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There are so many good reasons to try to ensure that your child gets enough sleep that it’s not possible to list them all here.  But, does your child get enough rest?  “If we make sure our children get enough sleep, it can help protect them from mental health problems,” says Bror M. Ranum, a…
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Do you dream about a deep slumber that lasts all night?  There are many, many things that can keep us from sleeping soundly, and if you’re not sleeping as well as you like, you should definitely discuss it with your doctor.  One thing you may be told, however, is to evaluate whether your bedding is supportive…
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Every now and then, nearly everyone goes through through periods when sleeping is difficult.  The list of reasons this could happen is very long.  But, what do you do about it?  Check out these SleepBetter tips: Review your bedding and sleep environment.  Many times, the place in which you sleep can be blamed for your…
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It’s a fact of nature that not everyone goes to bed at the same time. All of our body clocks are set at least a little different, and there’s actually a good evolutionary reason for it.  But, wouldn’t it be cool to know exactly what time your body is set to?  Science may have found…
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Humans and fruit flies may have not shared a common ancestor for hundreds of millions of years, but the neurons that govern our circadian clocks are strikingly similar. Now, University of Michigan researchers have made a discovery in fruit flies that may teach us a little more about our own sleep cycles. Using the fruit…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
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It’s well known that humans and other animals are fatigued and sleepy when sick, and it certainly makes sense when you think about why, but new research is telling us how the process works.  It turns out a microscopic roundworm is providing an explanation, and it could lead to treatment for conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome….
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What is good quality sleep?  It’s hard to quantify, but we usually know it when we see it.  The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is trying to quantify good sleep, however, and recently released the key indicators, as established by a panel of experts. Given the increase in the use of sleep technology devices, the key…
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Johns Hopkins researchers say they’ve identified brain cells that are responsible for why delaying bedtime creates chronic sleepiness. The researchers reached their findings by studying fruit flies, whose sleep is remarkably similar to that in people.  In a report on the research published online on May 19, 2016 in Cell, the scientists say they found…
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We’re now a few days into the brand new year. Did you make any resolutions related to sleep? If not, perhaps you should start thinking of a few. Sleeping better can help you remain happier, healthier, and even assist with one of the most common resolutions — losing weight.  Here are a few suggestions for…
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For years, we’ve known that making sure you’re getting enough exercise can help you get a better night’s sleep.  It turns out, however, that not all movement will help you when it’s time to get your nightly rest. University of Pennsylvania researchers looked at data collected from more than 400,000 subjects in 2013.  The Penn…
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If you’ve read any amount of SleepBetter articles, you know that we always say the average person needs between seven and nine hours of sleep.  The reason for that wide range is a wide difference in people.  Some are fine with seven, while some need nine or else they’re tired all day.  Never before, however,…
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Clearly, employers are not responsible for the sleep quality (or lack thereof) of their employees.  However, there is something they can do to help it. A novel new study published in the March issue of Sleep Health found that employees at an IT company slept an average of one hour longer each week when their bosses were…
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Do Americans sleep less than residents of other countries? How do our cities rank compared to those around the world? Thanks to a device that tracks sleep, activity and food, we now have an idea of the answers to those questions. The Wall Street Journal recently analyzed data released by Jawbone, the company that makes…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth:  Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep. MYTH Difficulty falling asleep is just one symptom of insomnia. Others include frequent awakenings…
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An interesting new piece of research reinforces the fact that our minds are amazing things.  It turns out that if you think you got a good night’s sleep, your mind acts like you did. The “placebo effect” is your body healing itself or relieving pain because you’ve been told you were given medicine, even if…
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There’s been a lot of talk in the last few years about how sleeping less can help you gain weight, whether you’re trying to gain weight or not.  A new study, however, found some interesting results looking at the reverse: how much your diet impacts your sleep. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at…
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As Mother’s Day gifts go, candy and flowers are fine, but we think that mom would really appreciate the chance to recharge her natural batteries more regularly. “Whether it’s related to work, home or school, today’s moms are being pulled in multiple directions, and the tepid economy is only adding to the stress,” says Dan…
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If you have sleep questions, this is the place to be.  Each week we pick out questions submitted on our Facebook Page, and send them to our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives.  In this installment, Dr. Lisa talks about mattresses and what to do when you toss and turn all night. Starr Hyde asks:…
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At first glance, the headline above seems silly.  Of course sleep is more important.  Sleep deprivation can bring on a host of physical and emotional problems.  However, if it’s truly that obvious, why are many of us letting our phone get in the way of sleeping properly? With an increase in the use of phones…
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At first glance, the headline above seems silly.  Of course sleep is more important.  Sleep deprivation can bring on a host of physical and emotional problems.  However, if it’s truly that obvious, why are many of us letting our phone get in the way of sleeping properly? With an increase in the use of phones…
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There’s an interesting blog post on CNNHealth this week from sleep expert Dr. Lisa Shives on a disorder called REM behavior disorder, or RBD. What is it? Let’s hear from Dr. Shives: RBD occurs when people are able to act out their dreams or usually their nightmares.  Most of us are not able to do…
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In the SleepBetter video Paranormal Pillow, we see Old Pillow commiserating with his friend Topper, a smooth-talking mattress topper. There’s a lot of confusion, however, about what a mattress topper IS, and how it’s different than a mattress pad. A mattress topper is removable bedding that sits on top of your mattress. Its goal is…
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We can learn a lot from a zebrafish.  A new study released this week from the Stanford School of Medicine got a little help from the small fish, to show how sleep and the body’s circadian clock affect the number of neuron-to-neuron connections in a particular region of the brain.  Pretty serious stuff for a…
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There has been a lot of talk lately about regulations on the amount of consecutive work hours that members of certain professions should be allowed to work, but have you ever thought about the safety of their work hours? A new study presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies looked at…
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Between the global pandemic COVID-19, the shutdowns that have happened since it emerged, and the taking economy, there’s no debating that we are living in extremely stressful times.  We have written several articles over the last couple of months about sleeping better during these challenging times, and one of the main points in each is…
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French and Australian scientists have shown for the first tie how the brain suppresses information from the outside world, such as the sound of a conversation, during the sleep phase linked to dreaming. This ability could be one of the protective mechanisms of dreams. While we dream, we invent worlds that bear no relation to…
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Sleep patterns around the world have been disrupted as screen time increases and sleep routines change with COVID-19 self-isolation requirements. Negative mood is not unusual in adolescence, but lack of sleep can affect mental health, causing anhedonia (or loss of pleasure), anxiety, anger and significantly increasing the risk of depression, a global study of more…
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With all of the talk about the COVID-19 pandemic, worrying about your allergies seems less important.  However, if you have seasonal allergies, it’s hard to breath well during this time of year when everything is blooming.  If you can’t breathe well due to congestion, sleeping becomes more difficult.  So, what’s a person to do?  Here…
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Can staying up late make you fat? A growing body of research has suggested that poor sleep quality is linked to an increased risk of obesity by deregulating appetite, which in turn leads to more calorie consumption. But a new study published this week found that the direction of this reaction might actually be flipped:…
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New first-of-its-kind research from Germany shows that babies build their episodic memory when they nap. What this means is that they are able to remember the details of their individual experiences after napping. The scientists examined this relationship using a three-phase study. During the learning phase, the 14 to 17-month-old children in the study were…
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Much of what we see on the news is negative, and these days it’s even more so.  If you’re not getting enough sleep, everything seems even worse. New research shows that we perceive neutral items far more negatively when we haven’t slept well.  In the study, participants were tested the morning after five nights of…
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We are living in interesting times, as schools across the country are closing for weeks at a time, and businesses are closing or encouraging teleworking, all due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  All of this upheaval can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule if you let it. The first thing to try to nip in the…
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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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The idea of beginning Daylight Saving Time is attractive in many ways.  In the spring and summer, days are longer, which means outside activities after work hours.  It also marks the end of the dark days of winter.  The downside, however, is that we all lose an hour of sleep.  It’s like a nationwide jet lag…
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The scent of a romantic partner can improve sleep, suggests new psychology research from the University of British Columbia. The researchers found that study participants who were exposed to their partner’s scent overnight experienced better sleep quality, even though their partner was not physically present. “Our findings provide new evidence that merely sleeping with a…
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Shift workers, or people who work evening and overnight shifts, are at a significantly increased risk for sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome, which increases their risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus. That’s according to a newly published clinical review. Researchers say night-shift workers are especially prone to developing sleep disorders and…
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What’s the most important sleep item in your toolbox?  You could make a case for a number of things, depending upon how you sleep, but one that has to keep rising to the top is the humble pillow.  If you have the wrong one for your sleep style, it can create a variety of problems.  …
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As marijuana is becoming legal in one way or another in more and more parts of the U.S., it’s being touted for a variety of ills, including solving sleep issues for those with chronic pain.  However, a new study says that frequent users might build up a tolerance to its sleep-inducing effects. Chronic pain is…
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Sleep is easy for some, but for others it’s a chore to get to dreamland.  Regardless of what type of sleeper you are, there are a handful of basic things that are needed to ensure you maximize your rest. A quiet place It’s pretty simple, really.  It’s harder to sleep in a place where there’s…
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It may seem like a pretty simple thing, but scientists are still debating how to tell if someone’s brain is asleep.  This question is of great practical importance when making medical decisions about anesthesia or treating patients in vegetative state or coma. Currently, researchers rely on various measurements from an electroencephalogram, or EEG, to assess…
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We’re at that the time of year when a lot of people take stock of themselves and try to figure out what they can improve.  One thing that most people could work on is the amount of sleep they get each night.  Research has shown that getting the right amount of shut-eye can improve your…
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This past year was a big one for advancements in the science of sleep.  We here at SleepBetter.org strive to make sure you you know about all of the sleep news available, while also giving tips to help you sleep better.  So, as we approach the beginning of 2020, we did some research to find…
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Doctors say the relationship between sleep and migraines is not well understood, but new research says nearly half of all patients who suffer migraines report sleep disturbance as a trigger for their headaches down the road. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center conducted the largest prospective study using objective…
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A new study conducted by researchers at Washington State University shows that individuals with chronic sleep-onset insomnia who pulled an all-nighter performed up to twice as bad on a reaction time task as healthy normal sleepers.  Poor daytime functioning is a frequent complaint among those suffering from insomnia, said lead author Devon Hansen. However, previous…
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Every year around the table at Thanksgiving, someone makes a joke about the tryptophan in turkey making them sleepy.  It’s almost become cliche’.  But, is it true?  Turkey meat does indeed contain tryptophan.  The body uses tryptophan in a multi-step process to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps regulate sleep.  So, it…
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The traditional American Thanksgiving feast is a major highlight of the holiday season for families across the country, but all of the food and revelry can keep you from sleeping properly afterward. The wonderful thing about Thanksgiving is seeing family and friends, and of course being thankful for the things and people we have in…
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According to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), U.S. adults rank sleep as their second most important priority, following family. However, what they’re showing by their actions is that TV ranks higher. In the AASM survey, a whopping 88% of U.S. adults admitted they had lost sleep due to staying up…
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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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Reading, writing, arithmatic, and … sleep?  It may be so in the future.  A recent study uncovered that there are potential long-term benefits of a school-based sleep education program for adolescents. The study included 3,622 adolescents, 286 in the intervention group and 3336 in the control group. Data were collected before the intervention and at a…
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The end of Daylight Saving Time, when we “fall back” and gain an hour, is not normally as much of a shock to the system as the spring time change, when we lose an hour.  However, that’s not to say it doesn’t cause people some issues.  Plenty of people walk around for several days with…
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Daylight Saving Time ends in the United States and some other countries on November 3, 2019.  We all know the mantra to help us remember what to do with our clocks for the time change: Spring Forward, Fall Back. Springing forward is the hard one, as you’re losing an hour of sleep and most of us…
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Children who suffer regular sleep disturbances may be more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis in early adolescence, according to a new study. The study examined the relationship between sleep and ADHD in a large group of Brazilian children born in the same year, and found “a consistent association” between sleep problems like nightmares, restlessness, and…
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New research is quantifying what parents of children with sleep troubles already knew: it can make your day hard, working difficult and things like driving dangerous. The research was conducted by Flinders University in partnership with New York-based tech company Nanit For parents of infants with sleep problems, the study finds there is approximately three times…
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When you’re sleep deprived, you tend to reach for doughnuts, fries and pizza. A new Northwestern Medicine study has figured out why you crave more calorie-dense, high-fat foods after a sleepless night — and how to help thwart those unhealthy choices. Blame it on your nose – or olfactory system — which is affected in…
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For many people, seasonal allergies begin and end in the spring.  At that time, pollen is all over your car and you’re miserable for a few weeks before it all ends.  For others, though, each season brings a different challenge, and autumn is almost as bad as spring. According to WebMD, “fall allergy triggers are…
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It may seem obvious that sleep is an important key to succeeding in college, but a new study shows just how critical it really is. Two MIT professors found a strong relationship not just between students’ grades and how much sleep they’re getting, but also what time students go to bed, and how often they…
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A new and exceptionally extensive worldwide study on sleep looked at nearly a quarter of a million nights of sleep among sleepers ranging between 16 and 30 years of age, and came away with some very interesting findings. The researchers indicate that there are differences in the duration and timing of sleep by age, geographical…
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The intensity of brain activity during the day, notwithstanding how long we’ve been awake, appears to increase our need for sleep, according to a new British study on zebrafish. The research found a gene that responds to brain activity in order to coordinate the need for sleep. It helps shed new light on how sleep is…
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About 10 years ago, researchers at UC San Francisco proved that “natural short sleep” — lifelong, nightly sleep that lasts just four to six hours yet leaves individuals feeling fully rested — was controlled by a gene in our body.  But, they realized that one mutation doesn’t account for all short sleepers.  Now, they’ve found…
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Frequent use of social media compromises teenagers’ mental health or well-being by increasing their exposure to bullying and reducing sleep and physical exercise, according to new British research. The study, which is the first with enough participants to make it representative of the whole of England and to follow teenagers’ social media use and mental…
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When it comes to sleep, there’s a lot to learn, and scientists are still trying to figure out a lot of things.  One thing we do know is that there are certain things you should avoid if you want to sleep better.  In the seventh of our 11 weekly infographics (which, when tallied up, will…
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We’re mere weeks from move-in day for many college students in the U.S. Many questions are flying through the heads of the parents of rising freshmen. One of these questions may be, “Will they get enough sleep?” Life for a college student is obviously very different from life as a high schooler.  Parents exert significantly…
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Science has proven what a lot of people already knew — taking a warm bath before bed is a great way to get a better night’s sleep. Biomedical engineers at The University of Texas at Austin used systematic review protocols — a method used to search for and analyze relevant data — to allowed researchers…
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Now that we’re well into summer, many parts of the United States are starting to bake in hotter-than-usual summer heat. In fact, some areas of the country that aren’t used to extreme heat are seeing temperatures running over 90 degrees.  What can you do if your home doesn’t have air conditioning or you find yourself…
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Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that neural signatures in sleeping zebrafish are analogous to those of humans, suggesting that the brain activity evolved at least 450 million years ago, before any creatures crawled out of the ocean. Scientists have known for more than 100 years that fish enter a sleep-like…
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How Much Sleep Do You Need? When it comes to sleep, there’s a lot to learn, and scientists are still trying to figure out a lot of things.  One of the more common questions we get is how much sleep people actually need.  In the third of our 11 weekly infographics (which, when tallied up,…
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The Stages of Sleep When it comes to sleep, there’s a lot to learn, and scientists are still trying to figure out a lot of things.  One of the more fascinating topics is what actually happens while you’re asleep.  In the second of our 11 weekly infographics (which, when tallied up, will feature 80 facts…
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New research shows you’re unlikely to dream when it’s either too hot or too cold. That’s because your brain will focus all its energies on its primordial role — keeping you alive. Swiss scientists studying the brains of genetically engineered mice were able to watch how changes in temperature affected the sleep state of these…
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Learn About Sleep Throughout History If you’re a fan of this website, you understand that sleep is a fascinating topic and there’s a lot to talk about. Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll show you just how much, with a series of weekly infographics featuring a whopping 80 facts about sleep. This first graphic demonstrates…
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Teenagers who don’t get enough sleep may be at an increased risk of engaging in unsafe sexual behaviors, such as not using condoms or having sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to new research. “Teens by and large are not getting the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, due…
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With summer break and longer days ahead, parents of young teens may be wondering whether to let good sleep habits slide over the next couple of months. New research from the University of British Columbia in Canada suggests there are more benefits to a good night’s sleep than simply feeling refreshed. “Chronic, low-quality sleep was…
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Kids across the U.S. are wrapping up their school year.  While they’re obviously looking forward to summer vacation, many of them have one obstacle in the way — exams. Cramming for exams is almost a rite of passage for high schoolers and even some middle school students, but it’s never been a good idea.  Unfortunately, what…
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There is a growing backlash against the back-and-forth time changes that happen every year in the U.S. and elsewhere, when we switch into Daylight Saving Time and then back out again.  The idea of staying in one “time” has become popular enough that several states in the U.S., including California, Washington, Florida, and North Carolina,…
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Despite years and years of education efforts, new research is finding that some people still haven’t gotten the message about the safest way to put an infant to bed.  But, the problem is coming from a caregiver you may not expect — babysitters. Babies who died during their sleep while being watched by someone other…
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We don’t normally give advice on SleepBetter.org about medical issues, but this time of year there is a green menace on the prowl that steals your sleep.  That menace is called seasonal allergies. Pollen-producing plants are kicking into high gear around the U.S. right now, meaning allergy season is officially underway.   But, what do allergies…
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Even though it’s now technically spring, cold and flu season isn’t completely over in many parts of the country.  So, it’s no shock that people are walking around sniffling and sneezing.  But, there are a lot of places in the U.S. that are also starting to see trees and grasses blooming.  What that means is…
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Spring, particularly early spring, is such a weird time of year.  It’s like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get.  In some parts of the country right now, there’s snow on the ground.  In others, the trees are starting to sprout leaves.  In some areas, you can even get…
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Researchers have discovered a brain process common to sleep and aging in research that could pave the way for new treatments for insomnia. The scientists from Oxford University report how oxidative stress leads to sleep. Oxidative stress is also believed to be a reason why we age and is also a cause of degenerative diseases.  The…
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It seems that napping may do more than just reboot our energy level and improve our mood. New research found that people who took advantage of a midday snooze were more likely to have a noticeable drop in blood pressure compared with those who didn’t nap. Overall, taking a nap during the day was associated…
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While sleep may seem like a sedentary activity, it isn’t for your brain.  Researchers have found that our brains replay our movement from the day.  The Austrian research team had rats wired to record their neuron activity as they moved about while awake.  While rats (and humans) are asleep, neurons in the hippocampus fire rapidly….
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It may seem counter-intuitive, but according to new research, it’s not possible to catch up on your sleep during the weekends when you haven’t slept enough during the week.  In fact, by some health measures, trying to play catch-up for a few days and then returning to poor sleep habits can makes things worse. “Our…
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We all know that having a baby leads to less sleep by the parents.  But, a new study has quantified just how much for both the father and the mother, and the numbers are staggering.  The birth of a child has drastic short-term effects on new mothers’ sleep, particularly during the first three months after…
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An international team of researchers has identified, for the first time, biological processes in the brain that can lead to a genetic risk of insomnia. The finding made possible by assessing DNA and sleep features in 1.3 million people. The findings are a major step towards getting grip on the biological mechanisms that cause insomnia. …
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Pain and sleep have one obvious connection.  When we’re in pain, we have a hard time sleeping. But, new research indicates that lack of sleep also makes pain worse.  The research, conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, helps explain the self-perpetuating cycles of sleep loss, chronic pain and even opioid addiction. A 2015 National…
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We are a nation (and largely, a world) that is completely addicted to our smartphones.  It used to be when you walked into a restaurant or a bar, you saw people holding conversations.  Nowadays, a significant percentage of those people are staring at their screens.  It’s bad enough that states have had to pass new…
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It’s obvious that the best thing for you when you’re sick is sleep.  But, science doesn’t really know what makes you need to sleep when you’re not feeling well.  Humans spend nearly one-third of their lives in slumber, yet sleep is still one of biology’s most enduring mysteries. In a study of over 12,000 lines…
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Years ago, you could buy language and even motivational tapes that were designed to be played while you slept.  Many people dismissed this technique, but new research shows it may have actually worked. Until now, sleep research focused on the consolidation of memories that had been formed during preceding wakefulness. However, learning during sleep has…
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Assuming you have proper heat in your home and a comfortable place to sleep, winter can be one of the more enjoyable times of year to sleep.  Here are some tips to make the most of your sleep as we reach the coldest winter months: Don’t crank up the heat: New research indicates that by…
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It’s been long known that it’s a good idea to rock a baby to sleep.  According to a new study, we should all be sleeping that way. Swiss researchers from the universities of Geneva (UNIGE), Lausanne (UNIL) and from the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) have conducted two studies: one on young adults and the…
