Restless sleep is not just annoying, it could lead the development of widespread pain in adults, HealthDay reported.

Fifteen percent of women and 10 percent of men older than 50 suffer from widespread pain, HealthDay reported.

British researchers compiled and analyzed demographic data on the pain, physical and mental health of more than 4,300 adults older than 50 years to identify the triggers of widespread pain. About 2,700 had some pain at the study's start, but none had widespread pain.

Investigators found that restless sleep, anxiety, memory problems and poor health play a role in the development of this type of pain.

Three years after the study began, 19 percent of the participants had new widespread pain.  

Of the participants with some prior pain, 25 percent had new widespread pain. Meanwhile, 8 percent of those with no pain at the start of the study had widespread pain three years later.

 Researchers observed that the new pain in various parts of the body was worse for those who had some pain at the beginning of the study.

"While osteoarthritis is linked to new onset of widespread pain, our findings also found that poor sleep, [memory], and physical and psychological health may increase pain risk," the study's leader, Dr. John McBeth said in the study. "Combined interventions that treat both site-specific and widespread pain are needed for older adults."

While the study finds an association between poor sleep and widespread pain, it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

The results were published Feb. 13 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.