The Influence of Chronotype and Pain

This presentation explores the emerging evidence linking chronotype, or an individual's preference for earlier or later sleep-wake timing, with pain vulnerability and chronic pain outcomes. Based on a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, the talk examines how evening chronotypes are more likely to report chronic pain and experience worse pain-related outcomes than morning or intermediate chronotypes. The presentation will discuss potential mechanisms underlying these associations, including circadian misalignment, sleep disruption, and affective factors, and consider how chronotype assessment may help identify individuals at greater risk for persistent pain and inform personalized chronobiology-based interventions.

Alberto Herrero Babiloni, DDS, PhD, is a researcher at McGill University and the Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine (CARSM/CEAMS) in Montreal, Canada. His work focuses on the interplay between sleep, circadian rhythms, and pain, with particular expertise in chronic pain conditions, temporomandibular disorders, and sleep health. Through interdisciplinary research, Dr. Babiloni investigates how circadian and…