O072 Sex-based differences in pain perception with short sleep: an experimental study in healthy individuals

Abstract Introduction Experimental sleep deprivation has been shown to induce pain hypersensitivity, with more pronounced impacts on females than males. However, whether the effect of chronic short sleep on pain perception differs between sexes is unclear. This study investigated the effects of chronic self-reported short sleep (<6 hrs) on pain perception in males and females. Methods Objective sleep data were collected using a Somfit device. Quantitative sensory testing, including heat, cold, and pressure pain thresholds, temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation of pain, was conducted in the morning following sleep monitoring to measure pain perception. Results The study included 25 healthy participants (15 females) with an average age of 23.16±4.8. Both sexes exhibited similar (short) total sleep times (TST: Males: 232.4 ± 14.9 minutes vs. Females: 244.7 ± 11.7 minutes; p = 0.52). However, females experienced significantly longer REM latency, as compared to males (Males: 62.5 ± 14 minutes vs. Females: 101.1 ± 11.5 minutes; p=.04). All other sleep stages were comparable between sexes (p > 0.05). A General Linear Model revealed significant sex-based differences in pain perception between males and females (F = 5.1; B = 0.66; power = 0.97; p = 0.002), primarily driven by conditioned pain modulation (mean difference = 98.77 ± 33.9; 95% CI: 28.6 to 168.89; p = 0.008). Discussion These preliminary results suggest that short sleeping females have a dysfunctional pain suppressive response, while sleep-deprived males exhibited stronger pain inhibitory response, despite similar (low) sleep amounts.