Research
Adherence
Sleep continuity disturbance (forced awakenings) impairs endogenous pain-inhibitory function (DNIC) and increases spontaneous pain, whereas simple sleep restriction without continuity disturbance does not.
If you suffer from chronic pain, prioritize sleep continuity over just total hours. Frequent awakenings (even if you get enough total time) can disable your body's natural pain-killing systems. Focus on uninterrupted sleep blocks rather than just time in bed.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
These data suggest that sleep continuity disturbance, but not simple sleep restriction, impairs endogenous pain-inhibitory function and increases spontaneous pain, supporting a possible pathophysiologic role of sleep disturbance in chronic pain.
Why this rating
Controlled experiment with randomization, polysomnographic verification, and homogeneous sample, though small N=32.
Source
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Pain Inhibition and Spontaneous Pain in Women
Michael T. Smith et al. · SLEEP · 2007
rct · n=32Cited 532×
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