Perhaps it’s no surprise that a new study has shown that arthritis can harm sleep quality – particularly when arthritis pain isn’t well controlled, or if the arthritis sufferer is depressed or anxious.
What may be more of a surprise is just how prevalent sleep disturbances are among those with arthritis – a shocking 23% (or 10 million Americans) find sleep to be a problem.
Arthritis sufferers are almost three times more likely to suffer from insomnia, excessive sleepiness during the day or getting less than six hours of sleep at night than those without the condition.
To be honest, these statistics took us by surprise – why have we not heard about this link before? Insomnia needs to command more attention, and fast. Until that happens, too many people will continue to suffer in silence.
As always, there's more information and advice in our insomnia support forum.