The following is a summary of “Contribution of sleep quality and psychological factors to the experience of within-day pain fluctuations among individuals with temporomandibular disorders,” published in the May 2024 issue of Pain by Babiloni et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study using electronic diaries to evaluate how daily sleep quality and psychological factors (catastrophizing, negative, and positive affect) influence pain fluctuations throughout the day in 42 women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

They investigated the factors that affected the chances of experiencing pain worsening, characterized by 1.1) a rise of 20 points or more in pain intensity on a 0-100 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from day to night and/or 1.2) a shift from mild to moderate pain during the day; and pain relief, defined as: 1.3) a drop of 20 points or more in pain intensity (VAS) from day to night, and/or 1.4) a decrease from moderate to mild pain throughout the day.

The results showed significant effects of sleep on pain exacerbation outcomes (both P’s <.05), showing that better sleep quality reduced the likelihood of clinically meaningful pain exacerbations the next day. Higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with an increased likelihood of pain exacerbations on the same day (both P’s <.05). Daily catastrophizing was the sole variable significantly linked to within-day pain decrease indices (both P’s <.05). None of the other variables showed associations with these outcomes (all P’s>.05). The findings emphasized the importance of addressing patients’ sleep quality and psychological states in managing painful TMD.

Investigators concluded that both sleep quality and catastrophizing thinking patterns significantly impact how pain fluctuates throughout the day in patients with TMD, suggesting interventions targeting the areas may improve well-being.

Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00511-X/abstract