Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Amber-tinted glasses may reduce insomnia severity

How do you unwind before bedtime? If your answer involves Facebook and Netflix, you are actively reducing your chance of a good night's sleep.

15 Dec 2017

Long-term U-M study yields framework that could be useful for studying bipolar disorder

Nearly 6 million Americans have bipolar disorder, and most have probably wondered why. After more than a decade of studying over 1,100 of them in-depth, a University of Michigan team has an answer – or rather, seven answers.

15 Dec 2017

Aging brain's failure to coordinate deep-sleep brainwaves makes older adults forget

Like swinging a tennis racket during a ball toss to serve an ace, slow and speedy brainwaves during deep sleep must sync up at exactly the right moment to hit the save button on new memories, according to new UC Berkeley research.

15 Dec 2017

Coarse particulate matter exposure linked to increased asthma risk in children

Children exposed to coarse particulate matter may be more likely to develop asthma and to be treated in an ER or be hospitalized for the condition, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

15 Dec 2017

Cornell engineers develop new method to measure vital signs using radio waves

No visit to the doctor's office is complete without a blood-pressure cuff squeezing your arm and a cold stethoscope placed on your chest.

14 Dec 2017

Genetic variations may help identify people at high-risk for chronic pain after surgery

Genetics may play a role in determining whether patients experience chronic pain after surgery, suggests a study published today in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists

14 Dec 2017

Relieving Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis with Exercise

We know that exercise is beneficial in helping someone to maintain their lung function, stay strong and active and maintain a good quality of life. We also know that exercise can complement ‘airway clearance techniques’ – breathing exercises prescribed by physiotherapists to help clear the lungs of mucus.

14 Dec 2017

Loyola Medicine otolaryngologist corrects sleep apnea symptoms with ENT procedure

For Jason Johnson, nights were anything but restful. The 16-year-old high school student would often wake up with difficulty breathing.

14 Dec 2017

New study explains why one identical twin more at risk for autoimmune diseases

It does not matter if you raise them the same, feed them the same, or dress them the same, any parent with identical twins knows their two children are remarkably different. Identical twins are identical in genes, but they are not identical in gene expressions, a difference due to epigenetics.

12 Dec 2017

An overlooked epidemic: Older Americans taking too many unneeded drugs

Consider it America’s other prescription drug epidemic. For decades, experts have warned that older Americans are taking too many unnecessary drugs, often prescribed by multiple doctors, for dubious or unknown reasons.

12 Dec 2017

Mayo Clinic researchers find emojis to be helpful in assessing patients' quality of life

In findings presented to the American Society of Hematology, Mayo Clinic researchers found that using emojis instead of traditional emotional scales were helpful in assessing patients' physical, emotional and overall quality of life.

11 Dec 2017

SLU scientists provide promising approach in designing new drugs for DMD

In a paper published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, Saint Louis University researchers report that a new drug reduces fibrosis (scarring) and prevents loss of muscle function in an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), providing a promising approach in designing new medications for those suffering from DMD.

8 Dec 2017

Prenatal and early-life consumption of sugary drinks may increase risk of mid-childhood asthma

Children between the ages of 7 and 9 may be at greater risk for developing asthma if they consumed high amounts of fructose in early childhood or their mothers drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages while pregnant, according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

8 Dec 2017

Using digital devices before bed may contribute to sleep and nutrition problems in children

It may be tempting to let your kids stay up late playing games on their smartphones, but using digital devices before bed may contribute to sleep and nutrition problems in children, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

8 Dec 2017

Researchers test orange light treatment at emergency psychiatric care

Can orange light therapy help people who have serious mental disorders? Who hear voices and see things that aren't there? Or who are thinking about committing suicide?

7 Dec 2017

People who go to sleep late have wider social networks than morning persons

Using anonymous mobile phone data, Aalto University doctoral researcher Talayeh Aledavood has tapped into patterns in people's behavior. She has found out that our 'chronotypes' - our inherent periods of sleep during a 24-hour-period - correlate with the size of our social networks and how much we are in contact with others and also the kind of chronotypes with whom we interact.

7 Dec 2017

Study reveals connection between restless sleep and Parkinson's disease

A study published in the neurological journal, The Lancet Neurology, has identified that patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have a dopamine deficiency in the brain and suffer from a form of brain inflammation. They are subjected to increased risks of developing dementia or Parkinson's disease as they grow older.

7 Dec 2017

Duration and quality of sleep improves for retired people, research finds

When people retire from work life, they sleep approximately 20 minutes longer than before retirement. The quality of sleep also improves, as retired people experience less early morning awakenings or nonrestorative sleep, unlike in their last working years.

7 Dec 2017

Hot flashes may increase risk of developing diabetes, study suggests

Hot flashes, undoubtedly the most common symptom of menopause, are not just uncomfortable and inconvenient, but numerous studies demonstrate they may increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease.

6 Dec 2017

Hospitals find asthma hot spots more profitable to neglect than fix

Keyonta Parnell has had asthma most of his young life, but it wasn't until his family moved to the 140-year-old house here on Lemmon Street two years ago that he became one of the health care system's frequent customers.

6 Dec 2017