Neuropathic and mucosal/cutaneous pain types were associated with the most detrimental effects on sleep quality, while gender and age also influenced specific sleep parameters in patients with orofacial pain.
The mean global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score across all orofacial pain patients was 5.56 ± 2.84.
Neuropathic and mucosal/cutaneous pain groups demonstrated significantly higher PSQI scores, particularly in sleep latency and sleep disturbances.
Female patients had significantly higher PSQI scores in sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction compared to male patients.
Age was weakly but significantly correlated with several PSQI components.
Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale alongside sleep quality assessment in a cross-sectional design across eight distinct orofacial pain categories.
This research suggests that not all types of mouth and facial pain affect sleep equally. Among 400 dental patients divided into eight pain categories, those experiencing neuropathic pain (nerve-related pain) and mucosal or skin-related pain reported the worst sleep quality, particularly having more trouble falling asleep and more nighttime disturbances. Other types of orofacial pain, such as tooth pulp pain or pain from dental implants, appeared to have less severe impacts on sleep. The study also found that a person's gender and age play a role in how pain affects sleep. Women in the study reported significantly more difficulty falling asleep, more sleep disturbances, and more problems functioning during the day compared to men. Age showed a smaller but still meaningful relationship with several aspects of sleep quality. The average sleep quality score across all patients (5.56 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, where higher scores indicate worse sleep) hovered near the commonly used threshold of 5 that distinguishes poor from good sleepers. This research suggests that clinicians treating orofacial pain should consider the specific type of pain when evaluating and managing a patient's sleep problems, and that women and older patients may be at greater risk for sleep disruption. Understanding these differences could help tailor treatment approaches more effectively for patients dealing with chronic or severe oral and facial pain conditions.
Coşgun-Baybars S, Talu M, Yalçin H, Gökdemir D. (2026). Type-specific effects of orofacial pain on sleep quality: a cross-sectional clinical study.. Journal of oral & facial pain and headache. https://doi.org/10.22514/jofph.2026.011