title: Pain sensitivity in sleepy pain-free normals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Past studies have shown that acute experimental reduction of time in bed in otherwise healthy, non-sleepy people leads to hyperalgesia. We hypothesized that otherwise healthy, sleepy people may also exhibit hyperalgesia relative to their non-sleepy counterparts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between-groups sleep laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital-based sleep disorders center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven, healthy, normal participants (age 18-35 years) were recruited and categorized into sleepy and non-sleepy groups based on their average sleep latencies on a screening multiple sleep latency test (MSLT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Both groups were then allowed 8 hours time in bed, following which they underwent pain sensitivity testing (10:30 and 14:30) and sleepiness assessments by the MSLT (10:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 16:00). Pain sensitivity assessments were made by measuring finger withdrawal latencies to a radiant heat source delivering 5 different heat intensities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study showed that after only one night of 8 hours time in bed, the sleepy participants continued to be sleepy and exhibited a more rapid finger withdrawal response (i.e., increased pain sensitivity) to radiant heat than non-sleepy participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This suggests that sleepy individuals experience hyperalgesia in response to a painful stimulus when compared with non-sleepy individuals.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders & Research Center, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Bantu Samridhi
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chhangani
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Roehrs
authors.forename: Erica J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hudgel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult