Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance

Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance

Primary motives such as sleep, sex, and pain avoidance are crucial drivers of behavior in humans and animals. These motives ensure survival, reproductive success, and overall well-being by prompting actions that meet essential bodily needs.
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...

Relationship Formation

Relationship Formation

What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...

Ending Relationships

Ending Relationships

The dissolution of intimate relationships presents complex emotional and psychological challenges, particularly when emotional bonds are strong, the relationship is long-standing, and perceived alternatives are limited. This distress often intensifies in romantic breakups, where the initiator may experience greater turmoil than the rejected partner. Contributing factors include residual attachment, guilt over causing pain, and uncertainty about how to manage the situation. The stress is further...

Stages of Sleep

Stages of Sleep

Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...

Understanding Sleep

Understanding Sleep

Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Assessment of Geriatric Problems and Risk Factors for Delirium in Surgical Medicine: Protocol for Multidisciplinary Prospective Clinical Study.

JMIR research protocols·2025

Same author

[Sleep disorders in the elderly : Importance in geriatrics].

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2017

Same author

Sleep in older adults and in subjects with dementia.

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2017

Same journal

[Journal Club].

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2026

Same journal

Effect of anticholinergic burden on cardiac functions in older patients.

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2026

Same journal

[Communication in later life under institutional conditions : Professional perspectives on communication of ageing people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities].

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2026

Same journal

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2026

Same journal

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2026

Same journal

Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram

Published on: July 7, 2023

Pain and sleep : A bidirectional relationship.

Helmut Frohnhofen¹

¹Faculty of Health, Department of Medicine, University Witten-Herdecke, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, 45276, Witten, Germany. helmut.frohnhofen@uni-wh.de.

Zeitschrift Fur Gerontologie Und Geriatrie

|October 28, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Persistent pain and disturbed sleep are common in older adults. This bidirectional relationship means pain impacts sleep, and poor sleep lowers pain tolerance, requiring integrated management.

Keywords:

Analgesics Geriatrics Intractable pain Quality of life Sleep disorders

More Related Videos

Quantitative Measurement of the Immune Response and Sleep in Drosophila

Quantitative Measurement of the Immune Response and Sleep in Drosophila

Published on: December 4, 2012

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice

Published on: June 19, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram

Published on: July 7, 2023

Quantitative Measurement of the Immune Response and Sleep in Drosophila

Quantitative Measurement of the Immune Response and Sleep in Drosophila

Published on: December 4, 2012

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice

Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice

Published on: June 19, 2019

Area of Science:

Gerontology
Pain Medicine
Sleep Medicine

Background:

Persistent pain and disturbed sleep are prevalent issues in the elderly population.
The impact of chronic pain on sleep quality is well-established.
The relationship between pain and sleep is bidirectional, affecting overall health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the bidirectional relationship between disturbed sleep and persistent pain in older adults.
To highlight the impact of sleep disturbances on pain perception.
To emphasize the need for integrated disease management strategies.

Main Methods:

Literature review on pain perception and sleep disturbances in geriatrics.
Analysis of the physiological mechanisms linking sleep and pain.
Synthesis of current clinical approaches to managing comorbid pain and sleep issues.

Main Results:

Persistent pain significantly disrupts sleep patterns in the elderly.
Disturbed sleep lowers the pain threshold, exacerbating pain perception.
The interplay between pain and sleep creates a challenging cycle for patients.

Conclusions:

Optimal management of older adults requires addressing both persistent pain and disturbed sleep concurrently.
Integrated care strategies are essential for improving quality of life in geriatric patients with comorbid pain and sleep disorders.
Further research into the specific mechanisms of this bidirectional relationship is warranted.