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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 seen articles on SleepBetter time and time again that suggest you’ll sleep better if you avoid caffeine starting in the afternoon.  This is because the effects of this wake-up drug can stick around for five hours or more.  But, that doesn’t mean you should just avoid coffee, sodas, and energy drinks.  The average cup…
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Poor sleep is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. People with the disease tend to wake up tired, and their nights become even less refreshing as memory loss and other symptoms worsen. But how and why restless nights are linked to Alzheimer’s disease is still not fully understood. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine…
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Here at SleepBetter, we clearly love to talk about sleep, and how we can all do it better.  It turns out, however, that a lot of people are talking about that same thing in these first few days of 2019.  Check out this listing of articles that say sleep is something you should improve in…
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With the new year right in front of us, it’s time to think about what resolutions you could make to improve your life.  Sleeping better is, of course, one of our favorites.  But, that’s rather broad because there are a lot of different reasons why you might not be sleeping the proper amount (seven to…
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While Hanukkah has already come to a close, Christmas is next Tuesday.  What this means is that if you’re buying Christmas gifts or planning for visiting family, these next few days are likely to be chaotic and rushed.  One of the worst things you can do leading up to a big event (Christmas, exams, weddings,…
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According to new research, getting the proper amount of sleep starting in early childhood can lead to healthier weight in a child’s teenaged years. Researchers at Penn State identified groups of children by bedtime and sleep routines.  What they found suggests that childhood bedtime and sleep routine groups predict adolescent sleep patterns and weight. In a…
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There’s been a push over the last few years to get school systems to delay the start time for high schoolers, but one question keeps coming up.  If the schools start later, will the students get more sleep, or will they just stay up later?  A look at one school system shows it’s the former…
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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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Thanksgiving brings to the mind images of family get-togethers, football, and … of course … gorging on turkey.  It’s the latter of those three images, however, that can lead to sleep issues. Below are five SleepBetter tips that will help you stay well rested during the Thanksgiving weekend as well as the year-end holidays: 1)…
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For much of the history of humankind, our bodies used the sun to decide when it was time to sleep and when it was time to wake.  However, since the age of electric light and amenities like television and the internet, there’s been a great uncoupling of our sleep rhythms from nature.  A new study…
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The debate about Daylight Saving Time is heating up, and some states in the U.S. are doing something about it.  Last week, California passed a measure that clears the way for doing away with the twice-per-year time shift, leaving the state in Daylight Saving Time all year.  Florida passed a similar measure that was signed…
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Adults who sleep just six hours per night — as opposed to eight — may have a higher chance of being dehydrated, according to a new study. These findings suggest that those who don’t feel well after a night of poor sleep may want to consider dehydration — not simply poor sleep — as a…
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Proving that researchers are truly honing in on sleep when it comes to what they want to investigate, we now know what type of pajamas are best for sleep.   A research team at the University of Sydney carried out two studies of young and older sleepers to test the theory that wool pajamas might be better…
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If you visit SleepBetter.org frequently, you have read over and over again what lack of sleep can do to your body and mind.  But, what does good sleep do to help your life? Improve your health There are a variety of ways that getting a great night’s sleep can keep you healthier.  For instance, just…
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People have been using the smell of lavender for hundreds of years because they find it relaxing.  You can find it everywhere — from garden borders to bath bombs to fabric softener.  Now, science has confirmed what people have thought for so long — the smell of lavender actually does work. “In folk medicine, it…
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Preliminary results from the world’s largest sleep study have shown that there is a “sweet spot” for how much sleep you get.  That sweet spot is between seven and eight hours, and getting less or more than that amount can reduce your cognitive abilities.  The world’s largest sleep study was launched in June 2017 and within days…
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The United States has seen two devastating hurricanes in the past two months.  Hurricane Florence left a large portion of eastern North Carolina underwater after it dropped record-setting amounts of rain.  Then, last week, the monster storm Michael devastated parts of the Florida panhandle and Georgia, and caused damage as far inland as South Carolina,…
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Everyone has a favorite sleeping position, and some people go as far as not being able to sleep in any position other than their favorite one.  But, is there a best way to sleep?  There’s no completely solid answer. We asked our friends at the American Sleep Association to weigh in, and received an answer from…
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Wearable devices are increasingly bought to track and measure health and sports performance: from the number of steps walked each day to a person’s metabolic efficiency, from the quality of brain function to the quantity of oxygen inhaled while asleep. But the truth is we know very little about how well these sensors and machines…
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Treating insomnia with digital programs can improve insomnia symptoms, daytime functioning and overall health, a new study has found. In a year-long study from the University of Oxford and Northwestern Medicine involving 1,711 people, researchers found online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improved not only insomnia symptoms, but functional health, psychological well-being and sleep-related quality of life….
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Parents have known for years that keeping their kids on a regular schedule is best for everyone involved.  A new study indicates that parents should be following their own advice.   The study, conducted at Duke University, suggests that a regular bedtime and wake time are just as important for heart and metabolic health among older…
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One of the biggest causes of sleep disruption is alcohol, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six U.S. adults binge drinks at least four times a month.  Now, new findings from the University of Missouri School of Medicine explain how a single episode of binge drinking can affect the…
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What is your teenager doing when they’re supposed to be sleeping?  The majority of parents say they’re staring at their screens.   According to a new survey, 56-percent of parents of teens who have sleep troubles believe it’s because of electronic devices like smartphones.   Not being able to stay off electronics – including social media and…
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Much of the country right now is watching the damage being caused by Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and South Carolina, as The Weather Channel and others go to wall-to-wall coverage with reporters all over the area.  The situation is unfolding in slow motion, as the hurricane literally creeps down the coast.  This means that…
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The school year is in full swing all over the country, and we all know how important a good night’s sleep can be for learning.  A new study shows how sleep disruptions can be more of a problem for girls than boys. “What was most surprising is the fact that teenage girls reported a higher…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy! He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep. Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org. He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
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It’s a stereotype that Americans will work themselves to death to get ahead.  We don’t get enough sleep, and we don’t take near as much vacation time as the rest of the world.  This stereotype is somewhat true, until you get to upper management.  That’s apparently when people figure out to get a good night’s…
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We’ve all become aware in the last handful of years about the risks of playing football.  Repeated concussions can cause a variety of life-threatening health problems later in life.  But, head injuries are not the only serious risk involved in playing the sport.  Previous studies with professional football players have shown that sleep apnea, a serious…
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The debate in sleep science has gone on for a generation. In short … why do we sleep? Psychiatrists Chiara Cirelli and Giulio Tononi of the Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness suggested back in 2003 that sleep is the price we pay for brains that are able to keep learning new things. A few…
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New research funded by the National Institutes of Health says it has identified risk factors for sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep).  The researchers say individuals who snore, are older, and are obese are at particular risk.   “Our study found an easy, inexpensive way to screen large numbers of women at higher risk of sleep…
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Nearly all animals studied need to sleep, but little is known about why some animals sleep most of the day, while others not as much.  Researchers are trying to learn more by studying a fish that hardly sleeps at all. As a result of living in total and permanent darkness in a small location in…
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Every couple of years, the Olympic Games come along, and people lose a ton of sleep.  Between television and the Internet, each time the games are held, it seems like more of the events are available for viewing either live or on time delay.  What this means is that you could literally watch the Olympics…
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About a quarter of U.S. adults suffer from insomnia, which significantly impacts their quality of life.  But, it’s not just the individual that suffers.  Estimates put the burden of insomnia on the U.S. economy at a whopping $63 billion per year in lost productivity, increased health care expenses and costs associated with workplace errors and accidents….
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The light emitted by portable electronic devices (PEDs), particularly when used at night, has drawn a great deal of interest recently.  The main concern is over the short-wavelength “blue” light emitted by smartphones, tablets, and even televisions.  Exposure to what some call “light at night” (or LAN) can acutely suppress melatonin, a hormone produced at night and…
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We’ve all heard of binge watching TV — watching episode after episode of a show on Netflix or elsewhere.  But, what about binge sleeping?  Apparently it’s a trend, and it has its good sides and downsides. According to Huffington Post, one of the new trends in sleep for 2018 in sleep bingeing — taking long…
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Sleep trackers are the newest tool that people and doctors are using to get an idea of what’s going on while we sleep, or why we don’t sleep.  The problem is that the people who are using them are primarily those who don’t need them as much — those who are healthy or have the…
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It truly is amazing in this modern world, not only what we know but what we don’t know.  For instance, despite all of the advancements in our understanding of the human body, we still don’t know how we fall asleep.  Researchers are getting closer to finding out, with some help from fruit flies. Fruit flies…
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It’s notoriously difficult to track sleep.  Among the choices sleep researchers have had in the past are having subjects sleep (or probably not sleep) in labs, or having the subjects fill out (sometimes wrongly) logs that track how well and how long they slept.  A new tool — fitness trackers like Fitbits that measure sleep…
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According to new research, among the many benefits of sleeping at least eight hours per night is that it can reduce stress and anxiety.   Binghamton University Professor of Psychology Meredith Coles and former graduate student Jacob Nota assessed the timing and duration of sleep in individuals with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts,…
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A large portion of the country is living in a deep freeze right now, with temperatures staying well below freezing for days on end.  Between heavy snow and wind, power outages are assured.  How can you sleep at night in a cold house, and what are the dangers?  Here are some tips from SleepBetter: Be…
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To measure a person’s sleep, researchers have always relied on costly and time-consuming approaches that could only be used in a sleep lab.  But now researchers have found a way to capture detailed information on human sleep cycles over long periods of time while individuals slumber at home in their usual way. According to the…
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Washington State University researchers have discovered a genetic variation that predicts how well people perform certain mental tasks when they are sleep deprived. Their research shows that individuals with a particular variation of the DRD2 gene are resilient to the effects of sleep deprivation when completing tasks that require cognitive flexibility, the ability to make…
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Scientists have identified differences in a group of genes they say might help explain why some people need a lot more sleep–and others less — than most. The study, conducted using fruit fly populations bred to model natural variations in human sleep patterns, provides new clues to how genes for sleep duration are linked to…
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As the first half of the school year winds to a close for college and high school students around the country, they still have one more thing to worry about before they can go home for the holidays — exams.  Sleep is critical to learning and memory, and whether you’re getting ready for a big test…
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Do you sleep restlessly and hit out and kick in your sleep? This could be a sign of a disorder associated with diseases of the brain. Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark have studied the condition of the dopamine producing nerve cells in the brain and cells that participate in the brain’s immune system in…
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Flu season is underway in the United States, and there are indications that it’s going to be a bad one.  Right now, four states have reported widespread flu activity, and it’s said to be spreading fast.  There are a lot of things you can do to avoid getting sick, such as getting a flu shot, washing…
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People who worry about poor sleep have more emotional and physical problems during the day than those who do not worry, regardless of how well either sleep, according to research conducted at The University of Alabama. In a review of more than a dozen sleep studies going back more than 20 years, Dr. Kenneth Lichstein,…
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The period between the Thanksgiving and the end of December completely terrifies a lot of people.  Office parties, visiting relatives and holiday shopping can all create a huge amount of stress, and if that stress isn’t checked, it can keep you from getting the good night’s sleep you’ll need to keep rushing from here to there….
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New research indicates that young people with insomnia are more likely to use alcohol, and vice-versa. “Parents, educators, and therapists should consider insomnia to be a risk marker for alcohol use, and alcohol use a risk marker for insomnia, among early adolescents,” writes Rutgers University-Camden researcher Naomi Marmorstein in the study. Marmorstein, a professor of…
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We are officially in the time of year that a lot of people hate.  For much of the country right now, sunset is around 5:00 p.m. or even earlier, and it’s not going to get any later until after December 21.  With sunrise at around 7:00 a.m., many people are waking up in the dark…
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Ever sleep poorly and then walk out of the house without your keys? Or, even worse, space out on the highway and nearly hit a stalled car? A new study is the first to reveal how sleep deprivation disrupts our brain cells’ ability to communicate with each other, leading to temporary mental lapses that affect…
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In about 10 days, we’ll undergo a strange yearly ritual during which time actually changes — the end of Daylight Saving Time.  According to new research, that time change leads to more violent acts.  On Sunday, Nov. 5, Daylight Saving Time officially ends in the United States and elsewhere. That means as we “fall back,”…
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Taking sleep medications to treat insomnia, even when recommended by a doctor, may actually increase the risk of falling for older adults, according to a team of sleep researchers. The problem may stem from older people continuing to take sleep medications long after they should, said Orfeu Buxton, associate professor of biobehavioral health at Penn…
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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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A collaborative research project from two Australian universities indicates high rates of sleep problems continuing through teenage years and into early adulthood – but also suggests a natural remedy. Dr. Yaqoot Fatima from James Cook University was associated with a study that tracked more than 3600 people from the age of 14 until they were…
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A new study has given new insights into how sleep contributes to brain plasticity – the ability for our brain to change and reorganize itself.  The findings could pave the way for new ways to help people with learning and memory disorders. Researchers at the Humboldt and Charité Universities in Berlin, led by Dr. Julie…
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More than 3.2 million Americans suffer from schizophrenia.  In fact, about 100,000 people are newly diagnosed every year. The disease includes a wide range of symptoms including visual and auditory hallucinations, cognitive problems and motivational issues. A key issue with the disease, and one that gets less attention than other symptoms, is cognitive problems. Many…
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Sleep doesn’t come easily for nearly half of older Americans, and more than a third have resorted to some sort of medication to help them doze off at night, according to new results from the National Poll on Healthy Aging.  What’s just as bad is that most of them haven’t discussed their sleep troubles with…
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The world is in the grips of an epidemic of mass proportions.  It’s called sleep deprivation.  As many as 50% of us are getting well less than the seven to eight hours of sleep that are recommended each night.  How do we battle that?   If you’re unable to ensure that you get your full…
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Johns Hopkins researchers report the unexpected presence of a type of neuron in the brains of mice that appears to play a central role in promoting sleep by turning ‘off’ wake-promoting neurons. The newly identified brain cells, located in a part of the hypothalamus called the zona incerta, they say, could offer novel drug targets…
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Sleep apnea is typically considered a condition affecting adults, but breathing problems during sleep in children are common and may affect their health and behavior. Through a comprehensive review of published research, investigators have identified important gaps in how and where children with this condition are best managed.  Disturbed sleep in children due to breathing problems…
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There has been a lot of talk about early school start times for high schoolers, and how adolescence leads to the students’ bodies pushing them to stay up later.  But, what about middle schoolers?  A new study says the findings are very similar to their older counterparts. Researchers looked at nearly 33,000 middle school students…
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Having a good reason to get out of bed in the morning means you are more likely to sleep better at night with less sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, reports a new study of older adults. This is the first study to show having a purpose in life specifically results in fewer sleep disturbances…
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It’s a standard line that humans sleep worse now than they did before most homes had electricity.  The logic goes that with electric lights to banish the darkness, the temptation to stay up late is increased.  According to a recent study, that’s just not so. In this study, researchers from the UK’s University of Surrey,…
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A Canada-based researcher is launching what it says will be the largest ever sleep study, and is searching for help from 100,000 people to get it done. Western University neuroscientist Adrian Owen says the sleep-and-cognition will help researchers learn the effects on our brains of sleep and sleep deprivation. “Many of us are working more…
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A lack of sleep doesn’t just leave you cranky and spoiling for a fight. Researchers at The Ohio State University Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research say it also puts you at risk for stress-related inflammation. This type of inflammation is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and other diseases. “We know sleep…
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Wouldn’t it be great if we knew the best times for us to go to sleep and wake up, and could tailor our jobs and the rest of our lives to that schedule?  It may be a pipe dream, but researchers are learning more every day about the role of circadian rhythms in our lives….
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Summer officially starts tomorrow, and in many parts of the country, it already feels like it.  The heat and humidity are in full effect in the east, and in the southwest temperatures in some areas are topping an outrageous 120 degrees.  The situation could be made worse by the fact that hurricane season just started…
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Researchers in California have identified a neural circuit in the brain that controls wakefulness. What does that mean?  What it means is that the finding could lead to new treatments for insomnia, oversleeping, and sleep disturbances that accompany other neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression. The work was done in the laboratory of Viviana Gradinaru, assistant…
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Men and women are biologically different, and we all know that.  But, what’s new information is that according to a new study, men and women are affected differently by sleep disorders. Results show that women are more likely than men to have more severe symptoms of depression, trouble sleeping at night, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Women…
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City dwellers, listen up: New research shows that high levels of air pollution over time may get in the way of a good night’s sleep. “Prior studies have shown that air pollution impacts heart health and affects breathing and lung function, but less is known about whether air pollution affects sleep,” said lead author Martha…
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You may have heard it from your mother or even grandmother that you should get your beauty rest.  It turns out that idea is real, and actually works. A new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science has found that a lack of sleep will do more than make you tired — it can make…
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Sleeping position is a matter of personal preference.  It seems like everyone has a way they can fall asleep quicker and more comfortably.  However, there is one position that’s not as healthy as others. Sleeping on your stomach can cause a variety of problems, both short term and long term.  In fact, many stomach sleepers…
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It turns out that being wide awake is a painkiller, at least according to new research. The facinating new study, from Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), shows that chronic sleep loss increases pain sensitivity. It suggests that chronic pain sufferers can get relief by getting more sleep, or, short of…
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Researchers intent on understanding how too little sleep can undermine health have long suspected a relationship between short sleep duration and the actions of specific genes, but finding the genes involved has proven difficult. Now, a team of scientists based at Brown University has identified genes carrying “epigenetic” tags that are likely associated with shorter…
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It’s so common that it’s almost a cliche.  Teenagers don’t get enough sleep.  Between busy social lives (texting at all hours of the night), recreation (video games and television) and school work (hopefully it doesn’t come last on your teen’s list like it did on this one), it’s hard to imagine when they actually have…
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Every animal needs sleep … including humans.  The thing is, however, scientists don’t know why.  A group of researchers from Washington State University took a big step toward understanding more, when they identified a gene that is involved in the quality of sleep. “Sleep must be serving some important function,” said Jason Gerstner, assistant research…
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Anyone who has attended college knows about the dreaded 8 a.m. class.  You may have tried to avoid it, but many times scheduling worked out that you had to get up very early and get into class bleary-eyed.  A new study confirms what just about anyone in those classes knew already — it’s better to…
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In many parts of the country, it’s easy to tell that spring has sprung.  Outdoor surfaces are covered in pollen, leading many to cough, wheeze, sniffle and sneeze. Yes, spring allergy season is upon us. Pollen is a fine dust or powder released by plants to help with germination. Unfortunately, pollen is also the number…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
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People with type 2 diabetes have poorer control over their blood glucose levels when they work the night shift compared with those who work in the daytime or are unemployed, a new study finds. The study results showed that poor long-term glycemic, or blood sugar, control, was independent of what workers ate or any sleep…
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What’s the consequence of one night of bad sleep?  Obviously you’ll be tired at work the next day, and maybe even a little short with your spouse and co-workers.  But, new research says it goes deeper than that — it can make you unlikely to ignore impulses to be rude and dishonest. A study conducted…
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Truck drivers who have obstructive sleep apnea and do not attempt to treat their disorder have a fivefold increase in the risk of a severe crash, according to a new study co-authored by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers. Drivers who did not follow the sleep apnea treatment administered by the study fleet were discharged or…
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A new study shows that leaving sleep apnea untreated in children can cause significant cognitive and mood difficiencies. The study compared children between 7 and 11 years of age who have moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea to children the same age who slept normally.  It found significant reductions of gray matter – brain cells involved…
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It’s March, and the madness is about to begin.   March Madness, otherwise known as the NCAA Basketball Tournament, starts today.  Over the two-and-a-half weeks, 68 teams from around the country will play in “win or go home” basketball games, with up to 16 games played in ONE DAY in the early rounds.  That’s JUST in…
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It seems every day a new high-tech device pops up that promises to tell you exactly how well you sleep, and how you can sleep better.  But, do they work?  Unfortunately, enthusiasm for the devices may overshadow what they can deliver. “It’s great that so many people want to improve their sleep. However, the claims…
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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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The urge is strong to binge watch one more Netflix show, read just a few more Facebook posts, or answer a couple more texts.  It can keep you from getting into your bed far later than you should.  But, do you think that would change if you didn’t have TV a laptop, a smartphone, or…
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While SleepBetter is generally against the use of over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids, the use of many, including melatonin, is increasing.  There’s a new reason we should all be concerned.  A new study suggests that the amount of melatonin in dietary supplements could vary widely from what is listed on the label. Results of the Canadian research…
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Naps aren’t just good for keeping preschoolers from getting too cranky in the afternoon, they also help them learn. A new study from the University of Arizona suggests naptime plays an important role in language learning in preschool-age children. Researchers studied verb learning in 3-year-olds and found that those who napped after learning new verbs…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

