Scientists have concluded a new study that found when people get less sleep, they are less resistant to pain. A link between those suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, a lack of sleep, and higher pain levels the next day has been proven recently. However, assessing the ability for normal, healthy, adults to withstand pain in relation to how much sleep they get has not been seen before.
Researchers at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital began by dividing 18 adult participants, who were in good health, in to two groups. The first group was allowed to get about nine hours of sleep a night. The second group got about seven hours of sleep a night. Afterwards, their ability to hold their finger close to a heat source was assessed.
Those that got less sleep were significantly more sensitive to the heat. Specifically, the set of people that got about nine hours of sleep a night had a 25% higher level of pain tolerance than their counterparts, who only got seven hours of sleep a night. At this time, researchers are unable to determine what exactly creates allows those who get more sleep to endure higher levels of pain.
If you have suffered an injury, after seeing a doctor, make sure that you are making rest a top priority. The reasons are numerous to get the recommended 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night – dealing with pain can now be added to that list!
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