Poor Sleep Causes Pain & Vice Versa
Poor sleep and pain are health companions that travel together, and either condition can lead to the other. Pain interferes with sleep quality. But even in people with no pain, poor sleep leaves them twice as likely to develop chronic pain in the future, including the possibility of developing fibromyalgia.
Interestingly, what people go through with chronic pain has been compared to modern methods of torture, which typically includes both inflicting pain and imposing sleep deprivation. So, allowing the 20% of Americans who live with both chronic pain and insomnia to remain inadequately treated is simply a form of medical torture. It's unnecessary and, more to the point, completely unacceptable.
Losing Sleep for Science
Michael Smith, PhD, is the director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His team is recruiting healthy adults to give up sleep for science. The study is showing that people who's sleep is regularly disrupted become much more sensitive to pain, and also develop increased morning inflammation.
Poor sleep also causes deficiency in growth hormone, the "fountain of youth of hormones." And this hormone is critical for tissue repair and elimination of chronic pain.
Both chronic pain and insomnia can be very effectively treated with natural and inexpensive generic medication options that are both safe and not addictive. But because these treatments so low cost, they produce very little profit from a business standpoint. So the business wing of the medical industry has no incentive to teach physicians about them.
Not treating insomnia in those with chronic pain virtually guarantees that the pain will not go away. And yet there are affordable treatments available for both. The problem is a lack of effective physician education.
Excellent Sleep Aids
All three of the below are excellent for sleep. They can be taken individually or combined with each other, and with other sleep aids.
Melatonin EP120™ 10 MG
Sustained release tablet supports healthy immune function, inflammation response, and deep sleep.*
(MSRP $14.95)
Revitalizing Sleep Formula (90 ct)
The Revitalizing Sleep Formula is a mix of six powerful, yet gentle, sleep herbs that will help you fall asleep faster and maintain a healthy sleep cycle — without feeling groggy the next day. It can help relax your muscles, decreasing pain from muscle overuse, and can also help decrease anxiety during the day.*
(MSRP $43.19)
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
