If you suffer from chronic pain, getting a good night's sleep might be difficult. And you are not alone.
According to a study in the Journal of Pain (2014), up to 88% of adults with persistent pain have insomnia or a diagnosed sleep disorder.
Why can't I sleep?
There are many reasons why people with persistent pain struggle to sleep well:
Lack of comfort: getting comfortable when you are in pain can be a challenge.
Sleep anxiety: when we are preoccupied and worried about getting a good night's sleep to feel rested the next day, we can often prevent ourselves from drifting into sleep. This is because worry releases stress hormones, which control our sleep hormone melatonin from working well.
Pain Medication: some pain medications can make you feel drowsy throughout the day, making it difficult to fall and stay asleep at night.
Lack of routine: sound sleep requires a routine. If you take long naps throughout the daytime and have inconsistent waking and bedtimes, your mind and body don't know when to sleep.
No distractions: pain can be perceived as worse during the night because you don't have any distractions.
Poor sleep environment: when your sleep environment is too hot, noisy or permits too much light, it can be challenging to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, people who struggle with chronic pain need rest to allow their bodies and nervous systems to recover. Sleep helps your body refill its energy reserves and heal from daily stresses.
The Anatomy of Sleep
To fully grasp the cycle of chronic pain and insomnia, you must first understand the sleep cycle process. Once you fall asleep, you go through 4 sleep stages:
You must successfully move through all four stages to feel fully rested and ready for your day. Suppose your chronic pain disrupts one or more of these stages. In that case, it can cause you to awaken the following day feeling worse than you did the night before – tired, irritable and in pain.
The Effect of a poor night's Sleep
Pain and sleep influence each other. Pain can negatively impact your rest, and sleep can affect your pain. Sleep deprivation doesn't just make you groggy in the morning. It also alters your pain sensitivity. Furthermore, poor sleep habits make you more likely to develop pain conditions, including fibromyalgia or migraines. Lack of sleep also increases inflammation and stress hormone levels.
Everyone who has had a poor night's sleep knows that a short temper usually comes with it. Concerning pain, sleep deprivation leads to thought catastrophization, making pain worse.
Feeling daytime fatigue is common for individuals suffering from chronic pain. Thus, they are less likely to exercise or follow a healthy diet, essential for a good night's sleep.
Here is some good News though
There is an undeniable link between sleep and pain. Still, emerging evidence suggests that the effect of sleep on pain may be even more substantial than the effect of pain on sleep. The good news is you can break this continuous cycle of pain and "sleeplessness". There are ways you can get a sound sleep – even if you are struggling with chronic pain.
How? By developing healthy sleep habits that you can stick with indefinitely and relying on your body's instinct to shut down when its energy reserves are depleted. Addressing your pain and sleep difficulties can help you get the relief you need to perform and be your best.
References:
Deak, M. C., & Stickgold, R. (2010). Sleep and Cognition. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science, 1(4), 491. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.52
Finan, P. H., Goodin, B. R., & Smith, M. T. (2013). The association of sleep and pain: An update and a path forward. The journal of pain: Official journal of the American Pain Society, 14(12), 1539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2013.08.007
Moldofsky, H. (2001). Sleep and pain. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 5(5), 385-396. https://doi.org/10.1053/smrv.2001.0179
Mullington, J. M., Haack, M., Toth, M., Serrador, J., & Meier-Ewert, H. (2009). Cardiovascular, Inflammatory and Metabolic Consequences of Sleep Deprivation. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 51(4), 294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2008.10.003
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