Waking up with aches and pain impacts your health more than you realize

WHISPER talks about the pain-sleep connection; new study suggests that a good night’s sleep is a more effective way of relieving pain over long term

Dubai, United Arab Emirates:16 September 2019

Waking up with a stiff neck or sharp back ache is often a result of poor sleeping posture.  In most cases, people choose to ignore the pain, consider it normal and hop out of bed in the morning to go about their usual daily routine.  Experts, however, warned that when the neck or spine is constantly stressed muscle spasms, stiff neck or a sprained back are the most likely outcomes, and can occur at any time.

Sleep expert Dominik Zunkovic, who is also the Founder of WHISPER, said, “A good night’s sleep should help us feel rejuvenated when we wake up the next day.  Feeling sore, stiff and unrested in the morning is not only inconvenient, it also takes a sharp toll on the human body, impairing motor ability, mood, and our ability to carry out the day’s planned activities. This makes it critical to take steps to achieve good posture while sleeping.”

Disrupted sleep can also exacerbate chronic ache problem noting that pain and sleep are closely linked and impact each other, this according to Dominik.

“There is ample evidence suggesting the pain-sleep connection.  Those who don’t get enough sleep are more at risk of chronic pain syndromes, while people suffering from chronic pain often find it hard to sleep and their woes are compounded by insomnia and sleeping disorders.  It can become a vicious cycle of pain interrupting sleep, and lack of sleep making the pain worse,” Dominik explained.

Defined as pain that lasts or recurs for more than three months, chronic pain – such as lower back pain, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Fibromyalgia – is a one of the most significant causes of suffering and disability worldwide, with reports estimating that about one in five, or around 1.5 billion people globally suffer from the disease.  Chronic pain not only causes severe personal suffering to patients and their families but also brings additional costs to the economy.

Taking this into account, Dominik stressed the need for quality sleep as part of pain management.  “Sleep loss increases the experience of pain and a new study by the University of California, Berkeley has confirmed this.  Based on the research, sleep deprivation causes some neural glitches in the brain, triggering activity in the somatosensory cortex, which receives and reads pain signals, amplifying pain,” he said.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience early this year, also found that insufficient sleep causes decreased activity in the nucleus accumbens, a region of the brain that produces the neurotransmitter dopamine, which increases pleasure and relieves pain.  Sleep loss not only amplifies the pain-sensing regions in the brain but also blocks the natural analgesia centers, numbing the brain’s painkilling response.

“These findings only prove that deep, relaxing sleep is the best solution there is to address chronic pain.  And while there are a number of ways to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep, it all starts with finding the right mattress and pillows that provide optimal body support whatever your sleep style is.  At WHISPER, we are committed to using only the perfect mix of modern technology and high-quality materials for our products.  The WHISPER mattress and pillows boast of a revolutionary ergonomic design and are made with our proprietary open-cell Quantum foam,” Dominik said.

Highly sensitive and responsive, Quantum foam cradles the sleeper, adapting to the shape of his body to provide pressure point relief and complete contouring comfort.  However, unlike memory foam, Quantum foam is an open-cell foam that is breathable, which means that it allows heat and sweat to dissipate, ensuring a cozy comfortable sleep throughout the night.  WHISPER also uses thermoregulating fabric, which helps the sleeper cool down when it’s hot or warms him when it’s cold.

On top of the breakthrough open-cell Quantum foam, WHISPER takes comfort a notch higher by allowing customers to adjust the mattress’ firmness according to their preferences.  “The WHISPER mattress comes with the soft side up by default. If this setting is too soft for you, you just need to flip the DNA core, which has a firmer green foam on the bottom. With the green foam now facing up, your WHISPER mattress conveniently becomes firmer.  In the same manner, the WHISPER pillows are adjustable in height.  Unzip the cover, and remove the pillow core inside. You just need to remove the core cover and access the two inner cores. You can flip or remove the lower core to adjust the height to your preference. These flexible features further allow for proper spinal alignment while reducing pressure on the neck, shoulders, hips and the lower back,” Dominik said.

True to its aim of providing customers better, more restful sleep at a great value, WHISPER, the UAE’s mattress e-commerce pioneer, offers a 100-night risk-free trial of their premium mattress with money back guarantee.  The WHISPER mattress also comes with a 12-year warranty while the pillows have a seven-year warranty.