Sleep Info

Researchers at Harvard Medical School say they’ve confirmed that a region of the brain is a “switch” for sleep, and is essential for getting a normal night’s rest.  Their findings could someday lead to new treatments for insomnia. The discovery involves a set of nerve cells originally discovered by Clifford B. Saper, MD/PhD two years ago. …
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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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Researchers at Michigan State University conducted the largest experimentally controlled study on sleep deprivation to date, revealing just how detrimental operating without sleep can be in everything from bakers adding too much salt to cookies to surgeons botching surgeries. While sleep deprivation research isn’t new, the level at which distractions hinder sleep-deprived persons’ memories and…
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It’s an unfortunate fact that most Americans don’t get enough sleep, and it’s an even more unfortunate fact that teenagers are included in those numbers.  New research indicates that this lack of sleep is having an impact on developing minds. Adolescents require 8-10 hours of sleep, but more than 70 percent of high school students…
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Sleep may not be a direct part of most workplaces, but how much or how little sleep you get can play a huge part in how well you perform while during the workday.  Everyone experiences some loss of productivity from a range of sources, such as competing demands, stress, or interpersonal issues. A new study…
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Restless leg syndrome is a condition that can severely impact its victim’s ability to relax and sleep.  Its causes have been a mystery, and in fact it was only fairly recently that it was recognized as being legitimate.  A new study, however, may be zeroing in on its cause. Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say new…
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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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In a new study by sleep researchers at the  report for the first time evidence that naps and overnight sleep may work together to benefit memory in early childhood.  Neuroscientist Rebecca Spencer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst let the study, which indicated good naps as well as a good night’s sleep seem to work…
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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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