As we age, it is more common for us to experience muscle, bone, and nerve pain. Fibromyalgia, a condition that cause widespread pain affecting multiple body parts, is also more common among people over the age of 50. A new study shows that non-restorative sleep, sleeping the proper amount of hours yet still feeling tired upon waking up, is a predictor of developing widespread pain.
Over the course of 3 years, 4,326 adults over the age of 50 were studied by researchers from Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Center. Information was collected regarding their lifestyle, health and demographics to find out which factors would most likely lead to developing widespread pain. None of the participants were experiencing widespread pain at the beginning of the study.
At the end of the 3 years, 19% of the participants had new widespread pain. Participants who reported experiencing some pain at the beginning of the study were more likely to have developed widespread pain, compared to those who had no pain at the start of the study.
The strongest predictor for new widespread was non-restorative sleep. Previous studies have indicated that getting more restorative sleep may lead to reducing pain.
Sleep is one of the best medicines to maintain your health physically, mentally and emotionally. A lack of high quality sleep has been shown to increase risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. If you find yourself constantly waking up in the middle of the night or feeling un-rested in the mornings, speak with a licensed physician to ensure staying as healthy as possible.
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