Studying mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins have provided still more evidence that a key purpose of sleep is to recalibrate the brain cells responsible for learning and memory, so the animals can “solidify” lessons learned and use them when they awaken. The researchers, all of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, also report they…
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The hype for the big game is rolling at full speed now, as we barrel toward a match-up between Atlanta and New England. We hope the involved NFL players are getting their sleep this week, but the problem for the rest of us will be making sure our Super Bowl Monday isn’t a complete loss…
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It’s a fact that when you don’t sleep enough, you get sick more often.  Now, science has a better idea of why that is. Researchers took blood samples from 11 pairs of identical twins with different sleep patterns and discovered that the twin with shorter sleep duration had a depressed immune system, compared with his…
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College athletes are not getting enough sleep, but a simple intervention built around education and support could go a long way in improving sleep quality and athletic performance. The research was conducted by Michael Grandner, assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology and director of the Sleep Health Research Center at the University of Arizona College…
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Does sleep help process stress and trauma? Or does it actually intensify emotional reactions and memories of the event? Researchers say they have the answer. The role of sleep is highly relevant for the prevention of trauma-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How extremely distressing experiences are processed right at the outset can influence…
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Every year Santa Claus and his team of elves and reindeers stay awake for days and nights so he can deliver presents to children all over the world for Christmas – but he could be putting his and their health at risk. Sleep experts Professor Franco Cappuccio and Dr Michelle Miller, from University of Warwick’s…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

