How sleep deprivation impacts wound healing

  • December 13, 2010
  • 797
                        
There are many reasons why a wound may not heal. All patients need more energy to heal, but there are factors that may interfere with the healing process. For example, alcohol and smoking interfere with the body’s defense system. People with nutritional deficiencies are more likely to have poor wound healing, but did you know that sleep disorders can also slow down the wound healing process? Quality sleep serves to promote improvement in the immune system. With an improved immune system, you can reduce your risk for additional injury, infection, and improve your mental state of mind. These dynamics are also important to the wound and injury healing process. If you seek care for a wound, you may have some of the following questions: Why am I being given a sleep questionnaire? Wound healing is a complex physiological process that engages protein changes, cell division and replication, and promotes the release of growth hormones. With sleeping, these processes are vastly improved. When patients are sleep deprived or not getting enough sleep due to sleep disorders, the body is unable to engage in the wound healing processes, as it is actively working to maintain normal bodily functions. So, without proper sleep, the body cannot recover and rejuvenate, as it should. What if my sleep questionnaire is positive? If your sleep questionnaire is positive, it may be recommended by our physicians you have a nighttime sleep study to rule out any potential sleep disorders that could impede the wound healing process. This potentially can be done in your own home. What is a sleep study? A polysomnogram or nighttime sleep study is a test done on an outpatient basis that monitors brain activity, sleep architecture, muscle activity, heart rhythm, oxygen saturations, breathing, and breathing effort to evaluate what kind of sleep you are getting. If I need a sleep study, where is that done? Wooster Community Hospital has a Sleep Disorders Center that is nationally ranked as one of the top sleep centers in the country by Advance Magazine and is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). It is located within the hospital on the second floor. What if I have a sleep study and it is positive for a sleep disorder? If it is found you have a sleep disorder that is problematic and could interfere with the wound healing process, a consultation will be made with a sleep disorders specialist and treatment will be recommended. Remember, not getting at least 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep will impact other areas such as attention and memory problems, depressed mood, excessive daytime sleepiness, more night-time falls and poor quality of life. For more information, consult The Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Healing Center 330-263-8750 or the Sleep Disorder Center 330-263-8400 at Wooster Community Hospital.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load