News: Is extra sleep more effective than painkillers?

Need an excuse to sleep in on the weekend (and every other day)?

Now you have one.

A new study, published in the journal Sleep, shows that extending nightly sleep is more effective than codeine in reducing pain.

‘We were surprised by the magnitude of the reduction in pain sensitivity, when compared to the reduction produced by taking codeine,’ Timothy Roehrs, the study’s lead author, told ScienceBlog.

The study, which involved two sleepy groups of volunteers, looked at the effect of extra sleep on pain tolerance.

Those who got 1.8 hours more sleep per night, over four nights, were able to hold their finger on a radiant heat source for 25 percent longer than those who had less sleep. Interestingly, they were also able to handle the heat better than those (in a previous study) who took 60 mg of codeine.

‘These are the first data to show that an extended bedtime in mildly sleepy healthy adults’reduces pain sensitivity,’ the study’s authors concluded.

What do you think? Do you find that more sleep increases your pain tolerance? Do you think you take painkillers more often when you’re feeling sleepy?

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor

Related:
‘ Is acupuncture better for pain reduction?
‘ How sleep affects your health
‘ 6 easy ways to improve your sleep