Opening our eyes to the links between sleep and living well

We all know a good night’s sleep can make us feel ready to face the day, while a bout of insomnia can leave us feeling exhausted and miserable. That’s because sleep plays a vital role in maintaining our good health and wellbeing, with poor sleep linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. And because disrupted sleep is a common symptom of arthritis, researchers at the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology at the University of Manchester are embarking on an innovative study to investigate the sleep patterns of people with rheumatoid arthritis and the impact poor sleep has on the rest of their daily lives. The latest technology will enable researchers to collect extensive data to help us understand more about common sleep problems associated with the condition. This insight will be used to develop more effective, personalised ways of tackling sleep problems in the hope that, in future, people with rheumatoid arthritis will have a far better chance of a good night’s sleep, boosting their quality of life. Focusing on the interaction between how people sleep and factors that affect everyday lives Dr John McBeth, who's leading the three-year study, explains: "Our focus will be on looking at the interaction between how people sleep and factors that affect our everyday lives, for example levels of pain and fatigue and our mood. "We’re recruiting 360 adults with rheumatoid ...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news