One of the easiest things you can do to sleep better is to put your smartphone away about an hour before bed, and keep it away while you’re sleeping. The problem is that far too many of us can’t seem to do that. New research from Common Sense found that a staggering 68% of teens…
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It’s well known that using a smartphone in the evening can make going to sleep more difficult, due to the light emitted by the screen. However, new research indicates that regular smartphone use in general is also associated with less sleep. Smartphones are increasingly becoming an indispensable part of everyday life. However, poor sleep is…
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Have you wondered about something related to sleep, but just can’t find the answer? Lots of people do, and that’s why we created Ask SleepBetter. You can ask your own question on the SleepBetter Facebook Page, or by using our Ask SleepBetter contact form. We will try to answer as many questions as possible, but…
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If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times — it’s a bad idea to sleep with your smartphone. Despite that, people do it. In fact, according to a new survey, a vast majority of us do it. The new survey, commissioned by Bank of America, indicates that more than 70 percent of…
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If you read many of our articles here at SleepBetter, you know that we’re against cell phones in the bedroom. They can disturb your sleep in a number of ways. Interesting new research is now saying that those same cell phones can actually disturb an unborn baby’s sleep as well! Scientists conducted a small study…
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Every day it seems there’s a new app available for smartphones that promises to give you all of the information you need on your sleep patterns, making you more educated and able to sleep better. It sounds good in theory, but in the end you’re better off without those apps. This isn’t a case of…
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For years, we’ve published articles here at SleepBetter that warn about having smartphones and tablets turned on in the bedroom while it’s sleep time (a search on SleepBetter for “smartphones” uncovers quite a few of them) but a new survey indicates that it’s still a widespread practice. According to the survey, conducted by the UK regulatory…
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Sleeping with your phone nearby can lead to disrupted sleep, as you’re tempted to check Facebook or Twitter, or return texts and emails. The sounds made by alerts and even the screen turning on and off can be detrimental to uninterrupted sleep. This is why the findings of a new Time Magazine poll are particularly…
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Do you sleep with your cell phone on and nearby? If so, you have plenty of company. A new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project indicates that 65% of adults sleep with their phones. The number skyrockets for younger adults, as 90% of those between 18 and 29 have their phones by…
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Despite increasing awareness of how critical sleep is to our health, getting a good night’s rest remains increasingly difficult in a world that’s always “on” — responding to emails at all hours, news cycles that change with every tweet and staring endlessly into the blue light of cell phone, tablet and computers screens. It’s become…
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A new global survey is giving us a very interesting snapshot about why we’re not sleeping well, and what we’re doing about it. The fifth annual survey from Phillips USA asked sleep-related questions to more than 13,000 people in 13 countries to capture attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors around sleep. This year’s results show global sleep…
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Getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night is a struggle for most people, even for those who are trying. New research from Iowa State University finds more Americans have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. The changes were independent of sleep duration, and difficulties were most prevalent in people with healthy…
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De-cluttering is a huge trend right now, spurred on by Japanese organizer Marie Kondo’s books and her new Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo“. People all over the world are going through their homes and tossing out old things that don’t, “bring them joy.” What would bring your world a lot of joy is…
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You’ve heard of sleep walking and even talking in your sleep, but have you heard of sleep texting? It’s when you manage to keep connected with your friends via text in the middle of the night, but don’t actually remember doing it. And, according to new research, more and more people are doing it. The…
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Most Americans don’t sleep enough, but according to a new study, our teenagers are sleeping even less than adults. A new study finds that the possible reason is that young people are trading their sleep for smartphone time. Most sleep experts agree that adolescents need 9 hours of sleep each night to be engaged and…
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More than a third of elementary school children are failing to get sufficient sleep, and the consequences are significant. A new study has linked poor sleep with difficulties in paying attention in class, keeping up with school work, forgetfulness and absenteeism. Children of that age should get 10 hours sleep per night. The study, conducted by…
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New research backs up what many women already know: They’re sleep deprived. Unlike men, a good night’s sleep for women is affected by having children in the house, according to a preliminary study. “I think these findings may bolster those women who say they feel exhausted,” said study author Kelly Sullivan, PhD, of Georgia Southern…
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A new study indicates that children’s sleep duration may be influenced by parental sleep duration and confidence, which suggests that efforts to address insufficient sleep among children may require family-based interventions. Results of a parental survey show that higher parent confidence in the ability to help children get enough sleep was significantly associated with an…
