Sleep Info

A good night’s sleep refreshes body and mind, but a poor night’s sleep can do just the opposite. A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, and Stanford University has shown that disrupting just one night of sleep in healthy, middle-aged adults causes an increase…
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A study of modern hunter-gatherers in Tanzania finds that, for people who live in groups, differences in sleep patterns commonly associated with age help ensure that at least one person is awake at all times.  The research suggests that mismatched sleep schedules and restless nights may be an evolutionary leftover from a time many, many…
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Problems with the blue light emitted by devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and even some TVs has been well documented.  They include a variety of symptoms, including problems sleeping.  Researchers now say they may have a solution. An exciting publication based on ongoing research on macular carotenoids from the University of Georgia demonstrates that…
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Anyone who has stayed overnight in the hospital knows at least one solid fact — it’s extremely difficult to sleep there.  Between the alarms and the frequent visits by hospital staff for vital signs checks, it’s hard to get a good night’s rest.  A new device is being introduced that might solve part of this…
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New research says it has found a link between sleep disturbances and biological markers for Alzheimer’s disease found in the spinal fluid. “Previous evidence has shown that sleep may influence the development or progression of Alzheimer’s disease in various ways,” said study author Barbara B. Bendlin, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “For example, disrupted sleep…
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Children need lots of rest to grow, but new research shows that those who don’t sleep enough actually age faster at a cellular level. Telomeres – the caps at the ends of our chromosomes – get shorter every time our cells divide, and when they get too short, it is thought that cells are no…
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It’s no surprise to anyone to hear that being anxious, stressed or excited can keep you from sleeping.  However, researchers say there’s actually a biological reason for it.  Scientists in the Sleep Institute in Japan spotted neurons that play crucial roles in connecting emotions and sleep, shedding light on the future discovery of drug targets…
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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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It’s definitely air conditioning season in the vast majority of the United States, particularly in areas where daytime temperatures have been rising a dozen or more degrees above 100.  New research conducted in Japan shows that while air conditioners make you more comfortable, the airflow from the vents may actually cause problems while you sleep. …
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