Sleep loss and REM sleep loss are hyperalgesic.
OBJECTIVE
Disturbed sleep is observed in association with acute and chronic pain, and some data suggest that disturbed and shortened sleep enhances pain. We report the first data showing, in healthy, pain-free, individuals, that modest reductions of sleep time and specific loss of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep produces hyperalgesia the following morning.


METHODS
Two repeated-measures design protocols were conducted: (1) a sleep-loss protocol with 8 hours time-in-bed, 4 hours time-in-bed, and 0 hours time-in-bed conditions and (2) a REM sleep-loss protocol with 8 hours time-in-bed, 2 hours time-in-bed, REM deprivation, and non-REM yoked-control conditions.


METHODS
The studies were conducted in an academic hospital sleep laboratory.


METHODS
Healthy pain-free normal sleepers, 7 in the sleep-loss protocol and 6 in the REM sleep-loss protocol, participated.


METHODS
Finger-withdrawal latency to a radiant heat stimulus tested at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test conducted at 10:00 AM, noon, 2:00 PM, and 4:00 PM were measured.


RESULTS
Finger-withdrawal latency was shortened by 25% after 4 hours of time in bed the previous night relative to 8 hours of time in bed (p < .05), and REM sleep deprivation relative to a non-REM yoked-control sleep-interruption condition shortened finger-withdrawal latency by 32% (p < .02).


CONCLUSIONS
These studies showed that the loss of 4 hours of sleep and specific REM sleep loss are hyperalgesic the following day. These findings imply that pharmacologic treatments and clinical conditions that reduce sleep and REM sleep time may increase pain.
Roehrs
Timothy
T
Henry Ford Health System, Sleep Disorders and Research Center, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. TARoehrs@aol.com
Hyde
Maren
M
Blaisdell
Brandi
B
Greenwald
Mark
M
Roth
Thomas
T
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors