The DOI matches its Crossref record; 96 of the 96 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
How do sleep disturbance and chronic pain inter-relate? Insights from the longitudinal and cognitive-behavioral clinical trials literature
Abstract
Sleep disturbance is perhaps one of the most prevalent complaints of patients with chronically painful conditions. Experimental studies of healthy subjects and cross-sectional research in clinical populations suggest the possibility that the relationship between sleep disturbance and pain might be reciprocal, such that pain disturbs sleep continuity/quality and poor sleep further exacerbates pain. This suggests that aggressive management of sleep disturbance may be an important treatment objective with possible benefits beyond the improvement in sleep. Little is known, however, about how to effectively treat sleep disturbance associated with pain or whether such treatment might have beneficial effects on reducing pain. A small, but growing literature has applied cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) for either pain management or insomnia to patients with chronic pain. In this article, we review the longitudinal literature on sleep disturbance associated with chronic pain and clinical trial literatures of cognitive-behavior therapy for pain management and insomnia secondary to chronic pain with the aim of evaluating whether the relationship between clinical pain and insomnia is reciprocal. While methodological problems are common, the literature suggests that the relationship is reciprocal and CBT treatments for pain or insomnia hold promise in reducing pain severity and improving sleep quality. Directions for future research include the use of validated measures of sleep, longitudinal studies, and larger randomized clinical trials incorporating appropriate attentional controls and longer periods of follow-up.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Dysfunction in the physiology of sleep is common in those suffering from chronic pain (Smith and Haythornthwaite, 2004).”
From Self-management strategies to consider to combat endometriosis symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) · cites this paper as Smith and Haythornthwaite, 2004
In the citing paper
“Sleep disorders are among the most common concerns related to pain [73].”
From ACTsmart: Guided Smartphone-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain—A Pilot Trial. (2021) · cites this paper as [73]
In the citing paper
“between 50% and 88% of patients with chronic pain report problems with sleep (Smith & Haythornthwaite, 2004).”
From Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: Clinical implications of recent research findings. (2014) · cites this paper as Smith & Haythornthwaite, 2004
Citations
Cites
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research
Buysse, D. J., Reynolds, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4 · Cited by 35,234
Epidemiologic study of sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders. An opportunity for prevention?
Ford, D. E. (1989) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.262.11.1479 · Cited by 2,440
Epidemiologic Study of Sleep Disturbances and Psychiatric Disorders: An Opportunity for Prevention?
Ford, D. E. (1989) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.1989.03430110069030 · Cited by 2,252
Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders: A longitudinal epidemiological study of young Adults
Breslau, N., Roth, T., Rosenthal, L., & Andreski, P. (1996) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/0006-3223(95)00188-3 · Cited by 1,831
The functional states of the thalamus and the associated neuronal interplay.
Steriade, M., & Llinas, R. R. (1988) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.1988.68.3.649 · Cited by 1,746
Morley, S., Eccleston, C., & Williams, A. (1999) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(98)00255-3 · Cited by 1,597
Gabapentin for the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia A Randomized Controlled Trial
Rowbotham, M. C. (1998) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.280.21.1837 · Cited by 1,418
A behavioral perspective on insomnia treatment
Spielman, A. J., Caruso, L. S., & Glovinsky, P. B. (1987) · Psychiatric Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/s0193-953x(18)30532-x · Cited by 1,261
Behavioral and Pharmacological Therapies for Late-Life Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Morin, C. M., Colecchi, C., Stone, J., Sood, R., & Brink, D. (1999) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.281.11.991 · Cited by 1,095
Treatment of Chronic Insomnia by Restriction of Time in Bed
(1987) · Sleep · doi:10.1093/sleep/10.1.45 · Cited by 948
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Moldofsky, 1983, sleep and morning symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis, J Rheumatol, 10, 373
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 901–913 of 913
Elsokary, E. A., Hamed, A. E. M., Hamza, M. F., Hamza, M. F., Othman, A. A., & Barakat, A. M. (2026) · Pain Management Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2026.07.023
Hadrévi, J., Philipson, J., Stålnacke, B., Berginström, N., Löfgren, M., Holmqvist, A., Möller, M. C., & Ghafouri, B. (2026) · Brain Behavior & Immunity - Health · doi:10.1016/j.bbih.2026.101339
“…contribution of neuro-transmitters, opioid systems and inflammatory cytokines in the regulation of the interaction between pain, mental fatigue, and sleep remains largely unknown (Kourbanova et al., 2022), though pain in itself often induce both fatigue and sleep disturbances (Smith et al., 2004).”
Runge, N., Goossens, Z., Labie, C., Verschueren, S., Assche, D. V., Malfliet, A., Maîresse, O., & Baets, L. D. (2026) · Musculoskeletal Science and Practice · doi:10.1016/j.msksp.2026.103657
Frequent pain and insomnia symptoms in older Indian couples: Actor, partner, and joint associations
Zhang, S., Cheng, H., Wu, Y., Miao, T., Wang, C., Zhang, D., Zhang, T., & Zhang, J. (2026) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106431
Cicekler, M. E., Genç, H., Demircioğlu, G., & Burma, K. (2026) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare14172853
Establishment and evaluation of animal models of sleep disorders
Xue, S.-W., & Chen, Q. (2026) · Neuron Communications · doi:10.1016/j.neurcm.2026.100003
Schlaf als Leistungsfaktor im Sport – Evidenz für die sportphysiotherapeutische Praxis
Frytz, P., & Hoedlmoser, K. (2026) · Sportphysio · doi:10.1055/a-2895-3928
Valdes-Hernandez, P. A., Montesino-Goicolea, S., Li, X., Peraza, J. A., Weber, E., Mickle, A. M., Staud, R. M., Lai, S., Sibille, K. T., Goodin, B. R., et al. (2026) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106459
Neves, L., dos Santos, D. D., Neto, M. P. C., Júnior, F. J. P., Laino, P. H., Baldessarini, B. L., Lima, B. C., & Grillo, R. (2026) · Sleep And Breathing · doi:10.1007/s11325-026-03827-4
“Because pain drives sleep fragmentation and transient arousals [40], the reduction in pain may itself explain the lower bruxism index through fewer arousals, so the result may not generalise to painless SB.”
de Freitas, E. M., Silva, A., & Esteves, A. M. (2026) · Pain Management · doi:10.1080/17581869.2026.2748285
Vidor, L. P. (2010) · Americanae (AECID Library)
Psychological Treatment for Fibromyalgia
Hopcian, J. T., & Lindsay, D. R. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15820-4_6 · Cited by 2
Pharmacological Pain Management: For Better or for Worse?
Pickering, G. P., & Lussier, D. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-12033-1_9
Metadata
- Authors
- Smith, M. T., & Haythornthwaite, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, Michael T
- Venue
- Sleep Medicine Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-04
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 119-132
- ISSN
- 1087-0792 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2167864730
- Cited by
- 914
- References
- 95
- Citations by year
- 2026: 38 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 64 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 52 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 41
- FWCI
- 2.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Sleep Medicine Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
- Keywords
- sleep disorders, chronic pain, insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, pain management, sleep quality, longitudinal study
- MeSH terms
- Chronic Disease, Clinical Trials as Topic, Humans, Pain, Sleep Wake Disorders, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Pain Management
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