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A psychology professor who specializes in childhood development says the consequences for kids skipping sleep can be dire. George Mason University professor Adam Winsler, along with collaborators from Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School, gathered data from the Fairfax County Youth Survey in Virginia. This assessment given to all county students in grades eight,…
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In what is sure to be seen as bad news for those who work third shift, researchers say new research shows that when you sleep is as important as how much you sleep. In the research, conducted at Washington State University and published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, scientists shifted mice from their usual cycle of sleeping…
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Have you wondered about something related to sleep, but just can’t find the answer? Lots of people do, and that’s why we created Ask SleepBetter. You can ask your own question on the SleepBetter Facebook Page, or by using our Ask SleepBetter contact form. We will try to answer as many questions as possible, but…
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When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, modern computer and smartphone screens are the worst invention since the electric light. But, how can we avoid them without throwing our technology away and living like it’s the mid-1980s? The screens you look at when working or playing on your laptop, desktop, tablet computer or…
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A new survey shows that those who are prone to texting more also tend to get less sleep. Researchers at Washington and Lee University in Virginia surveyed first-year students at the school about their emotional well-being and their sleep habits. They also asked about the amount of texts they send and receive each day. Their…
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Who is Sleepier? Every second Sunday in May, children of all ages come together to celebrate the mothers and the women who have raised them. About one month later, we honor the men who have played such a large part in our lives. SleepBetter decided to take a look at moms and dads, and calculate…
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New research from Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org is finding that relationships might take a toll on sleep. The SleepBetter.org Sleepless Couples Index found that, on average, American couples get about a half a day less sleep per month than singles and those who had been previously married. Check out our findings below: SleepBetter Sleepless…
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New research may force a revision in thinking about sleep requirements for professions like long-haul truckers and airline flight crews. The study, conducted at the Washington State University, shows there’s no difference between utilizing a split sleep schedule and a continuous sleep schedule. The researchers brought 53 participants to the university’s Sleep and Performance Research Center…
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As part of the Great American Pillow Toss sleep education campaign, Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDCP) annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS) to rank the nation’s most sleep-deprived cities. The results were pulled from the data of 188,795 respondents and shows that a…
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For many, spring break is either more than half over or about to begin, and for a number of us spring break means travel. One thing that is almost unavoidable when flying on long trips is jet lag. Jet lag is essentially your body’s response to a disruption of its circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle….
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Apparently where you live has at least some bearing on how well you sleep. A research team analyzed nationwide data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), producing the first state-by-state sleep maps for the United States. The map, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals that residents of…
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Apparently where you live has at least some bearing on how well you sleep. A research team analyzed nationwide data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), producing the first state-by-state sleep maps for the United States. The map, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals that residents of…
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Have you seen some of the things that can live inside pillows? SleepBetter conducted a scientific test to determine what kind and how much bacteria, mold and yeast colonies live in pillows belonging to college students. It makes a significant case for every college student to take new bedding with them to school. The findings are,…
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We’ve talked about it before here on SleepBetter.org, but a new survey has some eye-opening stats related to smartphone usage and sleep. Smartphones are devices that not only allow you to make phone calls, but also send and receive email and texts, log in to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and even play…
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Heading to the mall for Black Friday shopping this year? Two in three Americans say, “Not in your dreams.” According to a just-released national survey commissioned by sleep tips website SleepBetter.org and conducted by Ipsos, 67 percent of U.S. shoppers say they will not be shopping the day after Thanksgiving. But for those who are,…
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Here at SleepBetter, we don’t normally cover the technology world, but this was too good to pass up. Who among us hasn’t yelled, moaned, or cursed at our alarm clock when it’s blaring at us first thing in the morning? Well, if you’re one of the many, many iPhone or iPod Touch users out there,…
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Despite rooms filled with all manner of electronic distractions – from TVs and video games to computer-based fantasy worlds – almost half of the nation’s children age 7 or younger most often opt for a bedtime story before turning in for the night. And what is America’s all-time favorite bedtime story? According to a national…
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Children between the ages of 13 and 18 years old need 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Is your teen getting that much sleep? Doubtful.