Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Electrical stimulation of deep brain structures to ease chronic pain

Abuse of prescription opioid medicines used to treat chronic pain has reached epidemic proportions, so much that the White House has announced new efforts to combat addiction and prevent the thousands of overdose-related deaths reported in the U.S. each year.

5 Apr 2016

Prostatic artery embolization improves sleep, quality of life for men with enlarged prostates

An innovative interventional radiology treatment for men with enlarged prostates decreases the number of times they wake to urinate in the night, according to research presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting. Researchers said the majority of men with enlarged prostates and lower urinary tract symptoms reported better sleep that resulted in an improved quality of life after they underwent a treatment called prostatic artery embolization (PAE).

4 Apr 2016

Blast-related concussions result in hormone changes that lead to poor quality of life among veterans

A study in military veterans finds that explosive blast-related concussions frequently result in hormone changes leading to problems such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression and poor quality of life. The research, to be presented Saturday at the Endocrine Society's 98th annual meeting in Boston, evaluated hormone levels in 41 male veterans who had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

4 Apr 2016

One in 10 people in UK believed to be vitamin B12 deficient

One in 10 people in the UK are believed to be deficient in vitamin B12 – that’s an astonishing six million people suffering from the consequences of having less than the optimum amount of B12 in their system.

From BetterYou Ltd 4 Apr 2016

Sleep problems predict chronic pain in emerging adults

For at least some groups of "emerging adults," sleep problems are a predictor of chronic pain and worsening pain severity over time, suggests a study in PAIN, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain.

2 Apr 2016

Zika threat to Olympics attendees? An interview with Prof. Eskild Petersen

The risk in terms of the Olympics, especially for travelling populations remains low – with the notable exception of pregnant women.

31 Mar 2016

Researchers clarify potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease

MedUni Vienna researchers have published the results of a clarifying research study on the potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease. Although the protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β, might be transmissible under very unusual circumstances, this does not go along with a transmission of the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. The affected persons develop no clinical symptoms of the disease.

29 Mar 2016

Study demonstrates possibility of simultaneous improvement in all mental, physical functions

Let's say you've decided to make some changes in your life. You're out of shape, your mind wanders, your self-esteem is wavering, and you have no idea what you just read. So you decide to focus on one thing -- losing weight, maybe -- and tackle the other issues later. You don't want to take on too much at once, right?

26 Mar 2016

Intake of high-protein diet during weight loss improves sleep quality in adults

Overweight and obese adults who are losing weight with a high-protein diet are more likely to sleep better, according to new research from Purdue University.

25 Mar 2016

Children with autism spectrum disorder need continued support

9 out of 10 preschool children with autism still have major difficulties within the autism field at school age, despite having received early intervention. A majority of the parents stated that the children do not receive sufficient support at school.

25 Mar 2016

Increased use of PNBs in hip and knee arthroplasty could improve medical outcomes

The use of peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) is associated with better medical and economic outcomes in patients receiving hip and knee replacement, according to research being presented at the 41st Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting later this month.

24 Mar 2016

Defective PTCHD1 gene in brain creates symptoms associated with autism and ADHD

Evidence is mounting that a gene called PTCHD1 helps the brain sort between important sights and sounds — and distractions. This gene is active in a brain region that attaches more attention to a conversation with your boss, for instance, than to an air conditioner buzzing in the background.

24 Mar 2016

Higher oxytocin in pregnancy predicts severity of postpartum depression symptoms

Higher oxytocin levels in the third trimester of pregnancy predicts the severity of postpartum depression symptoms in women who previously suffered from depression, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

23 Mar 2016

Researchers reveal effects of noise on premature babies' sensory abilities

Premature birth is a harsh change of environment for a baby. Until birth, the baby is confined to the mother's womb, surrounded by soft lighting and filtered noise. When infants are born, they are attacked by several visual, sound, and tactile stimulations. These stimulations thus constitute unpleasant factors for them.

23 Mar 2016

OHSU researchers link infrequent computer use, brain imaging signs in early-stage Alzheimer's patients

A new study sheds light on a powerful tool that may detect signs of Alzheimer's disease before patients show any symptoms of cognitive decline: the home computer.

23 Mar 2016

Sleep suppresses homeostatic rebalancing of brain activity

Why humans and other animals sleep is one of the remaining deep mysteries of physiology. One prominent theory in neuroscience is that sleep is when the brain replays memories "offline" to better encode them ("memory consolidation").

22 Mar 2016

Chronic lack of sleep lowers grades of students

Students who have a chronic lack of sleep have lower grades and find it harder to concentrate. Around a third of students do not feel well rested enough to be able to study properly.

22 Mar 2016

Highly educated women with BMI at increased risk of depression

Even with higher education, women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30-34.9 (obese I) have double the risk of depression compared with women of normal weight and same educational attainment, according to a new study conducted by a sociologist at Rice University.

22 Mar 2016

Crash risk higher among truck drivers not adhering to sleep apnea treatment

Truck drivers who have obstructive sleep apnea and who do not attempt to adhere to a mandated treatment program have a fivefold increase in the risk of a severe crash, according to a new study co-authored by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers and featured in the March 21 online edition of the journal Sleep.

22 Mar 2016

Teach-to-goal inhaler education improves mastery of life-saving technique

A rescue inhaler can be a lifesaver during an asthma or COPD flareup, but using a rescue inhaler is complicated and misuse is common, putting patients' lives at risk. An education strategy, called teach-to-goal, may help patients use their inhalers properly during these critical times, according to research published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

21 Mar 2016