June 29th, 2008
How Pain Affects Sleep
Pain causes Sleep problems.
Acute and chronic pain are directly linked to problems with sleep. When your body is in pain, your body uses its energy to heal whatever is causing the pain. And this shift in physical processes can lead to sleep disturbance.
People in pain report having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, sleeping fewer hours, and waking up at night.
Dr. James C. O’Brien MD, FCCP, became involved in sleep medicine 12 years ago when he began to notice that many of his patients, with undiagnosed sleep disorders, were not responding to conventional medical treatments. When sleep disorders were diagnosed and treated, a patient’s condition improved, and they reported a new sense of well-being.