Any parent can tell you about the consequences of their child not getting enough sleep. But there is far less known about the details of how sleep deprivation affects children’s brains and what this means for early brain development. “The process of sleep may be involved in brain ‘wiring’ in childhood and thus affect brain…
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People who sleep five or fewer hours a night are likely to also drink significantly more sugary caffeinated drinks, such as sodas and energy drinks, according to a new study of more than 18,000 adults. The authors, from the University of California in San Francisco, emphasize that it’s not yet clear whether drinking sugar-sweetened beverages…
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What do the Star Wars movies and sleep research have to do with each other?  Princess Leia … that’s what. Every night while you sleep, electrical waves of brain activity circle around each side of your brain, tracing a pattern that, were it on the surface of your head, might look like the twin hair…
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Thanks to new research, babies could soon be test for being at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) shortly after birth. Researchers at Australia’s Children’s Hospital at Westmead have discovered babies who die from SIDS have greatly decreased levels of a certain brain protein which regulates sleep arousal.  They also found the Orexin protein…
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Full moons are blamed for a variety of problems, from outbreaks of crime to people turning into wolves.  But, the supermoon this week may actually keep you from sleeping well. A supermoon is when a full moon is at its perigee — the closest point to Earth along its orbit.  This week’s supermoon occurs at the…
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We don’t wade into politics here at SleepBetter.org, but this year’s election has already led to a lot of people losing sleep, and it’s sure to lead to many, many, many more sleeping poorly tonight.  Whatever your political stripe, it’s nearly certain that this year is one where you’re concerned about what will happen if…
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Have you ever heard of “sleeping with one eye open” in a dangerous situation?  It turns out your brain thinks anything new is a dangerous situation, and that’s why it’s hard to sleep well on the first night in a strange place. A study from Brown University looked at the phenomena, which sleep experts call…
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It’s well known that Americans, on average, don’t get enough sleep.  What people don’t think about is that many American children aren’t getting enough either, and it may end up making them overweight. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 30-percent of preschoolers do not get enough sleep.  A new study from the University of Colorado…
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A new study has found that jetlag in long-haul cabin crew is alleviated when meal times are regulated on their days off. Researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK looked to recruit long-haul cabin crew for this study as they frequently suffer from jet-lag due to rapid travel across time zones. Evident especially…
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The NFL season is in full swing.  This means players get beat up in a game, and then have a week or less for their bodies to recover.  All the while, they have to learn game plans and their next opponent’s tendencies.  For players, particularly the younger ones who haven’t “seen it all,” a good…
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A study led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh has identified a possible link between adolescent sleep habits and early substance abuse. The study found that both sleep duration and sleep quality during late childhood predict alcohol and marijuana use later in adolescence. “Treating problems with drugs and alcohol once they exist and preventing them…
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Most people could benefit from a few extra hours of sleep every night. But some people habitually sleep much less than the recommended amount, yet report feeling no ill effects. A new University of Utah study, published Sept. 15 in Brain and Behavior, finds that patterns of neural connections in the brains of so-called “habitual…
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Getting some sleep in between study sessions may make it easier to recall what you studied and relearn what you’ve forgotten, even 6 months later, according to new findings from Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “Our results suggest that interleaving sleep between practice sessions leads to a twofold advantage, reducing the…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

