You hear the buzzing sound going off.  It’s that time again. Morning. Time to get those eyes open, to roll out of bed and start getting ready for work.  But today, the struggle is real.  You only got three hours of sleep last night and you’re hurting, literally. You notice your arthritic joints are in a lot more pain than usual, and it just seems to be getting worse as the morning goes on (even after taking ibuprofen). And you realize how difficult of a day you’re up against.

Does this sound like something that you go through? Well if you do, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Regular, insufficient sleep is something that affects nearly 70% of all Americans. Approximately 20% of Americans also suffer from some sort of chronic pain. And now, these two conditions are starting to become more and more linked. 

Pain And Poor Sleep: What’s The Link?

Lack of quality of sleep and increased awareness of pain has a particular history that is well documented.  Pain intensity relative to such conditions as arthritis, back pain, and fibromyalgia is now showing to be affected, in some part, due to a person’s lack of sufficient sleep cycle.  And in many cases, the relationship seems to function as a direct cause and effect of the other, showing a bi-directional correlation.  For a person that suffers from arthritis, for instance, the intensity of pain the next day might be worse after a poor night of sleep.  And, consequentially, the resultant increase in pain could also then create further sleep irregularity. 

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

The connection that exists between poor-to-low quality sleep and worsening pain has important implications for anyone experiencing either acute and/or chronic pain.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, the recommended hours of sleep for individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 is in the range of 7 – 9 hours a night.  Anyone over the age of 65, it recommends to stick to  7 – 8 hours.  Based on recent studies, staying in a healthy range of sleep per night could potentially help reduce the pain you are experiencing.