Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

CBO report shows hundreds of millions spent on direct marketing of drugs to consumers

The Congressional Budget Office released an "interesting report" on on how "pharmaceutical companies market prescription drugs, a subject that has received some scrutiny during the debate on ways to control health care spending," The New York Times reports.

3 Dec 2009

One in six Americans expect to lose sleep due to holiday-induced stress

The kids may be sleeping soundly this season with “visions of sugar plums in their heads,” but almost half of the nation’s moms and dads (44%) say they are worried about being able to afford the holidays this year, with one in six Americans (17%) expecting to lose sleep due to holiday-induced stress.

3 Dec 2009

Body needs fasting periods to stay healthy

A body that is provided with food too often gets caught up in the maelstrom of a lack of exercise, obesity and ultimately diabetes. The trigger is a molecular switch that is controlled by insulin, a new study by scientists from ETH Zurich has revealed.

3 Dec 2009

Short, unpleasant, dreamlike mental activity occurs during sleepwalking, reveals study

A study in the Dec.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that short, unpleasant, dreamlike mental activity occurs during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes, suggesting that people with these sleep disorders may be acting out dreamlike thoughts.

3 Dec 2009

Lung disease linked to the use of contaminated well water in a CPAP machine

Many people rely on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines as a safe and effective treatment for sleep apnea. But a new case report describes a rare complication—a lingering inflammatory disease of the lungs, apparently related to the use of contaminated well water in a CPAP machine. The report appears in the December Southern Medical Journal, official journal of the Southern Medical Association.

3 Dec 2009

NHLBI approves award of 13 contracts to improve asthma control

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has approved the award of 13 contracts to local organizations across the country to develop, implement, and test science-based approaches to improve asthma control using evidence-based national guidelines for diagnosing and managing asthma.

3 Dec 2009

Repeated use of ecstasy drug increases the risk of developing sleep apnea

Repeated use of the drug popularly known as "ecstasy" significantly raises the risk of developing sleep apnea in otherwise healthy young adults with no other known risk factors for the sleep disturbance, a new study by Johns Hopkins scientists suggests.

2 Dec 2009

Ecotones Duet Sleep Sound Machine recommended as part of a healthy sleep plan

Last month on a prominent nationally syndicated radio show, Dr. Rafael Pelayo, Associate Professor at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine, recommended the Ecotones Duet Sleep Sound Machine as part of a healthy sleep plan for people trying to achieve a better night's sleep with minimal use of drugs.

2 Dec 2009

ImThera Medical implants its aura6000 neurostimulation device in two OSA patients

ImThera Medical, Inc. today announced that two patients have been surgically implanted with ImThera’s aura6000™ neurostimulation device for treating tongue-based Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Patients are being enrolled in ImThera’s pilot clinical investigation in Belgium with the first results expected to be published in the first half of 2010.

2 Dec 2009

J&JPRD submits an NDA for tapentadol ER tablets

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. announced today that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for tapentadol extended release (ER) tablets, an investigational oral analgesic for the management of moderate to severe chronic pain in patients 18 years of age or older.

2 Dec 2009

Research study on the function of orexin neurons in brain

Japanese research group led by Professor Yasuhiko Minokoshi and Dr. Tetsuya Shiuchi, scientists at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, NIPS, Japan, found that meals stimulated with sweet taste and motivated with its anticipation regularly activates "orexin" in the brain and it stimulates muscle glucose metabolism via the sympathetic nervous system, thereby reducing blood glucose level in mice.

2 Dec 2009

Study examines role of low-oxygen exposure in heart failure patients

Distance runners who live at high altitudes with low oxygen levels are known to improve their performance during races in areas that are at sea level. Can heart failure patients, who suffer from fatigue, improve their exercise performance by staying in a tent-like, high-altitude simulator?

1 Dec 2009

Changes in children's sleep patterns are associated with onset of puberty, says study

A study in the Dec.1 issue of the journal Sleep suggests that changes in children's sleep patterns that typically occur between the ages of 11 and 12 years are evident before the physical changes associated with the onset of puberty.

1 Dec 2009

Findings suggest dream-enacting behaviors are common in general population

A study in the Dec.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that dream-enacting behaviors are common in healthy young adults, and the prevalence of specific behaviors differs between men and women.

1 Dec 2009

New research shows hyperactivity in boys may interfere with night-time sleep

Hyperactive boys don't get enough sleep, which can worsen their condition according to new research. Published in the November issue of Pediatrics, the study is the first to examine a large sample of children and to study the link between lack of sleep and hyperactivity.

1 Dec 2009

Anti-Aging Institute of California offers 'Don't Pause' to get rid of menopause symptoms

Menopause - it's an unavoidable part of aging as a woman, and brings with it a host of uncomfortable symptoms that negatively impact quality of life. Hot flashes, poor sleep, mood swings, weight gain, night sweats and lethargy are just some of the life-altering symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

30 Nov 2009

Bantam miRNA linked to the circadian clock

How does our biological system know that it is supposed to operate on a 24-hour cycle? Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that a tiny molecule holds the clue to the mystery.

30 Nov 2009

Eli Lilly's Cymbalta receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta® (duloxetine HCl) for the maintenance treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults, announced Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY).

30 Nov 2009

Simple measures can help in reducing peak noise levels in hospital wards, says new study

Patients often complain that getting a good night's sleep or a bit of peace and quiet in hospital can be difficult. But a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing has shown that adopting some simple measures can reduce peak noise levels on hospital wards by just under 20 per cent.

30 Nov 2009

Chiropractic treatment for TMJ dysfunction

When most people hear the acronym TMJ, they think of their dentist. But a chiropractor can also give patients the help they need. TMJ stands for the Temporal-Mandibular Joint, which is where your jaw (mandible) contacts/connects with your skull (temporal bone).

26 Nov 2009