Sleep Problems Linked To Lower Pain Tolerance

New findings published in the journal Pain reveal that people with insomnia and other sleep disorders could be at an increased risk of pain sensitivity.

Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen found that pain tolerance appeared strongest in those who suffered from both insomnia and chronic pain, with treatments targeting both conditions.

During the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from over 10,400 adults from a large, ongoing Norwegian health study. The subjects were required to undergo a standard test of pain sensitivity that involved a cold presser test in which subjects were asked to keep their hand submerged in cold water.

Later, subjects were asked if they'd dealt with sleep impairment, including insomnia, total sleep time and sleep latency. Yet researchers then assessed relationships between measures of sleep impairment and pain sensitivity.

Findings revealed that about 32 percent of participants were able to keep their hand in cold water during a 106-second test. However, those with insomnia were more likely to take their hand out earlier (42 percent to 31 percent without insomnia.)

Based on the severity and frequency of insomnia episodes, pain sensitivity was also higher, according to findings.
However, future studies will be needed in order to cement a connection between the two.

"While there is clearly a strong relationship between pain and sleep, such that insomnia increases both the likelihood and severity of clinical pain," researchers concluded that, "it is not clear exactly why this is the case."