Think You're Getting Enough Sleep? 4 Symptoms Say Otherwise
You may not be nodding off in the middle of the afternoon, but these less-obvious signs could mean that your mind and body are secretly exhausted.
By Emma Haak
Aches and pains hurt more than they used to.
How it's linked to sleep: A 2012 study in Sleep found that subjects who slept for 10 hours for four nights withstood a painful stimulus for 25 percent longer than those who stayed on their normal, poor-sleep schedule, suggesting that less sleep leads to lower pain thresholds. It's possible that sleep loss increases inflammation, a known contributor to pain. The researchers believe the results would apply to conditions like joint pain too.
Keep in mind: Psychological factors like depression can make pain more acute, or the underlying cause of your longtime aches may simply have gotten worse. If adequate sleep doesn't bring your pain down to its old level, talk to your doctor.
Published 05/08/2015