Sleep disturbances are associated with pain intensity and pain‐related functional interference in patients experiencing orofacial pain

Abstract

BackgroundSleep and pain have a reciprocal relationship, interacting with psychosocial aspects including depression, anxiety, somatization and significant stressful events.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess patients with oro‐facial pain (OFP) and related sleep disturbances and determine the strongest psychosocial correlates.MethodsA cross‐sectional study of anonymized data of consecutive patients with OFP {January 2019 and February 2020} were analysed. Diagnostic and Axis‐II data were integrated to assess the relationship between sleep disturbances, measured using Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory, and demographic factors, clinical comorbidities, recent stressful events, pain severity and pain‐ and psychological‐related function.ResultsFive out of six patients with OFP were presented with pain‐related sleep disturbances. Sleep problems were enhanced in patients with primary oro‐facial headache compared with other OFP conditions. However, once the level of pain intensity and interference was accounted for, primary headache, was not a significant correlate of pain‐related sleep disturbances. Multivariate analysis revealed (average) pain severity and pain interference were both significantly associated with sleep problems. There were also significant independent associations of sleep problems with somatization levels and reported experience of recent stressful events.ConclusionIdentifying sleep problems as a part of OFP management may be beneficial and could result in better management outcomes.