The relationship between Sleep, Pain, and Physical Activity
Pain, sleep, and exercise are three important components of our health that are closely connected, and understanding the relationships between them can help us improve our overall health.
Sleep and Physical Activity:
Sleep and exercise have a close relationship with regular physical activity being shown to improve sleep quality and help individuals fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. On the other hand, lack of sleep can negatively impact physical performance, making it harder to engage in physical activity and reducing likelihood of individuals engaging in exercise (Dolezal et al, 2017).
Sleep and Pain:
Sleep is critical for our bodies to recover from daily functions and activities . The link between sleep and pain is not fully understood, but lack of sleep can lead to an increase in inflammation, which can increase sensitivity to pain. However, research has shown that adequate sleep can also help reduce inflammation, pain intensity and therefore improve sleep quality, creating a positive cycle (Dzierzewski et al, 2020).
Physical Activity and Pain:
Physical activity is a crucial component of good health and has been shown to have positive impacts on well-being, both physical and mental. Regular exercise can help reduce pain levels and improve overall function, partly by reducing systemic inflammation (Suzuki et al, 2019).
Health and Wellbeing
The bidirectional relationship between these sleep, pain and physical activity offers many opportunities for improvement in our overall health. This insight means we can indirectly impact one area of our health (e.g. pain or sleep) by focusing on another factor (e.g. physical activity).
Physiotherapy can play an important role in helping individuals improve their health. Physiotherapists can provide individuals with personalised exercise plans, pain management techniques, and sleep advice to help improve overall health and wellbeing.
AARON WILLISON
Aaron came into physiotherapy from a background in sleep science and psychological research .
AARON WILLISON
Bachelor of Science (Psychology and Psychophysiology)
Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
Doctor of Physiotherapy