotes diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular diseases and reduces life expectancy. A disturbed sleep also amplifies the perceived pain.
According to a recent review of studies on the subject, coordinated by Esther Afolalu, of the University of Warwick, in the United Kingdom, and published in the journal Sleep Medicine Review, a reduction in the quality and quantity of sleep is associated with a two- or three-fold increase in the risk of developing a pain condition, a slight increase in levels of inflammatory markers and a subjective decline in physical health.
At the same time, research has shown that sleeping more helps reduce pain and improves physical functioning. However, it is not yet clear whether there is a more dangerous sleep mode for the onset of pain and whether, for example, disrupted sleep, with frequent and intermittent awakenings throughout the night, has a greater impact than a short, but consolidated sleep.
Improve sleep to reduce pain
Although the mechanisms that link sleep and pain are not yet fully understood, it is now established that in the treatment of chronic pain sufferers it is of fundamental importance to include strategies to improve sleep.
Since if I sleep better I have less pain and I can also move more easily and, at the same time, if I do physical activity, I improve the quality of sleep, a first step to improve sleep and reduce pain could be to increase, even slightly but regularly, physical activity.
In addition, some basic rules of good sleep hygiene must be put in place, including:
- go to bed and get up at the same time
- avoid excessive alcohol intake at least 4 hours before bedtime
- no smoking
- Do not eat heavy meals
- avoid drinking coffee, tea, and soda in the evening
- Rest in a comfortable bed and use it only for sleeping, not as an office, study or recreation room
- do regular physical activity, but not before bedtime.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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