We all have experienced this multiple times in our lives. The fatigue and the irritability we experience when we have had a restless night and wonder what is the connection.
Weihua Ding, an instructor in investigation in the Critical Care and Pain Medicine program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, calls it the “vicious cycle’ in an article published by the Harvard Gazette.
In a new study in Nature Communications, Ding and a team of researchers led by MGH identified the potential link that sweeps sleep deprivation and chronic pain in an endless loop. The team discovered that lack of sleep causes low levels of a neurotransmitter called N-arachidonoyl dopamine Trusted Source (NADA) within an area of the brain called the thalamic reticular nucleus Trusted Source (TRN), resulting in increased pain sensitivity, known as hyperalgesia. Moreover, poor quality of sleep can significantly interfere with the natural healing process of the body.
But why is Ding calling the sleep-pain cycle a vicious loop?
If you experience pain, it can be difficult for you to fall asleep and enjoy undisrupted sleep, and as discovered by Ding and team, insufficient sleep and increased pain sensitivity. The balance is so delicate that even one night of poor-quality sleep can lower your pain threshold and significantly intensify your discomfort levels.
The anatomy of the sleep- pain connection
The Sleep Foundation says, “Sleep and pain appear to share similar pathways and neurotransmitters. For example, melatonin is best known for its role in regulating our circadian rhythm, and new research is starting to uncover melatonin’s role in our perception of pain”. However, poor sleep triggers various other reactions within the body, and this is why you experience pain when you don’t get enough sleep.
- Inflammation- When you have a restless night, the poor sleep leads to inflammation in the body, which causes pain. In the case of chronic pain conditions, lack of sleep can worsen the situation. According to Harvard Health, during sleep, blood pressure drops and blood vessels relax. When sleep is disturbed, blood pressure doesn’t drop as required and can trigger cells in blood vessel walls that activate inflammation.
- Decreased pain tolerance- Sleep initiates a natural pain-relief mechanism in the body. When you miss out on that high-quality sleep, the mechanism is significantly disrupted, leading to heightened pain in the body.
- Disturbed healing process- The body naturally heals damaged tissues during sleep. Sleep loss significantly affects protein synthesis, cell division, and growth hormone release, as these processes occur during sleep. Consequently, sleep loss can negatively impact wound healing, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Effect on your mental state- Lack of sleep can make you irritable, and if you are already dealing with anxiety or depression, it can worsen your symptoms.
Common health conditions caused by poor sleep
Inadequate sleep has far-reaching effects on the body. However, the most common conditions are mentioned below.
Chronic lower back pain
Arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Migraines
How do you break the pain-sleep cycle?
Prioritize stress management. Lower your stress through meditation or yoga practice and choose specific periods for activities which bring you genuine satisfaction.
Physical movement during regular activities will help you achieve better results. Walking each day can establish regular sleep patterns for you.
You need to sleep at a constant time each day and protect your sleep cycle by staying away from mobile phone screens just before bed.
The sleep-promoting benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are many. It primarily teaches techniques to eliminate negative thoughts.
Contact a specialist for pain treatment methods together with sleeping supplements to achieve better sleep quality.
The pain management services at Sukino provide thorough pain control for patients who experience conditions like Arthritis and Fibromyalgia and Neuropathic Pain as well as Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). A collaboration between specialists who treat pain and physiotherapists and rehabilitation experts assures both excellent sleep quality and improved life quality.
Getting a good night’s sleep is very crucial. It is as important as eating a well-balanced diet and doing exercise. A consistent lack of sleep can put your health at a significant risk and lead to multiple health issues, chronic pain being the most common one. So, give sleep the attention it deserves and get those seven to nine hours of rest that your body needs to function well.
