30, October 2026

A Review on Sleep Loss and Central Pain Processing: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Pain Hypersensitivity

VOLUME-12; ISSUE-10; OCT-2026

Author(s): Dr. Y. Shanti Prabha

Authors Affiliations:

Dr. Y. Shanti Prabha

Senior Lecturer in Zoology

Government Degree College, Vizianagaram (Nellimarla), Andhra Pradesh, India

DOIs:10.2015/IJIRMF/202610021     |     Paper ID: IJIRMF202610021


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Sleep and pain are closely linked, and increasing evidence shows that they influence each other in both directions. Pain can make it difficult to fall asleep, cause repeated awakenings, and reduce the quality and restorative value of sleep. In turn, inadequate or disturbed sleep can make people more sensitive to pain and can reduce the brain’s ability to control and adapt to painful stimuli. Over time, this can create a continuing cycle in which poor sleep aggravates pain, while persistent pain further interferes with sleep. Research suggests that sleep loss affects pain processing at several levels, from the initial detection of painful signals to their transmission and interpretation within the spinal cord and brain. Changes in the activity of neurotransmitters and other chemical messengers, including serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, endogenous opioids, and melatonin, may contribute to these changes. Sleep disturbance is also associated with increased inflammatory activity, including changes in cytokines such as interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumour necrosis factor-α. Interactions between inflammatory signals and neural cells, including microglia and astrocytes, may further contribute to the development and maintenance of pain sensitivity. In addition, disruption of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system may connect sleep loss and psychological stress with changes in cortisol, inflammation, and pain perception. Taken together, these findings suggest that disturbed sleep is not simply a consequence of pain; it can also actively contribute to the persistence and worsening of pain. A better understanding of the links between sleep, pain, inflammation, neurotransmitters, and stress may therefore help in developing more effective and integrated approaches to pain management, in which improving sleep is considered an important part of treatment.

Sleep deprivation; Pain sensitization; Chronic pain; Neuroinflammation; Central pain processing; Neuroendocrine mechanisms

Dr. Y. Shanti Prabha (2026); A Review on Sleep Loss and Central Pain Processing: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Pain Hypersensitivity, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, ISSN(O): 2455-0620, Vol-12, Issue-10, Available on –   https://www.ijirmf.com/

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