The Importance of Sleep for health
Sleep is something many of us find ourselves constantly chasing. But have you ever wondered how sleep affects health and pain? Imagine if we didn’t need sleep and could stay active and alert around the clock—life would be much easier, right? But why do we actually need sleep, and how much do we need to function at our best?
Sleep is essential for cell repair, memory consolidation, hormone regulation, and immune system strengthening. Therefore, sleep plays a critical role in our overall health and well-being. So, what happens when we don’t get enough of it?
The Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
Understanding how sleep affects health and pain means looking at what happens when we lack it. Chronic poor-quality or inadequate sleep is linked to a heightened risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, and depression.
Short-term sleep deprivation can also lead to reduced attention, impaired memory, and diminished athletic performance. Although an athlete’s maximum strength output might remain unchanged after a poor night’s sleep, endurance tends to suffer—leading to quicker fatigue. Poor sleep also negatively impacts reaction times and coordination.
How Much Sleep Do We Need?
Our need for sleep changes over our lifespan, which also affects our health and pain levels. Infants and young children require 14–17 hours a day, while this gradually decreases with age. Teenagers need 8–10 hours, and adults typically require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Seniors (65+) generally need about 7–8 hours.
Ultimately, the ideal sleep duration is the one that leaves you feeling refreshed and ready for the day. But even if you’re getting enough hours, the quality of your sleep still plays a vital role in determining how sleep affects health and pain.
What If You’re Still Tired After a Full Night’s Sleep?
What if you’re getting 8 hours but still wake up tired? This could be a sign that the quality of your sleep—not just the quantity—is poor. Sleep disorders may prevent you from reaching deep and restorative sleep, directly impacting your overall health and potentially increasing pain levels.
In such cases, a sleep study is essential to rule out underlying sleep disorders and address the root cause of fatigue.
Common Sleep Disorders and the impact on health and pain
There are over 80 identified sleep disorders, the most common being insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). These disorders are prime examples of how sleep affects health and pain by disrupting the body’s ability to restore and repair during rest.
Insomnia involves difficulty falling or staying asleep and is often accompanied by daytime fatigue and poor concentration. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) is currently the gold-standard treatment.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) occurs when the tongue blocks the airway during sleep, disrupting oxygen flow. This results in repeated micro-wakeups, which prevent restorative deep and REM sleep. People with OSA may not recall these wakeups but experience symptoms such as excessive daytime tiredness, dry mouth, and impaired focus. OSA increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia—demonstrating just how significantly sleep can impact your health.
The Link Between Pain and Sleep
Research clearly shows how sleep affects health and pain in both directions. Pain can interrupt sleep, and lack of sleep can heighten pain sensitivity. This cyclical pattern often resembles a “chicken and egg” scenario. Whether pain or poor sleep comes first, both need to be addressed simultaneously to break the cycle.
The Importance of a Comfortable Sleeping Position
One key factor in improving sleep quality—and, by extension, health and pain levels—is maintaining a supportive sleep position. Pain caused by improper sleep posture can make falling or staying asleep difficult.
Supportive mattresses, bed frames, and pillows are essential for pain relief and restful sleep. Sometimes, simple changes like switching a pillow or using a knee cushion can make a big difference.
Choosing the Right Mattress and Pillow
Physiotherapists are frequently asked for advice on beds and pillows. While no single product works for everyone, many benefit from trying different pillow types. For some, a standard mattress may not offer targeted support where it’s needed most—especially in areas like the hips, shoulders, or lower back.
That’s where the Z10 BodyFit bed system comes in. With 10 adjustable zones and multiple foam density options, it allows for customisation based on your body’s needs. This can reduce pain and improve sleep quality—perfectly demonstrating how sleep affects health and pain in a real-world setting (visit https://sdlaboratories.com/ for more information)
At Manning and Spearwood Physiotherapy, our therapists are specially trained to prescribe the Z10 BodyFit system (including mattress, bed base, and pillow) tailored to your body. We also screen for sleep disorders and refer to sleep GPs when needed.
A Multidimensional Approach to Pain and Sleep
Along with sleep posture and bed adjustments, it’s important to treat the underlying source of pain. For example, someone with chronic lower back pain may benefit from physiotherapy treatments targeting stiffness, weakness, or muscle imbalances.
By combining a personalised bed setup with targeted physiotherapy, we adopt a multidimensional approach to managing sleep and pain—far more effective than addressing either issue in isolation.
Conclusion
Understanding how sleep affects health and pain is essential to improving your well-being. Sleep deprivation can lead to short-term issues like poor focus and long-term risks like heart disease and chronic pain. Sleep disorders such as insomnia and OSA may also rob you of restorative rest, even if you’re sleeping the “right” number of hours.
Pain and sleep are closely intertwined, and improving one can often improve the other. From supportive mattresses to professional physiotherapy care, a comprehensive approach is key. At Manning and Spearwood Physiotherapy, we’re here to help you sleep better, feel better, and live better.
References
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