Sleep and Pain

About Pain

• Pain can be caused by injury or disease, or can be a disease in itself (chronic pain)
• Pain is highly subjective, varying from person to person
• Pain is the most frequent reason for physician visits
• Effective management of pain is the key to treating most diseases and injuries

Pain is usually perceived in one of three ways – through direct stimulation of nerves designed to sense pain, damage to the pain nerves themselves, or damage to the part of the brain responsible for receiving the input from pain nerves.

Pain is an important part of our defenses against injury. Without the ability to sense pain, we would repeat activities that previously caused injury, continue in an activity that will eventually result in injury, or not protect part of the body from further injury (e.g. using limping to reduce the weight on a limb).

Treatment of pain depends on whether the pain is chronic (ongoing) or acute (short term). Apart from treating the source of injury, acute pain is treated with drugs (painkillers taken by mouth or applied directly to the site of injury). Chronic pain is much more complicated and difficult to treat and few physicians are expert in the field.

Pain is experienced in many diseases and injuries. Managing pain during the night is important to maintaining sleep quality and quantity. Poor sleep can lead to increased pain.

About Sleep and Pain

• Pain interferes with our ability to sleep
• A lack of sleep makes you more sensitive to pain
• Acute pain, for example after surgery, affects sleep length and quality
• Chronic pain, for example in arthritis, affects all aspects of sleep

As would be expected, being in pain can affect sleep. Being tired from lack of sleep can also make you more sensitive to pain. Some drugs used to treat acute and chronic pain may cause sleep disorders. Furthermore, it is common for sufferers of some sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, to have headache pain upon wakening. The interaction of poor sleep and pain can be a complex problem.

To reduce pain and sleep disorders, you must assess both fully, and treat in a way to minimize both problems. If you visit your physician to discuss pain, it is important to also discuss any problems with your sleep.