We suffer from increased pain when we are deprived of sleep. But how does this occur in the human body? This question was answered by researchers at the California University who determined that the neural zone is responsible for intensifying and extending the pain sensitivity when there is lack of sleep.
In a study published Monday in the Journal of Neuroscience, the research team observed changes in areas responsible of pain in the brain after sleep deprivation and found that some were overactive, while others were less active.
To prove this, the team conducted an experiment to test brain activity with pain after a night of good sleep and another during a sleepless night. According to the study, uncomfortable levels of heat were applied to the legs of over 20 healthy adults. The participants felt disturbed at about 44 degrees Celsius. The team then tested the pain sensitivity in people who slept well and others who had sleeping difficulties.
The study found that the vast majority of sleepless people reported early pain at about 41.6 degrees Celsius, meaning that their sensitivity to pain increased after inadequate sleep, unlike the group that had enough sleep and showed the ability to endure pain.
Adam Krause, a study associate, told Asharq Al-Awsat: "we monitored the somatosensory cortex area, which usually works to record the severity of incoming pain signals, and we found that the lack of sleep caused a violent response. In contrast, other areas such as the insula and the nucleus accumbens, which receive pain signals and use the natural painkillers to respond to them, showed a slower response."
"This means that sleep deprivation causes pain by disrupting the brain's ability to record accurately and to respond correctly to pain signals when it occurs. Two people may have the same injury, but the pain they feel will vary depending on the brain's assessment based on the individual's sleep quality."
