Summary
Heart rate measured during sleep with wearables predicts next-day pain intensity in fibromyalgia and chronic back pain, suggesting autonomic hyperactivation precedes and may cause pain increases.
Methods
Longitudinal wearable monitoring in chronic pain patients
Key Findings
- Higher nighttime HR predicts higher next-day pain
- Autonomic hyperactivation precedes pain increases
- Relationship holds for both fibromyalgia and chronic back pain
- Suggests causal role of sympathetic activation in pain
- May enable predictive pain management
Limitations
Correlation study, individual thresholds vary
What This Means for You
If you have chronic pain, tracking overnight HR/HRV may help predict flare days. When you see elevated nighttime HR, consider preemptive rest and stress management the following day.
Source
Read the original paper in Pain Reports ↗
Added to HRV Zone: 2025-01-10