Will Poor Sleep Lead to More Chronic Pain?
For many people who suffer from a combination of poor sleep and chronic pain, it’s difficult to know which came first. Many assume that the pain is leading to a lack of sleep or keeping them from getting good quality sleep each night. That may be the case for some people, but new research put this issue to the test, and it may be the other way around. The good news is that we are one step closer to understanding the connection between sleep quality and chronic pain.
A new study published in the October 2025 issue of The Journals of Gerontology looked at whether poor sleep duration and quality impacted chronic pain (1). For the study, they collected data from 311 participants who each completed eight days of daily journaling. The data showed that those who had higher pain severity also had shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality. They conclude that the higher pain reactivity to worse sleep was associated with more concurrent distress.
Most people who get poor sleep quality or duration know that it can make things worse. It can lead to a sluggish day, where people have less energy, don’t feel they have as much energy, and may simply be exhausted throughout the day. Sleep quality and duration are important things to strive for in order to help with chronic pain and improve overall health and well-being.
The National Council on Aging recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night (2). While most people know the importance of sleep, they may still also struggle to get it, finding that it’s a battle they can’t seem to win. They also report that around 50 million adults in the country experience chronic pain, which is pain that lasts more than three months. Of those, 88% suffer from sleep disturbances, including trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up sooner than desired, and not feeling well rested in the morning.
They report that the impact of poor sleep on chronic pain is a cycle that can be hard to break. They advise that not getting enough good-quality sleep can lead to chronic pain, heightened pain sensitivity, and spontaneous, unexplained pain. The cycle leads to poorer sleep, which then leads to more pain.
It’s imperative that people make quality sleep and duration of sleep a priority. Taking steps to create a good sleep routine and address sleep-related anxiety can go a long way toward helping to improve the situation. Those who continuously suffer from a lack of quality sleep should speak with their
doctor about the situation and get suggestions for making improvements.
Sources:
1. The Journals of Gerontology. Associations Between Pain Reactivity to Worse Sleep and Health Outcomes. October 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41165614/
2. National Council on Aging. Managing Chronic Pain and Sleep: Helpful Tips for a Good Night’s Rest. June 2025. https://www.ncoa.org/article/managing-chronic-pain-and-sleep/
