Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Psychological torture used on Bulgarian nurses in Libya

At a hearing in Tripoli the defence team representing a Palestinian doctor and five Bulgarian nurses accused of deliberately infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV-tainted blood, have said psychological-torture measures were used against the nurses.

6 Jul 2006

Sleep gene discovery

Proteins that regulate sleep and biological timing in the body work much differently than previously thought, meaning drug makers must change their approach to making drugs for sleep disorders and depression and other timing-related illnesses.

4 Jul 2006

Popular antihistamine used to help young children sleep is ineffective

Although about half of pediatricians recommend that children under age 2 can be given diphenhydramine to help them sleep, the first study to look at effectiveness of the agent in children who are that young found no benefit.

4 Jul 2006

Benadryl does not improve infant sleep

An antihistamine often recommended to parents whose infants do not sleep through the night may not be effective in reducing nighttime awakenings or improving parents' happiness with their children's sleep.

3 Jul 2006

New genetic findings relating to the tau mutation

The first gene known to control the internal clock of humans and other mammals works much differently than previously believed, according to a study by Utah and Michigan researchers.

3 Jul 2006

Being "at risk for overweight" really means kids are too fat or obese

Obesity appears to be a problem worldwide affecting millions of people in many developed countries.

3 Jul 2006

Lifestyle changes can affect heartburn symptoms

Patients have been known to hug Lauren Gerson, MD, so overjoyed are they at hearing her words. What does she say to them? Go ahead and eat chocolate.

28 Jun 2006

Why are we so fat? The list gets longer!

If you were beginning to suspect that the list of things which could make you fat seems to be growing longer on an almost daily basis - you were right!

28 Jun 2006

New sleep medication Ramelteon shows less potential to foster abuse and dependence

As part of the effort to develop effective behavioral and medical sleep therapies, scientists consider the potential for dependence and abuse associated with prescription sleep drugs.

27 Jun 2006

Despite driver fatigue many keep on going and risk serious accidents

According to French researchers even when drivers recognise that they are tired and sleepy many carry on driving and put themselves at risk of being involved in a serious accident.

26 Jun 2006

1 in 10 British children under 15 has a mental health disorder

According to a new report by the British Medical Association (BMA) as many as 1 in 10 children below the age of 15 in Britain has a mental health problem and that figure is on the rise.

21 Jun 2006

Too much night light raises breast cancer risk

According to American researchers women who are exposed to too much light at night could suffer a disruption of crucial hormones and raise their risk of developing breast tumours.

20 Jun 2006

Study links depression in women with chronic pain to greater incidence of disability

Women with higher levels of depression when suffering with long-term pain report greater disability than men in the same situation, according to new research published in the latest edition of the European Journal of Pain.

18 Jun 2006

Scientists find sleep hormone melatonin in red wine grapes

Scientists in Italy say they have discovered that the grapes used to make some of the most popular red wines contain high levels of the sleep hormone melatonin.

18 Jun 2006

Fly research sheds light on sleep regulation and its role in memory

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that a brain region previously known for its role in learning and memory also serves as the location of sleep regulation in fruit flies.

18 Jun 2006

Menopausal women don't get enough guidance on treatment options

Few women are consulting their doctors before opting to use herbal therapies and soy products to treat their menopausal symptoms, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found.

18 Jun 2006

Exposure to airborne fungal spores increase kids' risk for multiple allergies

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say exposure to a certain group of fungal spores - abundant in the air that we breathe every day - can make young children more susceptible to developing multiple allergies later in life.

14 Jun 2006

New drug will treat those winter blues

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given it's approval for a drug to treat a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

14 Jun 2006

Benefits of naps for medical residents

The first study to assess the benefits of naps for medical residents during extended shifts found that creating protected times when interns could sleep during a night on-call significantly reduced fatigue.

8 Jun 2006