Sleep Info

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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Men who sleep either fewer or more hours than average may face a greater risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study. More than 29 million people nationwide have diabetes. Meanwhile, during the last 50 years, the average self-reported sleep duration for individuals has decreased by as much as 2 hours.  During that same period…
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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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It’s well known that most of us don’t get nearly enough sleep, and brief naps during the day are a good way to try to make up some of the lost time with Mr. Sandman.  However, if you’re traveling or at work outside the home, where on Earth will you be able to get some…
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A new study found that normal older adults who experience excessive sleepiness during the day or significant fatigue may have more brain atrophy than expected for their age, particularly in areas of the brain that are more susceptible to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Results show that subjects with excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue not only…
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For the first time, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has released official consensus recommendations for the amount of sleep that children and teenagers need. According to an AASM release, these are the guidelines: Infants four to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis…
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A team of sleep researchers has found that the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for control of things you need but don’t have to think about (breathing, digestion, your heartbeat, etc.), also plays a role in promoting memory organization. The groundbreaking study, “Autonomic Activity During Sleep Predicts Memory Consolidation in Humans,” appears in the journal Proceedings of…
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A new study of adolescents suggests that obtaining an insufficient amount of sleep increases variability in sadness, anger, energy and feelings of sleepiness. The study also showed that nightly fluctuations in sleep in healthy adolescents predict worse mood the next day, and worse mood any given day largely predicts unusually bad sleep the next night….
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A new study could make some east coast sports teams consider moving west.  The research, conducted in Canada, found that NFL, NBA and NHL teams traveling from west to east had a higher winning percentage compared to teams traveling in the opposite direction. The results of this study highlight the importance of the direction of…
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When we’ve had a bad night of sleep, many of us reach for a big cup of coffee to help get through the day reasonably alert.  However, a new study found that caffeine use no longer improved alertness or performance after three nights of poor sleep. Results show that compared to a placebo, caffeine significantly…
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