Sleep Info

While prescribed sleep medications are necessary for some, and are at the discretion of a physician, new research is highlighting their dangers.  Older people taking newly-prescribed sleeping pills like benzodiazepines and ‘Z-drugs’ have more than double the odds of a hip fracture in the first two weeks compared with non-users, according to a new study by…
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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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Skimping on sleep, followed by “catch-up” days with long snoozes, is tied to worse cognition — both in attention and creativity — in young adults, in particular those tackling major projects, Baylor University researchers have found. “The more variability they showed in their night-to-night sleep, the worse their cognition declined across the week,” said study…
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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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An analysis of 35 popular smartphone-based sleep apps finds that while most help users set sleep-related goals and track and manage their sleep, few make use of other methods known to help the chronically sleep-deprived. Many of the apps soothe users with nature sounds, calming music, colors and images. Some also offer white noise, guided…
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As people get older, they sleep less and wake up more frequently, and the elderly are paying a price for that lack of good rest.  A recent review of scientific literature found that aging adults may lose their ability to produce deep, restorative sleep, which leads to both mental and physical problems. “Sleep changes with aging,…
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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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