Getting adequate sleep could stave off hypersensitivity to pain

December 28, 2023

SLEEP AWAY the pain? It’s NOT too good to be true!

It’s one of the BIGGEST health issues that PLAGUES folks around the world today. 

It has no SINGLE cause…

And for some patients, there’s ZERO relief in sight. 

This health challenge could lead to disability… depression… and even addiction. 

I’m talking about pain.

One in 5 Americans experience pain that NEVER goes away (a.k.a. chronic pain)…

Be it low back pain… cancer pain… arthritis pain… nerve pain… or others.

Fortunately, I’m here today to share a way you could “turn off” those RELENTLESS pain signals… 

WITHOUT drugs.

But I GUARANTEE your pharmacist would never talk to you about it before filling your script!

It’s a daily habit we don’t pay close enough attention to…

And, in fact, so much of what we do SABOTAGES our ability to do it right. 

Have you guessed it yet?

It’s sleep. 

According to a recent study, sleep deprivation is DIRECTLY LINKED to increased pain – everything from migraines and other kinds of headaches to a rogue’s gallery of other types of pain. 

And the study’s lead author, a researcher out of Harvard, thinks he’s figured out why. 

Turns out, when you DON’T get enough sleep… it SUPPRESSES the release of a brain chemical called N-arachidonoyl dopamine, or NADA for short.

Now, even though it’s got the word “dopamine” in its name… it’s actually different than the “pleasure hormone” known simply as dopamine. 

NADA is part of the body’s endocannabinoid system… in which certain molecules link up with cannabinoid receptors like a lock and key. 

This is the same bodily system that’s activated by cannabis (a.k.a. medical marijuana) to ease pain. 

But unlike “weed”… NADA is made by your own body (that’s what the “endo” part of the name means)…

Which means it’s PERFECTLY safe and natural…

And it’s what your body prefers!

But if you suffer from insomnia… apnea… or anything else that ROBS you of that restful slumber…

Your plummeting levels of NADA could make you MORE sensitive to pain!

You may not have INJURED anything… and a physical exam may not reveal a WORSENING condition…

But the way your brain PERCEIVES the pain has gotten a whole lot worse. 

There’s even a name for it: hyperalgesia. 

And according to this latest study, it occurs because of a breakdown on BOTH sides of the equation: a slowed production of NADA and decreased activity in the endocannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1 receptor).

The good news is… when NADA levels were RESTORED in the study… it NORMALIZED the pain signals…

And REVERSED the hypersensitivity!

Here’s the kicker…

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When you’re in so much pain… it makes it HARDER to sleep.

And that’s when you find yourself in a vicious cycle. 

THIS is what pain specialists are IGNORING…

And why too many patients are left EMPTY-HANDED… with pain that persists over the course of weeks… months… and even years. 

Now, I mentioned earlier how our own actions can DISRUPT a good night’s sleep… so that’s a good place to start when figuring out how to get your sleep habits back on track.

There are two biggies nearly everyone needs reminding of:

  1. TURN OFF all screens at least an hour before bed, including the TV and cell phones
  2. FAST for a few hours before bedtime… including ZERO spicy foods, alcohol, chocolate, and sugar of any kind.

Once you STOP throwing a monkey wrench into your nightly routine… if you’re STILL having trouble falling or staying asleep…

There are some other non-drug options you can try, like aromatherapy. 

For better health,

Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.

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