Low Sleep, More Pain

Having a good night’s rest has been essential to having a productive next day. The proverb ‘early to bed and early to rise’ is based on more than common sense. Scientific studies have established that cognitive functioning can become impaired with the lack of adequate sleep. Even simple tasks can become challenging when you haven’t had the requisite sleep.

In a sleep lab experiment at the University of California, Berkeley, 25 adults were tested on yet another aspect of sleep deprivation. A single night without sleep showed a 15% reduction in the pain threshold of a person. A small heated pad was pressed on the skin of the volunteers near their ankle. This was done two times. Once after a regular night’s sleep and the second time after being kept awake for the full night.

The two measurements were taken at least a week apart. The general consensus after taking the readings was that post the all nighter the level of pain registered was higher. The pain centers of the brain were triggered faster and with more intensity. This science project shows that if you want to manage chronic pain, getting a full night’s sleep is as important as the medication you take.