Researchers from universities in the Netherlands and in Pennsylvania have discovered a piece in the puzzle of how sleep deprivation negatively affects memory. For the first time, a study in mice, to be published in the journal eLife, shows that five hours of sleep deprivation leads to a loss of connectivity between neurons in the hippocampus,…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

It’s been proven over the last few years that using smartphones, tablets, laptops, and even televisions before bed can negatively impact your sleep.  The blue light emitted by the screens tells your brain that it’s time to wake up, when in fact it’s actually time to sleep.  However, a new study is showing that plenty…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
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Oxford University researchers have discovered what causes a switch to flip in our brains and wake us up. The discovery, published in the journal Nature, brings us closer to understanding the mystery of sleep. Sleep is governed by two systems–the circadian clock and the sleep homeostat. While the circadian clock is quite well understood, very…
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Every four years the Summer Olympic Games come along, and ruin any chance you had of getting a good night’s sleep.  Sure, you can watch competitive swimming during non-Olympic years, but it’s not the same.  The problem is that the competition and the great back stories of all of the athletes keeps you up way, way…
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When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you have questions about pillows and other bedding, Happy Dan the Pillow Man is your guy!  He’s happy because he always gets a good night’s sleep.  Happy Dan is the alter ego of Dan Schecter, Senior Vice President at Carpenter Co., and the creator of SleepBetter.org.  He’s spent 30 years learning about pillows and…
Read more »

When you sleep, your brain is busy storing and consolidating things you learned that day — stuff you’ll need in your memory toolkit tomorrow, next week, or next year. For many people, especially those with neurological conditions, memory impairment can be a debilitating symptom that affects every-day life in profound ways. For the first time,…
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What may sound like a joke at first could lead to a way for people to avoid a dangerous disease. For the first time, scientists have shown that malaria-transmitting mosquitoes actively avoid feeding on certain animal species such as chickens, using their sense of smell. Odors emitted by species such as chickens could provide protection for humans…
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We’ve all heard about the age-old practice of counting sheep to fall asleep faster.  One researcher says it doesn’t work, but he has an alternative. Canadian cognitive scientist Luc Beaudoin has invented a new cure for insomnia, which he calls the “cognitive shuffle”. Essentially, it’s a method for deliberately scrambling your thoughts, so they make…
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Back in March, Apple took a big step toward helping to solve the problem of light from screens keeping our brains awake by releasing the “Night Shift” feature.  Android phones had similar features available through apps, but this was the first time the function, which removes much of the blue light from your screen in…
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This is the time of year when a lot of Americans head to the beach or the mountains for a little rest and relaxation.  The problem is, however, that many don’t actually sleep all that well due to a mix of strange surroundings and strange bedding.  Here are five SleepBetter tips to help you get…
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Teaching parents bedtime techniques to encourage healthy sleep habits in their infants may help prevent obesity, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Strong links exist between inadequate sleep and childhood obesity, and researchers are studying the use of an intervention to prevent rapid infant weight gain and childhood obesity. Through the INSIGHT study…
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Could your mattress be causing the back pain you suffer occasionally or even daily?  It’s very possible.  One solution could be a mattress topper, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Given that you spend a large chunk of your day in bed — as much as seven or eight hours if you’re…
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It happens to everyone: You stay up late one night to finish an assignment, and the next day, you’re exhausted. Humans aren’t unique in that; all animals need sleep, and if they don’t get it, they must make it up. The biological term for that pay-the-piper behavior is “sleep homeostasis,” and now, thanks to a…
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A pioneering study of worldwide sleep patterns combines math modeling, mobile apps and big data to parse the roles society and biology each play in setting sleep schedules. The study, led by University of Michigan mathematicians, used a free smartphone app that reduces jetlag to gather robust sleep data from thousands of people in 100…
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Many parents of children with ADHD say their children have more difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep than other children.  A new study from Aarhus University in Denmark is backing up that claim. Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of parents of children with ADHD report that the children have difficulty falling asleep…
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When people sleep in an unfamiliar place for the first time–a hotel room, for example–they often feel as though they haven’t slept as well. Now, researchers have discovered the reason why: under those conditions, one hemisphere of the brain stays more awake to keep watch. “We know that marine animals and some birds show unihemispheric…
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Night owls take note — there’s a new study that says your way of life isn’t the healthiest. Sleep deficits and poor-quality sleep have been linked to obesity and a myriad of health problems, but this study by University of Delaware researcher Freda Patterson and collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and the…
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We’ve said for years that using your electronic devices before bed (or worse, while you’re in bed) is a really bad idea.  The reason for this is that screens like the ones on smartphone, tablets, computers, and even televisions emit blue light, which has been shown to be a trigger to your brain that it’s…
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Chocoholics rejoice! New research says your favorite pastime — eating chocolate — can actually help you sleep better.  There’s only one catch, and it’s a small one.  You have to eat dark chocolate. British researchers found that magnesium, an essential nutrient found in dark chocolate, helps cells keep track of the natural cycles of day…
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A new study supports what parents have been saying for centuries: to avoid getting sick, be sure to get enough sleep. The team, which was led by a University of California San Francisco sleep researcher and included researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, found that people who sleep six hours…
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New research by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) says residents of the UK are losing a full night of sleep every week, and the group hopes to do something about it. The new report, titled “Waking up to the health benefits of sleep” says people in the UK are under-sleeping by about an…
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It’s been known for years that lack of sleep can help you gain weight, but new research gives us an idea of why.  Apparently, sleep deprivation gives you the munchies. An experiment aimed at explaining why people overeat after a poor night’s sleep suggests that food becomes much more appealing, and that the brain’s own…
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The sleep habits of fruit flies are remarkably similar to humans. They get most of their sleep at night, certain drugs and stimulants like caffeine can negatively affect their sleep, and if they get a lousy night’s sleep it can even affect their memory performance. But what can they tell us about the connection between…
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Overweight and obese adults who are losing weight with a high-protein diet are more likely to sleep better, according to new research from Purdue University. “Most research looks at the effects of sleep on diet and weight control, and our research flipped that question to ask what are the effects of weight loss and diet…
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Truck drivers who have obstructive sleep apnea and who do not attempt to adhere to a mandated treatment program can see their risk of a crash increase by a factor of five, according to a new study co-authored by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers and featured in the online edition of the journal Sleep. Drivers…
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If you pull an all-nighter or stay up late to binge watch on Netflix, you will probably be grumpy the next day. This is common sense.  But, if you don’t get enough sleep for weeks or months on end, you may develop depression or other lasting mood problems, and researchers have now discovered a possible…
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Biologists have performed the first large-scale screening in a vertebrate animal for genes that regulate sleep, and have identified a gene that when over-activated causes severe insomnia. Expression of the gene, neuromedin U (Nmu), also seems to serve as nature’s stimulant, because fish lacking the gene take longer to wake up in the morning and…
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One in 15 adults has moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which a person’s breathing is frequently interrupted during sleep — as many as 30 times per hour. People with sleep apnea also often report problems with thinking such as poor concentration, difficulty with memory and decision-making, depression, and stress. According to…
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The cries (or are they moans?) are ringing out today, as they do every year on the Monday after the Super Bowl. The cries/moans are from people who had a little too much fun with the food and drink while they were celebrating the biggest game of the NFL season last night. These people are…
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Many doctors will ask about quality of sleep when children have problems at school, but new research shows it’s just as important to pay attention to how high achievers are sleeping. A study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology suggests doctors and parents should pay attention to snoring, labored breathing and other symptoms of…
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The closest relative of humans, the chimpanzee, averages eleven-and-a-half hours of sleep per day.  Meanwhile, many other mammals need a good bit more.  Why is it that we only need seven or eight hours per night? Researchers from Duke University scoured the scientific literature and compiled a database of slumber patterns across hundreds of mammals —…
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What would you want with pipers piping, when you can have a great night’s sleep?  We’re publishing our series of 12 Holiday Sleep Tips between now and December 25, with each piece of advice designed to help you get a good night’s rest during the end-of-the-year holidays.  Find all of the tips published thus far by clicking…
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Right about now we’re thinking you’re happy we’re not giving you the gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas.  The gift for day number four is four calling birds.  Can you imagine how they’d keep you up at night?  Between now and December 25 we’re giving you something much more practical and healthful.  We’re publishing…
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Instead of 12 days of stuff you don’t need and don’t have a place to keep anyway (three french hens, anyone?) SleepBetter.org is giving you the gift of sleep.  Between now and December 25, we’ll publish our 12 Holiday Sleep Tips to help you get the sleep you need as we reach the end of…
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We enjoy the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” as much as anyone, but we don’t think giving out leaping lords or pear trees (with or without partridges) is terribly practical. Instead, between now and December 25th we’ll publish 12 articles, each focusing on a different tip to help you sleep better this holiday season….
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Cranky or grumpy after a long night? Your brain’s ability to regulate emotions is probably compromised by fatigue. A new study from Isreal’s Tel Aviv University has identified the neurological mechanism responsible for disturbed emotion regulation and increased anxiety due to only one night’s lack of sleep. The research reveals the changes sleep deprivation can…
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New research points to sleep trouble for kids who take stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study, conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, addresses decades of conflicting opinions and evidence about the medications’ effect on sleep. In what’s known as a “meta-analysis,” researchers from the UNL Department of Psychology combined…
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Monday mornings could be harmful to your health. Many of us, particularly those who work overnights or “shift work,” keep a very different schedule on the weekends than during the week.  New research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, says, however, that sleep changes like that may raise the risk of…
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Alzheimer’s patients frequently suffer from sleep disorders, mostly even before they become forgetful. Furthermore, it is known that sleep plays a very important role in memory formation. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now been able to show for the first time how the pathological changes in the brain act on the…
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New research from the UK has resulted in some extremely specific directions for how to get the best sleep. The survey of 1,000 people found that in the winter months, people sleep an average of six hours and 15 minutes, 40 minutes less than in the summer, while more than half complained of “cold and discomfort” in…
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It’s been said many times that modern humans don’t sleep nearly enough, and it’s also been said that technology is the reason.  Modern conveniences from the television and smartphones to simple things like the light bulb have conspired to keep us up later and later at night, when our ancestors would have been asleep for…
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At the flip of a switch, University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists can send a sleeping mouse into dreamland. The researchers inserted an optogenetic switch into a group of nerve cells located in the ancient part of the brain called the medulla, allowing them to activate or inactivate the neurons with laser light. When the neurons…
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Millions of women may likely be sleep-deprived. It’s already a known fact that women are more predisposed to insomnia than men. Now a new study presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) earlier this month suggests that perimenopausal women have an even greater risk for developing insomnia. Considering that…
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More than a century ago, scientists demonstrated that sleep supports the retention of memories of facts and events. Later studies have shown that deep sleep is important for transforming fragile, recently formed memories into stable, long-term memories. Researchers are now going one step further, proposing that deep sleep may also strengthen immunological memories of previously encountered pathogens….
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Today’s teens not only worry about the latest clothing or music trends, like many generations of teens before them, they also worry about being available on social media 24 hours each day, and that’s costing them sleep. In a study conducted in Scotland, researchers asked 467 teenagers ages 11 to 17 about their use of…
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This time of year, the first week or two of the school year, many kids are walking around sleepy because they’re adjusting to a stricter sleep schedule than they had all summer.  Normally, that situation corrects itself as kids come home from school exhausted and go to bed on time or even early.  But, in general, how can…
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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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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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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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Despite amazing advances in knowledge about sleep in the last few years, there are still so many things we don’t know.  One of them is why senior citizens seem to sleep differently than younger people.  New research, however, may be opening the door for more understanding of senior sleep. Researchers at the University of Lausanne in…
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What’s going on during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep has been a mystery to scientists ever since they started examining what happens when we’re slumbering.  Due to new research, however, the veil may finally be lifted on this period of heightened brain activity that happens while we slumber. One of the hallmarks of REM sleep…
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It’s been well documented on this site (here, here, and here, for example) that sleeping with a smartphone nearby is not a recipe for good sleep.  While it has some benefits, such as using the phone as an alarm clock, the negatives outweigh the positives.  Yet, still people continue to do it.  Now, what would you…
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We all love our pets. Sometimes after a hard day, there’s nothing more you’d like better than to snuggle up with your pooch (or kitty, whatever your preference may be) and relax. Unfortunately though, sharing your bed with your pets might not be the best idea when it comes to the quality of your sleep….
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Over the last decade, scientists have been learning more and more about the role sleep plays in memory.  A new study now indicates that learning before sleep can actually double your chances of remembering what you were trying to learn. Researchers at the UK’s University of Exiter asked volunteers to try to remember made-up words either…
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Moms have a job that’s not easy.  During the summer months in particular, it can be a lot of work keeping the kids happy and busy.  This juggling act can lead to a number of problems that keep moms from sleeping well.  Below is a list of tips, with help from British parenting website JuggleMum, to help moms…
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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 we are not…
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New research indicates that poor sleep may be linked strongly to Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers this week presented the findings of their new study on the role of sleep in the development of the debilitating condition that robs its victims of memory.  They said that disrupted sleep may be one of the missing pieces in explaining how…
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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 we are not…
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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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There are many reasons for sleeplessness.  Some are physical, some are mental, and some are environmental.  According to new research, one environmental factor that is causing us to turn into a world full of sleep deprived humans is electricity. A team of researchers from several universities recently published the findings of a test of their theory…
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Have you ever called in “sleepy”?  New research indicates that, at least in Canada, it’s pretty common. According to a new survey, nearly four million people, or 26% of the country’s work force, have called in sick to catch up on sleep.  Taking into account those sick days, sleep deprivation has cost companies almost three-quarters of a…
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We generally assume that many of the people visiting SleepBetter have some kind of sleep problem.  After all, if you slept perfectly and had brand new bedding that was perfect for you, you might not have looked for us!  But, what are the most common everyday issues that keep us from sleeping?  The New Zealand website…
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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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It’s less than a week until Mother’s Day.  Are you set for a gift for your mother or, just as important, the mother of your children?  What about giving her sleep? While it’s wonderful to give an outing with the family, beautiful gifts and, of course, flowers, one thing that mothers (particularly those with younger…
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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 we are not…
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Sleep apnea is a scary disorder.  At minimum, it can cause its sufferers to be tired all day regardless of how much time they spend in bed.  At extremes, it can be fatal.  Scientists are now warning about another possible complication — early memory loss. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder in which the airways…
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Remember when you were a kid, and your parents loaded you into the car for a long trip?  Many times on those trips, you’d fall asleep for a large portion of the trip, and find that it seemed like you were there in no time.  That’s what scientists are hoping they can force astronauts to…
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Money may not buy happiness, but apparently those who have it are sleeping better. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently took a close look at numbers from the 2013 Health Interview Survey.  Since the CDC considers sleep deficiency a public health epidemic, the amount of sleep that individuals are receiving was of…
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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…
Read more »

