Pain Concern produce podcasts on all aspects of pain research. In Airing Pain Programme 14, they and a team of experts look at various types of pain research, and how chronic pain affects and is affected by sleep. 

It’s where our brains travel to every night, it’s out of our voluntary control, and we often complain that we don’t get enough of it. Sleep is the mysterious shift in consciousness that our bodies require every day. It’s vital for our health and wellbeing but its importance goes far beyond that, sleep is something that we can’t live without. Not only do we function worse when we don’t get enough quality sleep, but it can lead to long-term health problems. That’s why if we’re having sleep problems it’s important we do all that we can to rectify these difficulties and restore quality sleep into our lifestyles.

Knowing what foods we should and shouldn’t be eating can be really confusing, especially when it feels like the advice changes regularly. However, evidence suggests that as well as affecting our physical health, what we eat may also affect the way we feel.

Sometimes, we all have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. Stress, noise disturbances and too much stimulation before bedtime can all contribute to us having difficulty drifting off. Sleep is essential for maintaining mood, memory and cognitive functions, and as well as having a negative impact on these factors, a lack of sleep can also have serious consequences for our health. Not only is it crucial for normal functioning of the endocrine and immune systems, a lack of sleep has also been linked with obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression. Some dietary components have long been known to have a disruptive effect on sleep, but evidence is emerging of other interesting foods that may help us on the way to the land of nod.