In patients experiencing orofacial pain, sleep disturbances are linked with pain intensity and pain-linked functional interference.

The objective of the study was to examine individuals with orofacial pain and associated sleep disturbances and to identify the most significant psychosocial factors linked to these conditions.

A cross-sectional study analyzed anonymized data from a series of consecutive people experiencing orofacial pain. The integration of diagnostic and Axis-II data was employed to examine the association between sleep disturbances (evaluated through the Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory) and various factors including pain- and psychological-related functioning, pain severity, recent stressful events, clinical comorbidities, and demographic characteristics.

Overall, 5 out of 6 individuals suffering from orofacial pain experienced sleep disturbances related to pain. Notably, the presence of primary orofacial headache was found to be linked with heightened sleep issues compared to other orofacial pain conditions. However, after considering the levels of interference and pain intensity, the primary headache was no longer a substantial factor in the occurrence of pain-related sleep disturbances.

Through multivariate analysis, it was discovered that both average pain severity and pain interference were substantially linked to sleep problems. Additionally, there were independent and notable associations between sleep problems and somatization levels, as well as the reported experience of recent stressful events.

Including sleep problems in the management of orofacial pain could prove advantageous and potentially lead to improved treatment outcomes.