Sleep disturbances among children with chronic pain

Chronic pains such as recurrent headaches and stomachaches are common complaints among children and adolescents. Children with chronic pain often miss significant amounts of school and suffer from depression and anxiety, and there is reason to believe that chronic pains are likely to persist into adulthood. While sleep problems are frequently reported among children with recurrent pain, little is known about the relationship between sleep problems and pain. The goal of this research is to examine how sleep disturbances might contribute to pain and pain-related interference with daily activities among adolescents. A total of 200 adolescents with and without recurrent pains will participate in two separate studies that will use interviews, diaries, measures of movement during sleep, and lab-based experiments to advance knowledge regarding the role of sleep problems in chronic pain. This research will provide important information that will aid in understanding chronic pain in children and will provide the basis for future research that will explore sleep as a treatment target for children who suffer from chronic pain.