Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Max Planck Institute develops neural event-triggered functional magnetic resonance imaging

While in deep dreamless sleep, our hippocampus sends messages to our cortex and changes its plasticity, possibly transferring recently acquired knowledge to long-term memory. But how exactly is this done? Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics have now developed a novel multimodal methodology called "neural event-triggered functional magnetic resonance imaging" (NET-fMRI) and presented the very first results obtained using it in experiments with both anesthetized and awake, behaving monkeys.

22 Nov 2012

Sleep deprivation could affect academic performance of college students

As fall semesters wind down at the country's colleges and universities, students will be pulling all-night study sessions to prepare for final exams. Ironically, the loss of sleep during these all-nighters could actually work against them performing well, says a Harris Health System sleep specialist.

22 Nov 2012

Somnogen induces sleep in patients with primary hypersomnia

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered that dozens of adults with an elevated need for sleep have a substance in their cerebrospinal fluid that acts like a sleeping pill.

22 Nov 2012

Five follow-up visits help gastric bypass patients achieve optimal weight loss

Gastric bypass patients who attended five follow-up office visits in two years as recommended by their surgeons lost nearly twice as much weight (113 lbs. vs. 57 lbs.) as patients who attended only two follow-up visits, according to a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing study in Obesity Surgery.

22 Nov 2012

More than half of all retired people report sleeping at least 7.5 hours per night

More than half of all retired people aged 65 and over report sleeping at least 7.5 hours per night, and between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., contrary to commonly held assumptions that most elderly go to bed early and have trouble sleeping through the night, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Sleep and Chronobiology Center (SCC) and University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR).

21 Nov 2012

Prader-Willi children may receive relief from sleep disorders after adenotonsillectomy

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome may receive relief from sleep disorders after undergoing an adenotonsillectomy, suggests a new study from Nationwide Children's Hospital published in the November print issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

21 Nov 2012

Musical tones can reset the brain and effectively reduce insomnia

If you are among the 50 percent of Americans who suffer from insomnia, then you have probably tried everything – from warm milk to melatonin pills or prescription medications to induce sleep – with varying degrees of success and side effects. But what if sleep could be achieved not by a substance, but through 'balancing' brain activity?

21 Nov 2012

Facts about Homecare

Millions of seniors and people living with disabilities will enjoy Thanksgiving and other holidays in the comfort and safety of their own homes thanks to home medical equipment and services such as oxygen therapy, hospital beds, and wheelchairs.

21 Nov 2012

Ventus Medical introduces Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy in Canada

Ventus Medical is pleased to announce the introduction of its proprietary Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy into Canada. Provent Therapy is an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

20 Nov 2012

Zolpidem associated with increased risk of falls

A drug commonly prescribed to help patients sleep in hospitals has been associated with an increased risk of falls, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

19 Nov 2012

Periodicity Index limits variability when measuring restless legs

The Periodicity Index is a more stable measure of leg movements during sleep in restless legs syndrome than the widely used periodic leg movements index, investigators have found.

16 Nov 2012

Study finds mechanism that mediates inhibition of critical breathing muscles during REM sleep

A novel brain mechanism mediating the inhibition of the critical breathing muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been identified for the first time in a new study, offering the possibility of a new treatment target for sleep-related breathing problems.

16 Nov 2012

Researchers identify broad patterns of gene activity that correspond to aggression

With a mate and a nest to protect, the male threespined stickleback is a fierce fish, chasing and biting other males until they go away.

15 Nov 2012

Irregular sleep patterns may trigger schizophrenia symptoms

Neuroscientists studying the link between poor sleep and schizophrenia have found that irregular sleep patterns and desynchronised brain activity during sleep could trigger some of the disease's symptoms. The findings, published in the journal Neuron, suggest that these prolonged disturbances might be a cause and not just a consequence of the disorder's debilitating effects.

15 Nov 2012

Heart rate variability may help to understand chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Researchers have discovered for the first time that reduced heart rate variability – or changes in heart beat timing – best predicts cognitive disturbances, such as concentration difficulties commonly reported by people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

15 Nov 2012

Fevers can be helpful as a child battles an illness

For many parents discovering their child has a fever can be unnerving. It's one of the most common reasons parents call their doctor or bring their child in for medical care. Fevers are just a natural part of many illnesses and, in fact, can be helpful as a child battles an illness.

15 Nov 2012