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Insomnia and ankylosing spondylitis What to knowMedically reviewed by Nancy Carteron, M.D., FACR — By Jenna Fletcher on May 19, 2022Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that often affects the spine but can have broad effects on the entire body and overall wellness. The symptoms and comorbidities of ankylosing spondylitis may lead to sleep issues, such as insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep disturbance that affects a person’s ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get high quality sleep.
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Ryan Garcia 1 minutes ago
There are two types of insomnia: short-term and chronic. Short-term insomnia lasts for days or weeks...
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Julia Zhang Member
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Wednesday, 07 May 2025
There are two types of insomnia: short-term and chronic. Short-term insomnia lasts for days or weeks and occurs due to temporary factors, such as changes in sleep routine, travel, stress, or other issues. Doctors will describe insomnia as chronic if it occurs three or more times per week for a minimum of 3 months and does not seem to be due to another health condition.
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Emma Wilson Admin
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Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Insomnia can also be either primary or secondary. Primary insomnia occurs for no known reason, whereas secondary insomnia is due to an underlying condition, such as anxiety or depression, or other known factors. Living with AS can affect a person’s sleep duration and quality.
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Brandon Kumar 9 minutes ago
These disturbances can have a negative effect on a person’s overall quality of life. This article ...
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Nathan Chen Member
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These disturbances can have a negative effect on a person’s overall quality of life. This article discusses the connection between insomnia and AS and provides some tips on how to manage insomnia.
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Alexander Wang 2 minutes ago
What the research says about insomnia and ankylosing spondylitis
The body of research looking specif...
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Sofia Garcia 3 minutes ago
However, most of the available studies focus on other sleep issues not necessarily related to insomn...
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Isaac Schmidt Member
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Wednesday, 07 May 2025
What the research says about insomnia and ankylosing spondylitis
The body of research looking specifically at AS and insomnia is generally sparse. As a result, studies examining the effects that AS has on sleep are also limited. The scant data mean that sleep disturbances may affect anywhere from 64.8% to 91.0% of people living with AS.
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Scarlett Brown Member
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Wednesday, 07 May 2025
However, most of the available studies focus on other sleep issues not necessarily related to insomnia. The researchers behind a 2019 study propose that AS increases the risk of new-onset sleep apnea.
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Andrew Wilson 17 minutes ago
The study showed that people with a new diagnosis of AS had an increased risk of developing sleep ap...
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Joseph Kim 14 minutes ago
An older study from 2012 reports that the symptoms of AS affect various aspects of sleep, increasing...
The study showed that people with a new diagnosis of AS had an increased risk of developing sleep apnea within the first 2 years following diagnosis. The population most at risk were people aged 40–50 years. This study supports the findings of a 2015 study, which indicated that people with AS have a 30.9% higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea than people without AS.
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Madison Singh 2 minutes ago
An older study from 2012 reports that the symptoms of AS affect various aspects of sleep, increasing...
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Sebastian Silva Member
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An older study from 2012 reports that the symptoms of AS affect various aspects of sleep, increasing the time it takes to fall asleep and raising the chance of waking during the night. The authors conclude that these sleep disturbances negatively affect a person’s quality of life.
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Emma Wilson 24 minutes ago
Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms that may increase insomnia
AS can cause a variety of symptoms, inclu...
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Kevin Wang Member
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Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms that may increase insomnia
AS can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain and stiffness. Comorbidities, such as anxiety and depression, are also common. These different factors may cause secondary insomnia in people living with AS.
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Depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety can often lead to sleep disturbances, such as insomnia...
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Pain
The pain that AS can cause may sometimes lead to insomnia. Studies have also shown that pain an...
Depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety can often lead to sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, which can be both a symptom and a comorbidity of these two conditions. Research has shown that people living with AS have a much higher chance of developing depression than the general population. As a result, a person with AS who is also living with depression, anxiety, or both may find that they experience insomnia.
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Pain
The pain that AS can cause may sometimes lead to insomnia. Studies have also shown that pain an...
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Ryan Garcia Member
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Pain
The pain that AS can cause may sometimes lead to insomnia. Studies have also shown that pain and insomnia can make each other worse.
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Stress
Stress can worsen insomnia. If a person experiences insomnia, the stress associated with not ...
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Harper Kim 20 minutes ago
Tips for managing insomnia and getting better sleep with ankylosing spondylitis
People living with A...
Stress
Stress can worsen insomnia. If a person experiences insomnia, the stress associated with not getting enough sleep can make it more difficult to fall asleep. In other words, a person enters a cycle of stress and sleeplessness.
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Ella Rodriguez 34 minutes ago
Tips for managing insomnia and getting better sleep with ankylosing spondylitis
People living with A...
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James Smith 12 minutes ago
A person can adopt good sleep hygiene practices to minimize the likelihood of insomnia. These practi...
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Liam Wilson Member
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Tips for managing insomnia and getting better sleep with ankylosing spondylitis
People living with AS who experience insomnia may benefit from talking with a doctor about their sleeping issues. The doctor may be able to help identify the root cause of the insomnia, which can then allow them to address it directly. Treating and keeping AS under control can help improve the symptoms, including insomnia.
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Harper Kim Member
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A person can adopt good sleep hygiene practices to minimize the likelihood of insomnia. These practices include:avoiding large meals late at nightgoing to bed only when sleepyavoiding caffeinesetting a regular sleep scheduleavoiding screen time before bedrefraining from hitting snooze on the alarm clocksetting up a suitable environment in the bedroom by minimizing noise and light and making the room coolleaving the bedroom if unable to fall asleepavoiding napping during the day
Summary
AS may cause a person to experience insomnia. In some cases, insomnia may be the result of a direct symptom, such as AS-associated pain.
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In others, it may occur indirectly because of a comorbidity, such as depression or anxiety. A person...
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A person can also take steps to improve their sleep, such as avoiding caffeine and establishing a fi...
In others, it may occur indirectly because of a comorbidity, such as depression or anxiety. A person should talk with a doctor if they experience insomnia. The doctor may be able to help them find a solution.
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A person can also take steps to improve their sleep, such as avoiding caffeine and establishing a fi...
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Here, learn about the best exercises, how to do them…READ MOREAnkylosing spondylitis: Effects on t...
A person can also take steps to improve their sleep, such as avoiding caffeine and establishing a fixed bedtime routine. Last medically reviewed on May 19, 2022UncategorizedMedically reviewed by Nancy Carteron, M.D., FACR — By Jenna Fletcher on May 19, 2022
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