All Sleep Articles

Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system - the body's internal clock - and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting. The Read more...

Losing sleep could lead to losing brain cells, a new study suggests. Levels of a protein that forms the hallmark plaques of Alzheimer's disease rise in the brains of mice and in the spinal fluid of people during wakefulness and fall during sleep, researchers report online September 24 in Science. Mice that didn't get enough sleep for three weeks also had more plaques in their brains than Read more...

Eleven percent of the U.S. population reports not getting enough sleep, with women sleeping less than men, health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report released Thursday said an estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders. The report said 11.1 percent reported not getting Read more...

ATLANTA -- Sleepless in Seattle? Hardly. West Virginia is where people are really staying awake, according to the first government study to monitor state-by-state differences in sleeplessness. West Virginians' lack of sleep was about double the national rate, perhaps a side effect of health problems such as obesity, experts said. Nearly 1 in 5 West Virginians said they did not get a Read more...

DES PLAINES, Ill. -- Bob Hickman, United Feather & Down's Senior Vice Present of Sales and Marketing, and Neil A. Petrocelli, Borghese, Inc.'s Vice President of Marketing, list their top sleep and beauty tips. 1. Aloe vera gel penetrates skin almost four times faster than water, and its super emollient qualities help it moisturize the under layers of skin. Aloe treated bedding is kind to Read more...

The bad news is that every 70 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer's disease. The good news is you can lower your odds of being one of them. "There are no guarantees in this game, but by addressing lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, you can decrease your risk of getting Alzheimer's," said Dr. Richard Restak, Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington Read more...

If you think you function fine on just five or six hours a sleep a night, you're deluding yourself--according to a number of studies--but okay. However, there are the physical consequences to be paid for lack of sleep. We already know it ups the likelihood of obesity and diabetes, but now researchers have linked less sleep in midlife with high (and worsening) blood pressure. In the June 8th Read more...

Canadian researchers say insomnia may increase blood pressure and lead to cardiac problems. Researchers at the Universite de Montreal Faculty of Medicine and Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal found the 24-hour blood pressure of chronic insomniacs was higher than that of sound sleepers. "Over many years, chronic insomnia can have negative effects on the hearts of otherwise healthy Read more...

Worsening sleep quality over a five-year period is significantly associated with poorer mental quality of life, U.S. researchers say. Lead author Graciela E. Silva of Arizona State University said the study also found increasing daytime sleepiness symptoms were associated with both poorer physical and mental quality of life. The study obtained polysomnographic -- recordings of Read more...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists have discovered a gene that helps a mother and daughter stay alert on about six hours sleep a night, two hours less than the rest of their family needs. It's believed to be a very rare mutation, not an excuse for the rest of us who stay up too late. But the finding, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science, offers a new lead to study how sleep affects Read more...

You wake up just as it is growing light outside, a half-hour ahead of your alarm clock. With a sigh, you close your eyes. If only you could go back to sleep. After a few minutes, you give up, tired, but not sleepy. As you get out of bed, you wonder, "Why am I so tired all the time? I thought people needed less sleep as they got older." It isn't true. Older adults need just as Read more...

Treating depression in women with rheumatoid arthritis may improve sleep as well as lessen pain and improve medication use, U.S. researchers said. Results indicate that length of time since rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, level of pain, depression symptoms and adherence to medications for rheumatoid arthritis may cause women suffering from the disease to Read more...

Joggers can be a nuisance, as one sleepy driver finds. The man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to and park somewhere quiet for an hour or two of sleep. As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when Read more...

Lack of sleep may increase risk of heart disease in women but not in men, British researchers say. The study, published in the journal Sleep, found the levels of inflammatory markers -- such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein that has been associated with cardiovascular disease -- were significantly higher in women who slept five hours or less. "These findings add to the growing Read more...

Good sleep habits that translate into getting a good night's sleep may pay off with a lower mortality risk, U.S. researchers said. The eight-year study based on 5,614 Sleep Heart Health Study participants found two sleep-stage transition types associated with higher mortality risk. "In light of this growing body of evidence, people should strive to maintain good sleep habits, such as Read more...

For new problems, U.S. researchers suggest sleeping on it because Rapid Eye Movement sleep enhances creativity. "We found that -- for creative problems that you've already been working on -- the passage of time is enough to find solutions," first author Sara Mednick of the University of California, San Diego, and the VA San Diego Healthcare System said in a statement. "However, Read more...

Blue light treatments may improve sleep quality in older adults, U.S. researchers found. Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., tested whether a device used to deliver blue light directly to the eyes would affect circadian rhythms -- the body's internal clock that regulates when and how much people sleep and other biological cycles. "Light and dark Read more...

Light sleepers are more likely to end up overweight, research has shown. But, surprisingly, the same study found that overweight people who had difficulty sleeping were extra-active in the daytime. Scientists believe poor sleep and stress may result in a lack of organization, leading to more last-minute "rushing about" to get things done. This in turn could contribute to Read more...

One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her small boy into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence was broken at last Read more...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- As stress from economic anxiety mounts, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) have joined forces for Better Sleep Month in May to help consumers enjoy a stress-less, good night's sleep. In order to get the best rest possible and help relieve stress, the BSC and CRN say it's essential for Americans to make a commitment to a healthy Read more...