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 we are not…
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New research may change the way parents look at sleep for their kids. The study, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, looked at the value of napping for children.  Parents have nearly always been encouraged to put their toddlers in bed for a nap during the day.  Generally, children start eliminating naps around the age…
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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…
Read more »

Scientists say they’ve found a biological marker for sleep debt, a discovery that may pave the way for a blood test for sleep deprivation. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested blood samples from rats and humans after they’d had only four hours of sleep a night for five nights. What they found is that in both,…
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We don’t know many teens who don’t love staring at screens, whether those screens are attached to TVs, computers, tablets, or smartphones.  New research is confirming, however, just how damaging those screens can be to teen sleep. Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 16-to-19-year-olds from Norway, questioning them about their use of electronics and sleeping habits….
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It’s fairly common knowledge that when you drink a lot of alcohol, the quality of your sleep is diminished.  But, according to a new study, even a single nightcap can negatively impact your slumber. The research, conducted at the University of Melbourne in Australia, looked into the idea that even a little nip is a bad…
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We all know sleep is important for all of us, but for babies it’s critical to not only their health and growth, but also their learning. New research conducted in the UK and Germany wanted to look into sleep in the first year of life, because the team conducting the study realized that very little…
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Last fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) jumped into the growing debate over school start times.  The AAP says school for teenagers needs to start later to accommodate the teenaged body clock.  Now new research is suggesting that ALL of us should have later start times. Researchers at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine reviewed the…
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Did your son or daughter just get a new smartphone or tablet from Santa?  If so, you may find that your child isn’t sleeping as well. A new study conducted at the University of California in Berkeley, and published in the journal Pediatrics, indicated that children who sleep with a smartphone or other handheld device slept less…
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Are you the type that likes to stay up late?  If so, chances are you’re more prone to negative thoughts throughout the day than your early-to-bed counterparts. Research conducted at Binghamton University measured just how detrimental a late bedtime can be on the mind.  Scientists there surveyed 100 students on their everyday sleep habits and then put…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth: People who fall asleep fast are more likely to be sleep deprived. TRUTH The average person takes from 10-20 minutes to fall…
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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…
Read more »

Sleep is a critical period for memory consolidation, and most people don’t get enough. Research has shown that even brief periods of sleep deprivation can lead to difficulty remembering things. In a new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team led by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania found that a particular set…
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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…
Read more »

It’s no secret that the majority of us don’t get enough sleep, but what would you say if you learned you needed more than 15 days more sleep each year just to get the amount you think you should have? A survey conducted in Britain asked men and women how much sleep they get on average,…
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We’ve all heard of night owls.  They’re people who are most energetic in the evenings.  Early birds, or larks, are the opposite.  They’re most energetic in the mornings. New research indicates, however, that there are two more types of “birds”. Researchers at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences asked 130 people to stay…
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Most people agree that the spring time change, when clocks move forward and we lose an hour, is easier than the fall time change when we gain an hour.  But, for many, any tinkering with the clock on the wall can cause them to have problems with their body clock.  At minimum, they have an…
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Increasingly, science is discovering that while sleep allows your body to rest and recuperate, your brain is quite active while you slumber.  Recently, News.com.au, NewsCorp Australia’s news and entertainment website, put together a great list of five things your brain is up to while you’re asleep.  Here’s a brief look: Decision Making A recent study…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re true. Myth or Truth: Insomniacs can’t usually catch up on sleep with an afternoon nap, even if they try. TRUTH While each person is different, for those with the type…
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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…
Read more »

