Pain, The Great Sleep Thief

We all deal with pain at some point in our life.  However, when we are dealing with chronic pain the issue becomes compounded because it will interfere with our sleep.  This can cause the issue to become compounded and for the pain to increase.

The first issue with pain is the inability to get into deeper sleeps.  Pain will actually interfere with the slower brain waves causing sleep disruptions that we may not be aware of.  This slower wave sleep, also known as Delta Sleep, is when our body releases hormones such as Human Growth Hormone.  If we are unable to reach that level of sleep then our body does not have the ability to heal itself or can take significantly longer than we expect it to. 

The second issue is that sleep deprivation increases our perception of pain.  There is really not much to say on this issue other than you can see the vicious cycle this can create for someone learning to deal with chronic pain. 

The third issue is the side effect of many of the medications people take for pain.  It can change the ability to sleep, the stages of sleep a person is able to achieve and the level of fatigue a person feels throughout the day.  Many medication can also cause insomnia. 

The last issue is that when we deal with pain it will limit our activity.,  This will limit our need for sleep.  It will also cause napping during the day that will again cause difficulty going to sleep at night.  This daytime fatigue will also limit our time outside and our exposure to the sun.  This lack of sun will causes decreases in vitamin D.  It has been found that low levels of Vitamin D causes us to experience increased levels of pain.

All these issues combined together will continue to increase the pain and health issues a person is experiencing rather than healing.  Taking the time to take a short walk, get some sun and working with your doctor to manage your sleep will help you to get better than much faster.