Topic: Sleep in the News

Many people suffering from long-term chronic pain use opioids as a sleep aid to take away pain and stop their sleep being disrupted. However, a new study led by the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick suggests that not enough research has been done to assess the benefits and risks of using painkillers…
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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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One of the easiest things you can do to sleep better is to put your smartphone away about an hour before bed, and keep it away while you’re sleeping.  The problem is that far too many of us can’t seem to do that. New research from Common Sense found that a staggering 68% of teens…
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Getting more exercise than normal or being more sedentary than usual for even one day may be enough to affect sleep later that night, according to a new study led by Penn State. In a one-week micro-longitudinal study, the researchers found that when teenagers got more physical activity than they usually did, they got to…
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New research shows that by limiting evening exposure to screens like those on smartphones and tablets for just one week, many sleep problems in teenagers can be reversed. Recent studies have indicated that exposure to too much evening light, particularly the blue light emitted from screens on smartphones, tablets and computers can affect the brain’s…
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New research into preschool sleeping habits is making a significant case for limiting TV time for young children. The new study by University of Massachusetts Amherst neuroscientist Rebecca Spencer and developmental science graduate student Abigail Helm found that preschoolers who watch TV sleep significantly less than those who don’t. More surprising, perhaps, was that 36…
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Well-rested workers are healthier, happier, and more productive.  It obviously benefits employers to help workers get a better night’s rest, and a new study has revealed how they can help. Results show that in most studies, employer-sponsored efforts to encourage improved sleep hygiene and healthier habits have yielded improvements in sleep duration and sleep quality,…
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A team of psychologists has found strong associations between working memory — a fundamental building block of a functioning mind — and three health-related factors: sleep, age, and depressed mood. The team also reports that each of these factors is associated with different aspects of working memory. Working memory is the part of short-term memory…
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Teens who experience cyberbullying are more likely to suffer from poor sleep, which causes a vicious circle because lack of sleep can raise levels of depression  Although research has examined the relationship between online bullying and depression, the University of Buffalo study is one of few to explore the connection between cyber victimization and sleep…
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Even though people in hospitals need plenty of sleep, hospitalization is seldom restful. Nighttime awakenings for various tests can disrupt sleep. This can cause grogginess, delirium and falls. To ameliorate this problem, researchers designed a study known as SIESTA (Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff To Act). SIESTA urges doctors and nurses to avoid nighttime disruptions…
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