It turns out your brain may be more “awake” while you’re sleeping than previously thought. Researchers in France and England recently teamed up to study the processing capacity of sleeping brains. The researchers used a simple word test, having participants use a hand signal device to categorize the given word as being either an animal or…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re true. Myth or Truth: Of our six senses, the one that is most active while we sleep is the sense of smell. MYTH According to a 2004 study, our sense…
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Have you ever awakened from a deep sleep (perhaps thanks to you mortal enemy, the alarm clock) and not known what time it is, what day it is, or even where you are?  That’s a condition called “sleep drunkenness” or “sleep inertia”, and scientists now say it’s more common than they previously thought. For most people,…
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With the vast majority of American schools back in session, it’s time to get back to what’s becoming an annual discussion — school start times.  This year, pediatricians are throwing their weight behind the argument that school for teens needs to start later. In a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending…
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There’s no way around it — space flight is stressful.  Between the cramped quarters and the sheer danger of the exercise, it’s enough to give anyone insomnia.  However, according to a recent study, the use of sleep aids both before and during space flight is astronomical. The study, conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston,…
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How much do you know about sleep? Are you a sleep sherpa, or simply a novice? Be sure to get a great night’s sleep, and then take our weekly sleep quiz! Here’s this week’s question: This bedding-related allergen is the second most common after pollen. What is it? The answer is dust mites.  Nearly every…
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Researchers have shown that our perception of reality is severely impacted by sleep deprivation. The study, which examined whether lack of sleep could lead to false memories, was conducted at the University of California, Irvine.  Scientists involved in the research say that sleep-deprived subjects who viewed photographs of a crime being committed and then read false information about…
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If you find that you can’t sleep well this summer, you have something new to blame.  Scientists say they’ve proven that we don’t sleep as well on nights with a full moon, and this summer features three full moons that are larger than most. A supermoon is a full or new moon that occurs at…
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We all have nights when we can’t sleep very well.  But, what if you simply can’t relax enough to sleep well night after night?  After checking to make sure you have the best bedding you can buy, maybe you need to consider checking into the Corinthia Hotel. The hotel, located in the middle of London,…
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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 you ever wanted to know what it’s like to have schizophrenia, all you have to do is withhold sleep from your body for a day. New research conducted by international team of researchers under the guidance of the University of Bonn and King’s College London indicates that just 24 hours of not sleeping can lead…
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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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How much do you know about sleep? Are you a sleep sherpa, or simply a novice? Be sure to get a great night’s sleep, and then take our weekly sleep quiz! Here’s this week’s question: According to a 2012 study from pest control company Terminix, what is the most bedbug-infested city in the U.S.? Around…
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We here at SleepBetter have provided a ton of information about the latest research into how sleep deprivation  is generally making you less healthy.  But, still some people don’t go to sleep on time.  To battle this ongoing problem, Vox.com put together a list of everyday ways that not getting enough sleep will pretty much…
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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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Researchers say they may have identified a brand new sleep disorder, and it has more to do with not wanting to go to sleep than not being able to. Most people diagnosed with a sleep issue have problems going to sleep or staying asleep.  But, a team at Utrecht University in the Netherlands say the sleep disorder…
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Numerous studies have linked a good night’s sleep to better memory, but there hasn’t been a clear answer of how it worked … until now. Scientists at New York University and Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School used advanced microscopy to witness new connections between brain cells forming while study mice slept. For the study, researchers trained mice in…
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Families that value and prioritize sleep are less likely to raise obese kids.  That’s the word from a new study conducted at the University of Illinois. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, examined the sleep routines of 337 US preschool children and their families, taking into account socioeconomic characteristics and observing the influence of…
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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 we are not…
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It’s a fact that some people are able to be healthy and refreshed on a short amount of sleep.  These short sleepers (the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was a famous one) make up perhaps 1% of the population.  They sometimes only need as little as four hours each night.  What makes them different?…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth:  There really is no “magic number” when it comes to how much sleep you need. TRUTH There are so many differences…
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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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The links between lack of sleep and weight gain have been well documented.  The prevailing scientific thought is that sleep duration impacts hormones that control hunger.  The less sleep you get, the more hungry you will be.  Scientists in charge of a new study, however, wanted to take that one step further, however, and find out…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth:  Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. MYTH This axiom has been repeated time and…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth: Waking up multiple times in the middle of the night is completely normal. TRUTH Wakings or partial wakings several times per…
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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 we are not…
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New research is providing more proof of the recuperative power of sleep. The research, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and written up in two papers that are to be published in the journal Sleep, used fruit flies to examine how sleep during illness impacts recovery time.  While it sounds obvious that sleeping will help you feel…
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New research points out just how important sleep is when it comes to memory, while at the same time showing us that we need quiet and uninterrupted sleep. The research, conducted by scientists at several New York City institutions, looked at what happens when new information is introduced while a subject is sleeping.  During sleep,…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth:  The body’s internal clock is set to 24 hours and would be synchronized perfectly with sunrise and sunset if it weren’t…
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Many of us believe the snooze button on an alarm clock to be the best invention of the last 100 years.  Just one little press of that magical button buys us up to nine or 10 minutes of extra sleep.  Or …. does it? The problem with the snooze button is that it gives you…
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Feel free to exercise at night if that’s when you have the time.  It won’t impact your sleep.  That’s the result of new research conducted at Arizona State University. Researchers analyzed data from the 2013 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll, which surveyed 1,000 adults about their exercise patterns, including what time of day…
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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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What if a daily supplement could make your child sleep better?  New research is suggesting that may be the case for some kids. The study was conducted at Oxford University.  Researchers studied 352 children aged seven to nine who were struggling readers at a mainstream primary school.  Parents filled out a questionnaire which showed that 40-percent…
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The warning signs of depression among teens may be fairly easy to recite.  Among them are withdrawing from friends and favorite activities, tumbling grades, and lack of motivation.  But the reasons for teen depression are many and varied.  Researchers on two continents conducted two different studies, and both found one of those reasons is lack…
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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 we are not…
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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 we are not…
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What’s the key to long life?  According to new research, that depends upon whether you’re a man or a woman. The study, conducted at Melbourne, Australia’s Monash University, investigated how diet contributed to sleep quality and mortality among elderly men and women.  It found that for both genders, poor sleep was strongly correlated with poor appetite and poor…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth: You should never wake a sleepwalker, because the shock could give them a heart attack. MYTH There’s no evidence that awakening a…
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It’s been a cold winter for a large part of the United States this year.  It’s been so cold that schools have had to cancel due solely to the cold and not because of snow.  When you think about how cold it has been, think about how it would be if you slept outside.  That’s…
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Imagine if you suddenly found that you had a 28-hour day.  Think how productive you would be!  That’s the idea behind “Polyphasic Sleep”.  It’s changing (or “hacking”) your sleep schedule so that you’re in bed less and have more time for work or play.  The question is … does it work? Before we get any…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth: If you can’t sleep, it’s best to get out of bed. TRUTH! If you lay in bed while having trouble sleeping, you…
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An interesting new study ties the sleep habits of teenagers and their friends.  Essentially, if a teen’s friends don’t sleep enough, the teen probably doesn’t either. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati studied a group of 1,000 teens aged 12 to 15 from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, which logged their physical, cognitive…
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Recent legislation is moving the U.S. government a step closer to new regulations for truckers with sleep disorders like sleep apnea. The new rules, which may force trucking companies to include sleep apnea in its list of issues to check for, could cost the industry one billion dollars in lost revenues due to the loss…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth: You should replace your mattress as soon as it’s no longer comfortable. MYTH There are ways to make a mattress last longer…
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We spring forward for Daylight Saving Time, and then we fall back to Standard Time when it ends.  This year we fall back on Sunday, November 3 at 2 a.m.  While the time change in the spring is generally regarded as the more problematic one because you’re actually losing an hour, “falling back” and gaining…
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Scientists have confirmed what many already suspected — that a regular bedtime is key to good behavior from your children. The researchers, conducted at University College London, looked at data on more than 10,000 children. The children were part of a long-term study of babies born in the UK in 2000 to 2002 that regularly surveyed parents…
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This is the latest installment of a regular feature here at SleepBetter.org: Sleep Myth Monday, where we bust sleep myths wide open, or verify that they’re actually not myths at all. Myth or Truth: Sleeping in on the weekends can allow you to catch up on lost sleep during the week. MYTH Brand new research…
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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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We all know that beauty sleep is real — a good night’s sleep can indeed reduce bags under your eyes and make your skin more elastic.  New research is now charting the specifics of what sleep deprivation can do to your looks. The research, conducted by Stockholm University in Sweden and published in the journal…
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With the Pillow in Space launch to be held just a handful of days from now (you can watch it live on our Pillow in Space page on September 22 at 11:30 a.m. EDT), we finally have our full roster of Pillownauts! The first four Pillownauts were selected in a competition among parents who adopted Pillows…
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Think about what you’re like when you haven’t slept well.  Maybe you’re cranky, or moody, or have a short attention span.  It turns out the threshold for those symptoms to cause issues in a relationship is lower than you might think.  In fact, it’s one night. In the research, conducted at the University of California…
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It’s just part of nature.  Some of us are early birds and some of us are night owls.  The problem for the night owl, however, comes when he has a job that requires he wake early in the morning.  So, what’s an owl to do?  New research says there is a solution that works and…
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It seems somewhat intuitive, but in case there was any doubt, new research has proven that kids who have technology in their bedroom get less sleep. The research, conducted in Helsinki, Finland, looked at children aged 10 and 11.  The study started in 2006, when children were asked to complete a questionnaire about their health behaviors….
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For thousands of years, people have blamed many things on the full moon … anything from bad behavior to the tendency to turn into a werewolf.  Now, research is pinning another problem in the big white orb in the sky — poor sleep. Swiss scientists were originally studying the sleep patterns of 33 subjects to…
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Postcards from Pillow: Old Gross Pillow Gallery As part of one of our recent Postcards from Pillow adoption opportunities, we asked people to send in pictures of their oldest bed pillow. The nastier the better. The would-be Pillow adopters took this to heart, sending us pictures of some truly disgusting pillows. You can see a…
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One would think that an activity necessary for the proper functioning of our bodies would rank higher than Internet access, but that’s simply not the case. In a recent survey, 42-percent of male respondents in a new survey by a UK broadband provider say they would throw food, shelter, and sleep to the wind, while saluting Internet…
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A new survey is lifting the covers (so to speak) on bedtime complaints of couples who are soon to be married … and it’s not pretty. The survey, conducted by mattress retailer Sleepy’s, asked engaged couples what they want to change about their sleep and bedding before getting married.  Nearly half of them said they…
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New research indicates that if you’re not sleeping as much as you should, you might be a liar and a cheat. The research, conducted at the University of Washington, indicates that sleep deprivation drains glucose in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for self-control, and a lack of glucose robs this area of its fuel….
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Apparently America is tired, but doesn’t care to do anything about it.  According to a recent survey, nearly half of all Americans say they’re sleep deprived, and the majority of those 157 million Americans aren’t taking simple steps to get better sleep – even though they know simple actions can lead to more restful nights. The…
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Despite what you think about the condition of schools in the United States, they are top ranked for one thing: sleepiest students. According to recently released research, nearly three quarters of nine and 10-year-olds suffer academically due to poor sleep, and 80% of 13 and 14-year-olds are affected by lack of sleep.  That compares very…
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A leading psychiatrist in the U.S. is suggesting that a “substantial portion” of those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, have been misdiagnosed and are instead simply sleep deprived. Vatsal Thakkar, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, wrote in the New York Times this past…
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The vast majority of articles on SleepBetter.org cover the problems caused by not sleeping enough and the benefits of sleeping better.  However, new research indicates that there is a growing population of people out there who are sleeping too much … and it’s not good for them either. The new study was conducted by researchers…
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It’s no secret to SleepBetter visitors that the amount you sleep can have an effect on your weight.  The reverse is also true — what you eat can have an effect on how you sleep. Yahoo News recently did a wrap-up of some foods that you can eat that may help you get a little…
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Over the last few weeks, we here at SleepBetter have noticed more and more articles espousing rest, relaxation, and sleep.  From businesses to football teams, everyone seems to realize that being more rested could be the ticket to raised productivity. The latest was an Op-Ed this week in the New York Times by Tony Schwartz, who…
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We’re a scant three weeks away from Valentine’s Day.  What are you getting your beloved? What about a good night’s sleep? In doing so, you may actually be giving yourself a present as well. Researchers at the University California in Berkeley studied 60 couples aged 18 to 56, with each participant keeping a diary of how…
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This time of year, many people are struggling to lose weight because they made a New Year’s Resolution to get fit.  They go to the gym, they start taking brisk walks, and they count calories.  One part of that fitness regime that they may be missing is to get enough sleep. Over the past few…
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The most recent research on memories and sleep indicate that while you slumber your brain is categorizing what it’s learned recently.  New research, however, goes one step further. UCLA researchers have, for the first time, measured the the sleep-time activity of a brain region known to be involved in learning, memory and Alzheimer’s disease. They discovered that…
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It’s almost a rite of passage among students, whether in high school or beyond, to pull all-nighters before the night of the big test. But, with the new school year underway or about to start in most parts of the country, it might be a good time to re-think that strategy. A new study at…
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Most sleep studies focus on the United Kingdom or the United States, but for the first time ever there are now statistics for the third world, and you may find them surprising. These studies, conducted by the UK’s Warwick Medical School, show that 1 out of every 20 residents of India suffer from a sleep problem….
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It is common knowledge that people in America and the rest of the world are not getting adequate sleep — either in terms of quality or quantity. According to a report in April from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a third of working Americans – or nearly 41 million people – are…
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In a recent survey, Consumer Reports did a “checkup” on the state of sleep in America. Of the 26,451 respondents, it was not surprising that they found 60% of respondents had some sort of sleep problem. When checking in to see what was keeping people awake at night, the survey revealed that nearly half of all…
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We’re encouraging people to get rid of their old, dirty, out-of-shape pillows and replace them with new pillows that will help them sleep better.  To get the best night’s sleep possible, you should replace your pillow and mattress pad once every year to 18 months.  It may not be immediately apparent, however, why the old…
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In each edition of Ask Dr. Lisa, our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives, answers your questions about why you can’t get the sleep you need. In this installment, Dr. Lisa answers a question from a woman who can’t seem to sleep all night. Marta Fernandez asks: If you wake up at 4am what should…
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A new Consumer Reports survey uncovers a big problem for the millions of Americans looking for work: sleep.  In fact, according to the study, the most common problem for the unemployed other than finding a job is getting a good night’s rest. According to a new survey of Consumer Reports’ readers, unemployed respondents were more…
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If you’re hoping to master a piece of music or some other piece of information, listening to it while napping may be the way to go, according to new research conducted at Northwestern University. Research volunteers learned how to play two artificially generated musical tunes requiring well-timed key presses. Then while the participants took a 90-minute nap,…
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Even if you’re a first-time visitor to SleepBetter.org, it won’t take long before you realize just how important it is to your health to get the proper amount of sleep.  Good Morning America recently put together a list of what they think are the five biggest health hazards that can come about from not sleeping…
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Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is the tingling feeling or unavoidable urge to move limbs (usually legs), usually while the body is at rest.  Individuals who suffer from RLS find it difficult or even impossible to sleep during episodes.  Until recently, doctors and scientists had no idea what caused it.  In fact, some doubted it truly…
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New research conducted in France indicates that there may be little or no difference between driving drowsy and driving drunk. The study included 679 people who were hospitalized because of a car accident between 2007 and 2009 in France. The research shows that driving while intoxicated and driving without proper sleep both double your risk of…
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A mattress topper does exactly what it sounds like — it sits on top of your mattress. A good mattress topper can add support to a mattress that is a bit too soft. It can also add luxurious softness to a mattress that is too firm, while not taking away from the support of the…
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There are few things that can impact your sleep quality more than a pillow. A poor quality pillow or the wrong kind of pillow for your sleep style can leave you tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable, and can lead to stiffness in the morning. Get suggestions on what type of pillow you should…
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You’ve got questions, and Dr. Lisa Shives, our sleep expert, will answer them!  We gather sleep questions from our Facebook page, and Dr. Shives answers them right here.  In this installment, Dr. Lisa answers a question from someone having trouble switching back from an overnight work schedule… Gary Stewart asks: I believe that part of my sleeping problem…
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More Americans are choosing to sleep in separate beds from their partners. According to the National Sleep Foundation, one-quarter of American couples sleep in separate bedrooms. Between snoring, apnea, and disruptions from kids or pets, there is a growing belief that sleeping alone may be a good alternative to cuddling up with your partner in…
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The Huffington Post recently published an interview between its publisher and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During that interview, a number of wide-ranging topics were covered. One of those topics is near and dear to our hearts here at SleepBetter.org … sleep, of course. Here’s what He had to say: The other day, in Delhi,…
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While being tired usually has to do with a lack of sleep, there are times that it doesn’t.  A new article from LifeGoesStrong.com charts out some of the non-sleep related issues that could cause exhaustion.  Among them: Allergies Anemia Thyroid Problems Diabetes Rheumatoid Athritis Depression You can read the full article here for more reasons….
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May is Better Sleep Month, and if you visit SleepBetter.org frequently, you’ve likely seen a myriad of articles that tell you the consequences of sleeping poorly or not enough.  Among other things, lack of sleep may make you gain weight, contract diseases or conditions, and reduce your ability to learn new facts. So, what do…
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Hard working people, especially those on Wall Street, take pleasure in a nap. That may not be surprising until you hear that many of them are actually napping while at work. A recent story in Business Week pointed out that there is an abundance of comments on popular web forum called Wall Street Oasis on…
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Yesterday we observed the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day. Usually on Earth Day our thoughts and attention are drawn to pollution, recycling, and possibly planting, but what about inside? There is some evidence that shows indoor pollutants can be more toxic that outdoor pollutants. So, how is this effecting your sleep? Most bedrooms harbor dust…
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SleepBetter “elves” have been quite busy lately, and now they’re ready to unveil part of what they’ve been up to! This week, we’re launching an all new Zzzz Score™ quiz! The quiz is a new way to get advice from SleepBetter and learn just how good you are at sleeping. The new Zzzz Score provides…
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You’ve got questions, and Dr. Lisa Shives, our sleep expert, will answer them!  We gather sleep questions from our Facebook page, and Dr. Shives answers them right here.  In this installment, Dr. Lisa answers a question from someone who wonders what happens to our muscles while we sleep… Guy Beardsley asks: Does muscle and joint repair only…
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You’ve got questions, and Dr. Lisa Shives, our sleep expert, will answer them!  We gather sleep questions from our Facebook page, and Dr. Shives answers them right here.  In this installment, Dr. Lisa answers a question from someone who wonders whether co-sleeping helps babies sleep better… Warren Marler asks: I know views differ widely on this, and…
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The switch to Daylight Saving Time, which in the United States, Canada and Mexico happens at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, brings some wonderful benefits. Not only is it a sign that warm temperatures are on the way, it also means more daylight during your waking hours. The downside, however, is that you will…
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As we go through modern life, we trust a lot of people to transport us and our belongings safely.  Cab drivers, airline pilots and bus drivers need to be awake and alert or disasters both small and large can happen.  The National Sleep Foundation recently looked into how tired these transportation professionals are on a…
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As more people are being treated for sleep apnea, it’s a disorder that’s increasingly being investigated by researchers.  A new study revealed at the recent American Stroke Association’s Conference shows that sleep apnea may cause what are sometimes called “silent strokes”.  By using brain imaging it was found that those participants of the study who…
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Valentine’s Day is upon us, bringing thoughts of romance and togetherness. However, a leading sleep expert says that for many who are in committed relationships, sharing a bed may not be the best thing. “It’s a modern notion that it will damage a relationship if partners sleep separately,” said Dr. Lisa Shives (a.k.a. “Dr. Lisa,…
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Throughout the past few years there has been an ongoing debate about what time middle and high school students should begin their school day, since many research findings have revealed that teens are extremely sleep deprived. Now, a community of teens is doing more than just talking about the problem. High school students around the…
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Oversleeping is inevitable.  It happens to everyone.  Sometimes it leads to a boss being upset, and sometimes you get away with it.  It’s so common, in fact, that it was recently named as one of the top reasons for work tardiness. According to a new CareerBuilder study. Sixteen percent of workers reported they arrive late…
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Time for another edition of Ask Dr. Lisa, where our sleep expert answers your questions without an appointment!  We pick out sleep-related questions submitted on our Facebook Page, and send them to our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives, for an answer. In this installment, Dr. Lisa talks about sleep and food. Lisa Zimmerman asks:…
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Mothers can worry about a plethora of things, such as the health of their children, what school to send them to and so on. A new study shows, however, that the top woe that mothers have is work outside the home. The research, conducted by a recruiting firm in the UK, showed that half of…
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For some people, a warm glass of milk or cup of chamomile tea is a soothing pre-bedtime ritual.  But what the human body really wants to do with the onset of sleep is to cool down.  That’s why cooler autumn temperatures are just what the doctor ordered when it comes to getting the best rest….
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We all have questions about sleep, but who do we ask?  We created Ask Dr. Lisa to give you a place to turn!  We pick out sleep-related questions submitted on our Facebook Page, and send them to our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives, for an answer. In this installment, Dr. Lisa talks about what’s…
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Longtime visitors to SleepBetter will recall that in the summer of 2009 we worked on a great project in the town of Stephenville, Texas.  The project, called Sleep Better, Dream Bigger, charted the hopes and dreams of an entire small town.  Singer and songwriter Jewel, whose hometown is Stephenville, worked with us on the project….
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Sometimes we have questions for a doctor, but don’t want to make an appointment to ask them.  Because of that, we created Ask Dr. Lisa!  We pick out sleep-related questions submitted on our Facebook Page, and send them to our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives, for an answer. In this installment, Dr. Lisa talks…
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Many people cite having trouble falling asleep at night, but most don’t think that their diet could help or harm their ability to get a good night’s sleep.  In actuality, there are a number of foods that can help you get a good nights rest. A recent article narrows these foods down to five of…
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College students don’t get enough sleep. That’s not surprising to hear. However, what might be surprising is “why”. A new study shows that the lack of sleep among University students may be due to something other than partying or studying. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati surveyed 200 college-aged students who did not live at…
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What’s your pillow maintenance style? Do you wash regularly or are you more of a microbe risk taker? Check out our latest infographic below (click for a full-sized version) to see how you stack up and for tips on how get the best bounce out of your pillow. To view more SleepBetter infographics, visit our…
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In the fast pace world that we live in today, many people consider sleep as a waste of time. Sleep leaves less time for productivity, which is a large value of today’s ever moving culture. But, what if we were productive in our sleep? A man named Lee Hadwin is. Hadwin has found that he…
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For some time, we’ve been talking about the importance of replacing your pillow yearly, spurred by SleepBetter Investigates: Fungus Among Us, our scientific study of college student bedding from around the United States. We took samples from dozens of students and tested them to find out what was living inside.  In the video below, meet a…
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It’s no secret that our four-legged friends are carrying around a number of “friends” of their own.  Have you thought about what they carry into your bed?  Check out the infographic below (click it to see a larger version) from our Big Germ on Campus series and see how many Americans are sleeping with their…
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Maybe it’s the inconvenience of using coin-operated washing machines down in the basement of the dorm. Or perhaps it’s the fact that mom isn’t around to do the laundry. Whatever the reason, the survey we conducted along with our scientific research of college student pillows finds that most of those students probably would earn poor…
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Recently, we were contacted by David Caldicott, a physics student at the University of Leeds in the UK. David is trying something unique. He wants to have a school-sanctioned napping club where members could go at any time during the day to catch a few winks. We interviewed David via email: Tell us about your plans…
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A recent survey by NBC’s TODAY Show and Parenting.com uncovered a startling finding — that one in five moms responding to the survey admitted to drugging their children. The moms admitted they’d used medications like Benadryl to keep kids asleep or calm through special events such as plane rides. One in 12 responding moms, meanwhile,…
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You may have seen the findings of our recently-released scientific study of bedding belonging to college students around the U.S.  But, what does it mean?  Are dirty pillows really dangerous?  We posed that question and others to our sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives (The Sleep M.D.).  You can see her answers in the video below!…
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Our recent release of the findings of our scientific study of college student pillows has caught the eye of the media. Our own Dr. Lisa Shives (The Sleep M.D.) was interviewed recently on Morning Express with Robin Meade on Headline News. Check out the links below (or after the “read more” link, if you’re viewing…
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Ask Dr. Lisa is a way for you to question The Sleep M.D. directly!  Each week we pick out questions submitted on our Facebook Page, and send them to our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives. In this installment, Dr. Lisa answers questions about waterbeds and restless leg syndrome: Gail Hengle-Fill asks: I just bought…
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Our new college bedding study highlights problems with the pillows and mattress pads that college students take to school with them.  But, gross fungi aside, it also brings up a very important point — a good night’s sleep increases a student’s chance of success in college exponentially. Multiple studies have been done on the subject. …
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When most think about what the future will look like some things that come to mind may be robots, revolutionary cars, and exclusive medical advancements. One thing that does not seem futuristic is sleep, but a recent study has revealed what the future of sleep looks like. This abstract study took place over a period…
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Yeast, mold, bacteria – OH MY! The results of a scientific study of the pillows and mattress pads of U.S. undergrads is in – and it’s not fresh. So the question is, what’s in your pillow? Check out the Infographic below to find out. This is the first in a series of Infographics from SleepBetter.org….
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A recent study shows even more evidence of how TV is affecting children’s sleep. This study by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute shows that that preschool age children (3-5 years) who watch scary TV shows, or TV shows that come on during the later evening hours are more likely to have sleep disorders. The researchers…
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A recent study shows even more evidence of how TV is affecting children’s sleep. This study by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute shows that that preschool age children (3-5 years) who watch scary TV shows, or TV shows that come on during the later evening hours are more likely to have sleep disorders. The researchers…
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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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SleepBetter.org and Carpenter Co. published the following release on June 24, 2011: Richmond, Va., June 24, 2011 – Never mind the bed bugs.  A closer look at the pillows and mattress pads at the nation’s college campuses reveals a veritable petri dish of microscopic mischief: hundreds of thousands of bacterial, yeast, fungi and mold colonies…
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By Dr. Lisa Shives The summer is nearly upon us, and even with the economy still on shaky ground, millions will take to the sky in June, July and August to fly to destinations  far away.  Unfortunately one of the side-effects of flying across the country or across the world is dealing with time zones…
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Everyone has questions, and now SleepBetter has a way for you to get answers to your sleep questions!  Each week we pick out a few questions submitted on our Facebook Page, and send them to our medical sleep expert, Dr. Lisa Shives.  If you have questions for Dr. Lisa (The Sleep M.D.) just post them for…
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You have questions … and Dr. Lisa, The Sleep M.D., is answering them!  This is the first installment of a new feature on SleepBetter.org that we call Ask Dr. Lisa.  Each week we ask you to submit questions on our Facebook page, and we pick several of them to submit to our medical sleep expert,…
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By Dr. Lisa Shives (The Sleep M.D.) There are countless things that can steal your good night’s sleep.  Among them are food, alcohol, caffeine, and even a nap in the afternoon.  One thing that we don’t think about until the situation arises, however, is news and world events. Early this month, the United States announced…
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The Webby Awards, the Internet’s most respected symbol of success, awarded both a Webby AND a People’s Voice award to Carpenter Co. and sleep tips website SleepBetter.org for the video 2 Guys, 600 Pillows.  The effort was a commissioned work by “Internetainers” Rhett & Link, who put 600 pillows to work in a music video…
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Individuals who are lacking in sleep tend to have a sunny outlook, but can do some crazy things.  That’s the finding of a study by neuroscientists at two medical schools at Duke University in North Carolina. The scientists used an MRI to prove how sleep deprivation led to increased brain activity in brain regions that…
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A new study suggests that getting an extra hour of sleep at night could help your teenager drive more safely. The study, published in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, compared school start times and automobile crash rates for students aged 16 to 18 years in Virginia Beach, Va., where high school classes began between 7:20…
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Recently we’ve been hit by a barrage of news stories about American air traffic controllers falling asleep.  As these are the people who ensure that planes carrying hundreds of other people land safely, this is truly worrisome.  Unfortunately, however, it’s not surprising. The sole reason for SleepBetter’s existence is that individuals in the U.S. and…
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New research indicates that too little sleep can interfere with brain development … at the very least. NBC News is doing a series this week about the teen brain, and this installment looks into what harm is being done by the fact that teenagers on average get about two hours less sleep than they should:

