Hyperalgesia

Human studies

Animal studies

Neuroscience

Sleep disorder

Pain perception

Cognition

Receptor

Operating system

Allodynia

Psychiatry

Computer science

Chronic pain

Anesthesia

PsycINFO

Sleep (system call)

Neuropathic pain

Sleep deprivation

Psychology

Political science

Insomnia

Physical therapy

Internal medicine

MEDLINE

Medicine

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

Nociception

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Experimental studies highlight profound effects of sleep disruptions on pain, showing that sleep deprivation (SD) leads to hyperalgesic pain changes. On the other hand, given that sleep helps normalizing bodily functions, a crucial role of restorative sleep in the overnight restoration of the pain system seems likely. Thus, a systematic review of experimental studies on effects of recovery sleep (RS; subsequently to SD) on pain was performed with the aim to check whether RS resets hyperalgesic pain changes occurring due to SD. Empirical animal and human studies including SD-paradigms, RS and pain assessments were searched in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO) using a predefined algorithm. 29 studies were included in this review. Most results indicated a reset of enhanced pain sensitivity and vulnerability following RS, especially when total SD was implemented and pressure pain or painful symptoms (human studies) were assessed. Further research should focus on whether and how recovery is altered in chronic pain patients, as this yields implications for pain treatment by enhancing or stabilizing RS.

The effects of recovery sleep on pain perception: A systematic review