There’s an interesting post on the New York Times’ health blog, Well, this week that talks about tonsillectomies.  Normally here at SleepBetter we don’t write about this type of surgery, but there’s been an interesting side-effect that’s developed from the reduction in the number of tonsil removals in the United States … and it relates…
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Restless Leg Syndrome, or RLS, is a sleep stealer for millions of people.  Its symptoms, constant twitching of legs that happens mostly at night, sound simple, but its sufferers spend nights walking, massaging, and wishing they could sleep.  Now, new research indicates that RLS could damage the heart … possibly due to lack of sleep….
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A soon-to-be-published study indicates that Moms nearly always end up being the nighttime caregivers for children, regardless of whether they work outside the home.  This confirms what Moms already know, of course. The research, which will be published later this year in the sociology journal Social Forces, was the largest study of its kind to…
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Walking has many benefits — not the least of which is exercise.  However, the director of the Toronto Research Institute Sleep Research Laboratory says he may have found another benefit — reduced snoring and incidents of sleep apnea  Douglas Bradley says individuals who sit most of the day and suffer from sleep apnea or snoring…
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Researchers at Columbia University have discovered something key to our survival: People who are sleep deprived love ice cream. All joking aside, there IS very important information in the Columbia research.  Scientists there were looking into the reasons that people gain more weight when they don’t sleep enough.  Here’s a rundown of the study, from…
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We wrapped up our Valentine’s Day Lovenest Makeover Contest a few weeks ago, but we still have some unfinished business.  Part of that contest was a survey, and we now have the survey data to release! The somewhat unscientific (but extremely fun) survey asked more than 3,200 people questions about romance and Valentine’s Day.  Here…
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By Dr. Lisa Shives A new study published in the journal Neurology found that individual differences in the way people fall asleep, stay asleep, and deal with insomnia can be predicted by looking for an allele called DBQ1*0602, according to CBS News. Results of the study led authors to believe that up to 25 percent…
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In case you hadn’t heard, this is the weekend when Daylight Saving Time begins in the United States. Other countries also “spring forward” this weekend or in the coming weeks, with the European Union observing it on the last Sunday in March.  When Daylight Saving Time begins, we “spring forward” by moving our clocks forward…
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We have a very exciting announcement to make — SleepBetter.org has a new sleep expert!  Please read the announcement below, and look for more from Dr. Lisa coming very, very soon! RICHMOND, Va., March 8, 2011 – Talk about a dream job. Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org have tapped one of the nation’s foremost medical authorities…
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Bedbugs are a big topic these days, as news stories across the world have declared that bedbug infestations are on the rise.  Unfortunately, the harsh winter seen in parts of the United States and across the northern hemisphere hasn’t helped.  With most bug infestations, cold weather is a good thing, as the bugs die or…
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For a story on how NFL athletes can see an improvement in their performance by sleeping, we interviewed Stanford University sleep researcher Cheri Mah.  She is involved in a study that looks at whether reducing or eliminating sleep debt (accumulated when an individual gets less rest than their body needs) will lead to an an…
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You’ve read here at SleepBetter.org before about the rise of bedbugs in the United States and elsewhere, but now we know in what regions you’re most likely to see them. Forbes magazine contacted the two largest pest exterminators, Orkin and Terminix, and worked with them to create the list of the most bedbug-infested cities in…
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Most people, when visiting the hospital for surgery, are told the anesthesia will put them to sleep so the doctors can do their work.  New research shows, however, that being put “under” is actually much more like a coma than sleep. Anesthesia is obviously a common practice for surgery, and has been for hundreds of…
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What do mom and dad want most this holiday season? How about a good night’s rest? According to a just-released national year-end survey – the SleepBetter.org Holiday Slumber Index – one in five Americans (20%) says they expect to lose sleep over the coming weeks due to holiday stress. Seasonally-induced insomnia is even higher for…
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You may have heard your mother talking about getting her “beauty rest”.  New research is showing that she knew what she was talking about. Swedish scientists studied 23 subjects ages 18 to 31, photographing them before while well rested and then again after being up for 31 hours while getting only five hours of sleep. …
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A new study indicates there may be a positive psychological benefit to sleep deprivation.  The research, conducted at Yale University, indicates that staying awake may be therapeutic for some people with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders. It’s been long known (and documented in multiple articles here at SleepBetter.org, including this one) that…
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We’ve all seen the stereotype of the Japanese businessman who doesn’t make time for much of anything but work.  It turns out that, at least in one category, the stereotype might be true.  According to a new study of people in five of the largest cities in the world, Japanese businessmen get the least amount…
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To say that we have been thrilled with the success of the 2 Guys 600 Pillows video would be a gigantic understatement.  You may recall, the video was produced by “Internetainers” Rhett & Link for SleepBetter.org and Carpenter Co.  Since being released on September 14, the video has been viewed more than 3.2 million times. …
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There’s a great article on NationalGeographic.com this week about a new study that reinforces just how important sleep is for categorizing memories and even assisting with the operation of your brain. From the article: Previous research had shown that sleep helps people consolidate their memories, fixing them in the brain so we can retrieve them…
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There’s a great article on NationalGeographic.com this week about a new study that reinforces just how important sleep is for categorizing memories and even assisting with the operation of your brain. From the article: Previous research had shown that sleep helps people consolidate their memories, fixing them in the brain so we can retrieve them…
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A new study published online in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) claims that what a mother-to-be eats during her pregnancy can cause both obesity and sleep problems for her child. According to a release from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where the research was conducted, what the…
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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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In the SleepBetter video Paranormal Pillow, “Old Pillow” is acting very much like a jilted lover.  It made us realize that pillows and boyfriends have an awful lot in common.  Here are five ways they’re alike: 1) Pillows, like boyfriends, sometimes need to be replaced. Whether it’s a lumpy old pillow or a lumpy old…
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We all know (or have been) teenagers who like to stay up late and sleep until noon.  New research indicates, however, the number of hours a teen sleeps, and at what times, could help parents and doctors determine if they are at risk of developing depression, bipolar disorder or psychosis. From today’s Sydney Morning Herald…
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Some startling new research is being presented this week at a conference in Australia. According to researchers at the Institute for Breathing and Sleep at Melbourne’s Austin Health, snorers who have obstructive sleep apnea have reduced grey matter — the cells that make up the important parts of your brain. From an article in today’s…
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How old is YOUR pillow?  One month old?  Six months?  One year?  If you’re like the majority, your pillow is probably more than two years old, and should be replaced immediately. According to our own web poll, found on the right side of the front page here at SleepBetter.org, as of the time of this…
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When Rhett & Link unleashed their YouTube music video, 2 Guys 600 Pillows, on the world, we knew it would be popular.  What’s happened is the true definition of a viral hit. In the first week after the video (created for SleepBetter.org and its owner, Carpenter Co.) was released, it was viewed more than two…
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For a completely natural act, it sure does seem like a lot of things can get in the way of sleeping.  What you do before bedtime can have a HUGE impact on how well you sleep.  One of the big things is to watch what you eat and drink.  Shine, a Yahoo blog, this week…
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Even the most beloved pillow must eventually be replaced. In fact, the general rule is that your pillow should be replaced every 18 months to two years. Here are some things to consider when picking your new favorite pillow: Learn more about how you sleep.  Take the Zzzz Score test to get some suggestions for…
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Children and infants under the age of five who get less than 10 hours of sleep are more likely to be overweight five years later.  That’s the finding of a new study published this week in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The study analyzed data from a nationwide survey in 1997 and 2002….
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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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Scientists are looking more and more at sleep deprivation being the possible cause of many cases of depression.  Postpartum depression, for example, affects between 5 and 25 percent of new mothers with symptoms that include sadness, fatigue, anxiety and irritability.  A 2001 study of women with postpartum depression at the University of San Diego found…
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A new study could offer some hope for those unfortunate enough to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).  CFS is estimated to afflict at least one million Americans and has no known cause and no accepted diagnostic tests, although patients show signs of immunological, neurological and endocrinological abnormalities. Besides profound exhaustion, symptoms include sleep disorders,…
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You’ll have to excuse the title of this post.  No one is suggesting that you sleep all day.  However, something to keep in mind is that what you do at 3:00 in the afternoon can affect how well you sleep at night.  The Dallas Morning News this week published a great article that includes a…
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Could the movie “Inception”, a flick where operatives enter a businessman’s dream and try to plant an idea, ever become true? It’s an interesting idea explored in an article this week in the Los Angeles Times. They spoke with Matthew Edlund, an expert on rest, body clocks and sleep. He says it’s a fascinating idea….
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It’s all worth it, of course, but new research indicates that new moms and dads lose the equivalent of six months of sleep in their first two years of parenthood.  A new survey indicates that the average new parent gets an average of four hours of uninterrupted sleep in the first two years of their…
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Should we allow our pets to sleep in our bed? On the surface, this doesn’t seem like a weighty debate, but it’s one that keeps coming up over and over.  We covered it in an article on the front page of the SleepBetter.org last fall entitled “Is it time to kick Fido out of your…
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Researchers have always known there was something different about people with chronic insomnia.  A new study sheds some light on what that “something” might be.  Dutch scientist Ellemarije Altena at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences studied a group of older adults, some of whom suffered from…
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This isn’t a “contest” that you want to win.  According to research presented at this week’s annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, 20% of Americans report experiencing moderate to excessive sleepiness during the daytime hours.  That compares to 15% in Europe. Eleven percent of the Americans being studied reported severe sleepiness, which was…
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A new study about to be published in the Journal Child Development is looking at whether sleep disruptions could cause more than a bit of sleepiness among children.  According to oanow.com, the research from Auburn University is looking at how sleep disruptions affected emotional development and adjustment in more than 140 children, from a 50-mile…
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A new study is out this week that looked at the learning processes of infants, and it revealed some interesting information about the role of sleep in learning … at least when it comes to newborns.  The research team at the University of Florida evaluated 26 1- to 2-day-old newborns as they slept.  What they…
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There’s a great question and answer column in this week’s TIME Magazine, talking all about sleep.  Here’s an excerpt of one of the questions, and the corresponding answer: You point out it’s difficult to understand how sleep evolved. What are some theories about why people sleep? There’s no “sleep bone” that people have been able…
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There’s a great question and answer column in this week’s TIME Magazine, talking all about sleep.  Here’s an excerpt of one of the questions, and the corresponding answer: You point out it’s difficult to understand how sleep evolved. What are some theories about why people sleep? There’s no “sleep bone” that people have been able…
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On the heels of a just-released national survey of parents that found that many young kids prefer bedtime stories that mom and dad make up themselves – beating out such classics as “Goodnight Moon” and “Green Eggs and Ham” – Carpenter Co. and www.sleepbetter.org are launching a national search for the best original bedtime tale….
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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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The City of Milwaukee is taking a stand against sleeping with your children.  The Wisconsin city’s health department is hosting the upcoming Safe Sleep Summit, taking a strong stand against bed sharing with infants. The Milwaukee Health Department says there is no safe way to share your bed with your baby. The story comes from…
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Still hunting for the perfect Mother’s Day gift idea? While it’s wonderful to give an outing with the family, beautiful gifts and, of course, flowers, one thing that mothers universally don’t have enough of is sleep. With Mother’s Day right around the corner on May 9th, leading sleep advice web site SleepBetter.org is offering tips…
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An article posted today at Psychology Today asks an interesting question — Do Cats Dream of Catching Mice? Here at SleepBetter.org, we’re normally more concerned about human sleep, but this is an important question in sleep science. Figuring out how other members of the animal world sleep and dream may help us unlock some of…
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What foods help you sleep at night?  Let us know in comments! There’s a great article on Yahoo’s Shine that talks about which foods can help you sleep better and which are .. at best .. part of an old wive’s tale.  Out of the five listed, including warm milk, herbal tea, alcohol, and sleep…
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What foods help you sleep at night?  Let us know in comments! There’s a great article on Yahoo’s Shine that talks about which foods can help you sleep better and which are .. at best .. part of an old wive’s tale.  Out of the five listed, including warm milk, herbal tea, alcohol, and sleep…
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Is it a chicken or the egg situation?  Most would assume that teens using illegal drugs don’t sleep well, but a new study actually indicates that teens who don’t sleep well are more likely to use drugs … and so are their friends.  The study from the University of California in San Diego was in…
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Is it a chicken or the egg situation?  Most would assume that teens using illegal drugs don’t sleep well, but a new study actually indicates that teens who don’t sleep well are more likely to use drugs … and so are their friends.  The study from the University of California in San Diego was in…
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In a discovery somewhat related to our news item yesterday about the sleep habits (or lack thereof) of Facebook and Twitter Addicts, we found a very interesting calculator today that claims it can figure out when you sleep, based solely on your Twitter account.  Presumably, SleepingTime.org uses a combination of your Twitter usage and your…
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You may have read before on SleepBetter.org about how doctors and researchers are finding that kids and teenagers need more sleep than previously thought.  In fact, as was mentioned in a story here last month, some schools are beginning their days later to accommodate that.  A school in the UK, however, is trying a different…
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According to a new report posted on the LA Times Health Blog, daylight savings time (which starts on Sunday, March 14 at 2 a.m.) is not only a short-term hassle that can make you sleepy, it’s also dangerous!  The blog post quotes scientists who have studied the physiological and psychological affects of the lost hour. …
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It’s easy to make fun of Gwyneth Paltrow for using a word like “knackered”, as she did in a recent post on her newsletter, but it’s hard to argue with the quality of her advice.  To explain a bit — if you haven’t heard, Ms. Paltrow has discovered sleep.  She wrote in her newsletter that,…
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The long held belief is that as you get older, you need less sleep.  A new study is disputing that claim.  According to a story this week in the U.K.’s Daily Mail, researchers at the University of California in San Diego reported at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference (the source of…
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It’s okay to count these guys to the left right now, but don’t count any more tonight when you’re trying to get to sleep.  A recent article in the New York Times says scientists have actually debunked the myth that counting sheep will help you fall asleep.  Researchers at Oxford University gathered a bunch of…
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A fascinating new sleep study is reported today at PsychCentral.com, that looked into exactly what is affected by sleep deprivation.  Researchers from Washington State University say they found that working memory, an executive function of the brain, was NOT affected by up to 51 hours of sleep deprivation.  What they did find was impaired was…
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What on Earth does sleep have to do with your love life?  Quite a bit, actually.  In fact, they go together like PB&J!  With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, SleepBetter is turning its thoughts toward love.  The recent My Sleepy Valentine Survey addressed the issue, finding that more than 80% of us believe good sleep…
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SleepBetter.org Releases My Sleepy Valentine Survey Attention romantics: you might want to rethink the candlelit dinner and dozen roses this Valentine’s Day. Thirty-five percent of Americans in a relationship say that February 14 is “just another day,” with one in five choosing a good night’s sleep as the ideal present. But not so fast. Does…
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Scientists in England are dismissing a host of problems that some people have claimed is due to wind turbines being used to generate electricity, but they are conceding that the sound from the turbines is causing sleep issues among some people. According to a story in today’s Telegraph, researchers looking into the matter say there’s…
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Scientists have said for years that sleeping and dreaming play a role in categorizing memories.  Sleep Review published an article this week about a study at the University of Chicago that seems to prove that point, at least among starlings… “We really wanted to behaviorally show that these types of sleep-dependent memory benefits are occurring…
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College students don’t get enough sleep, but Facebook apparently isn’t the reason.  According to a study by the University of New Hampshire, students who spend more than an hour on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and the like, are just as likely to get a poor night’s sleep as those who don’t.  The story…
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Sleeping is supposed to be a wonderful, relaxing experience that leaves you feeling well-rested and ready to take on whatever the day has to offer. But for many people, this isn’t what the reality of sleep looks like. They want to go to sleep, get all ready and relax and lie down, only to deal…
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Sleep and work are tied together, there’s no getting around it. If you are working too much and not sleeping enough your work suffers. Getting better sleep is the only answer for feeling better while you’re at work, and sleeping at work is generally not the best idea if you want to keep your job….
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It’s been well publicized that parents should actively monitor what their children are watching on TV, but the reality is, our kids are going to watch things we wouldn’t normally want them to see. Unless the kids are kept under lock and key and never allowed to visit a friend’s house, the chances are pretty…
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Sleep deprivation in teens is common. There is so much they want to do and see and learn and for your teen, sleep is the last thing on the priority list. From talking to friends on the phone to watching television to surfing the Web, everything is more important than sleep. You know your teens…
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Have you found yourself on occasion lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondering why you never learned any sleeping techniques to reduce stress? You’re pretty sure that you’re tired, but you just can’t seem to fall asleep. Your mind is racing around and it’s not letting you drift off the way you want…
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One of the first things people think about when they think about bed (other than sleep) is sex. No matter when you had it last or if you plan to have it again, these sleeping tips for couples can make sure you are awake enough to engage in non-sleep activity while in bed. While there…
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There is a common belief that senior citizens don’t require as much sleep as middle-aged adults. While they may not need quite as much, this information can be misleading because seniors often wake up more often during the night or find sleep interrupted by common sleep problems like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. So,…
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Pregnancy can be such a joyous time in a woman’s life. The glow that everyone notices and remarks on, people wanting to touch your belly to experience the miracle of life you have growing inside of you. Many aspects of pregnancy are amazing and can change who you are as a person. One of the…
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Many people will tell you that sleeping with animals is a bad idea. If you’re looking for sleep problem solutions, that might not be what you want to hear. After all, we love our pets! In a world filled with harsh words and tense moments, letting Mr. Mittens snuggle up to us in the middle…
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If you’re looking for better sleeping habits, there are many tips out there that can help. However, you thing you need to pay close attention to is your sleep and diet. Many magazines, medical journals and websites contain tips for sleeping better, but only a few of those tips focus on sleep and weight. Even…
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If you’re going through menopause you know it is a time of serious changes. Physical and mental changes abound, and the way to keep your sanity as well as get through menopause with flying colors is to make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Menopause and sleep problems can go hand in hand when you have…
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Having trouble sleeping? There are many medicines that help with sleep out there for you to choose from. There are over-the-counter medicines and medications for sleep that are prescription only. There are home remedies, but are all these sleep aids really helping you get better sleep, or are they just covering up what really needs…
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Infants are so adorable. All shiny and new, they hold all the promise of their parents in those little eyes. But infants refusing to sleep or infants who don’t sleep can throw parents into a sleepless trance that can be difficult to get out of. Newborn sleep is unlike any other sleep pattern though a…
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There are a number of recommended pillows and other sleep products on the market that are much more advanced now than they’ve ever been. Years ago, your only choices in pillows were various feather pillows, unyielding cheap foam, etc. Now, you can buy the kinds of sleep products that gently mold to your shape, respond…
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For sleeping questions and answers about school children and teens, go straight to the experts. Pediatricians and physicians can give you a wide variety of sleeping tips for teens, but it’s the people who actually see the effects of sleep deprivation in school students that can tell you more. Parents and teachers understand the connection…
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It’s only natural to believe that after sleeping through the night you should wake up feeling rested. Unfortunately, that’s not always true. There are different reasons for feeling tired after sleep; an uncomfortable worn pillow or an old mattress can cause unnecessary stress on your body, causing you to still feel fatigue after sleep.  In…
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Family problems can cause sleep deprivation in many forms. Some are obvious: • You’re too worried about something going on in your family to fall asleep. • You found out about a family money problem and are too scared to tell your spouse, so you lie awake and worry about it. • Some family stress…
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You’ve heard the term “beauty sleep” but really, do you know how sleep affects beauty and how can you tell if you need beauty sleep? One way is to look in the mirror when you wake up in the morning. Take a moment and see if the dark circles you had when you went to…
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Athletes keep track of many things during training. Diet and exercise are at the top of the priority list. Equipment is always top notch and discipline is used to keep the regimen on track. But what about athletes and sleep? Many athletes will sacrifice sleep in order to train a little more, or get a…
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What you eat has an affect on how well you sleep, and it’s not just about avoiding spicy foods late in the evening.  A new Harvard study on truckers and freight workers shows there is a link between good dietary habits and getting adequate sleep.  The trucker website eTrucker.com covered the story this week: Study…
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An old home remedy for not being able to fall asleep is a “Hot Toddy” – a mixture of hot liquor with various additives (water, lemon, honey). It’s a wonder that any of the people using this old remedy ever got to sleep. What we now know about how to get better sleep shows us…
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Anxiety and hustle-bustle of season play havoc on sleep, national survey finds Richmond, Va. – The kids may be sleeping soundly this season with “visions of sugar plums in their heads,” but almost half of the nation’s moms and dads (44%) say they are worried about being able to afford the holidays this year, with…
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Several factors determine how much sleep someone needs: age, lifestyle, health, and so on. And now, it seems we can add “genetics” to that list.

Two in three Americans say “no” to naps on Turkey Day but More than Half Say Someone Else Does

Even though alcohol is a depressant, it doesn’t have the positive effect on sleep like most people think.

Even though alcohol is a depressant, it doesn’t have the positive effect on sleep like most people think.

When your child was little, you probably had him on a predictable sleep schedule. Naps and bedtime came at the same time every day, and there were few outside distractions to keep you and your child from sticking to the routine.

SleepBetter.org is in Stephenville to talk to people about their dreams, of course, and the local poster child for dream-achievement is Jewel, who lives outside of town on a 2,200 acre ranch with husband Ty Murray, the nine-time world champion cowboy. The outline of Jewel’s life is well-known: She grew up in Alaska on her…
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The American Academy of Pediatrics defines Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as, “…a condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior.”

It’s a rough transition from the sweet little newborn who sleeps 16 hours a day to the stubborn toddler who resists bedtime, wailing “But I’m not tired!”