Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Despite WHO/UNICEF push for “rooming-in,” mothers and babies being separated at birth

Mothers of newborns are not rooming-in with their babies, even when they think it is valuable, according to a study published in Birth.

8 Jun 2005

Early to bed okay, but early to rise might not make Jack a bright boy

Researchers in the U.S. say that an early start to school classes in the mornings means many teenagers lose much needed sleep and that makes them more likely to be moody and perform poorly in school.

6 Jun 2005

Childrens' mental development may be impaired by aircraft noise

A new study is suggesting that exposure to aircraft noise at schools located near major airports may affect the development of children's mental skills in an adverse way, and this applies especially to reading comprehension.

6 Jun 2005

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep and force students to perform academically in the early morning, a time of day when they are at their worst, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.

6 Jun 2005

Adolescents who are lethargic, cranky and forgetful may have chronic sleep deprivation

Adolescents who are lethargic, cranky and forgetful may have a common ailment: chronic sleep deprivation. But some tired teens may actually have a medical condition such as depression, insomnia, narcolepsy or sleep apnea, warns a new report in Pediatrics.

6 Jun 2005

New understanding of jet lag

A new study demonstrates that the brain’s central timekeeper - the biological clock that regulates waking and sleeping cycles - has two parts that fall out of synchrony during light schedule shifts of six hours, the time it takes to fly across the Atlantic.

3 Jun 2005

Modern mothers prefer a good nights sleep to sex

In a survey by two popular magazines it appears that mums today find it harder to get a good night's sleep, and are getting around 30% less sleep than their own mothers did.

2 Jun 2005

Losing weight for a better night's sleep

Significant weight loss can improve the sleep patterns of severely obese people, leading to less daytime sleepiness and better quality of life, a study by the Monash University Centre of Obesity Research and Education has found.

1 Jun 2005

Nearly one out of two visits to a doctor's office for help with a sleep disorder result in the prescription of potentially addictive medications

The drugs, called benzodiazepines, are often a cheaper alternative to some newer types of medicines that don't have the same potentially addictive side effects, said Rajesh Balkrishnan, the study's lead author and the Merrell Dow professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University.

1 Jun 2005

Adolescent depression can be as high as 20 percent

Teenage depression is widespread and can become a life-long illness, but is more often transitory, said UCLA Psychology Professor Constance Hammen, who discussed her research at the American Psychological Society's annual convention in Los Angeles.

29 May 2005

Common over-the-counter cough medication dextromethorphan may help people with fibromyalgia

About 10 million Americans, most of them women suffer from fibromyalgia, an incurable illness that causes stiffness, fatigue, muscle aches and sleep disturbances.

29 May 2005

Breathing disorders during sleep are common among asthmatics

When asthmatics are awake, they can turn to their inhalers to open their airways. But when they sleep, many of them continue to struggle with breathing - and an understanding of their sleep-related problems may help doctors better diagnose and treat their patients' asthma, according to new University of Michigan Health System research.

26 May 2005

First study to examine liver injury in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

Many patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are obese and therefore at risk of having fatty liver, a condition in which fat accumulates in the liver cells. But the link between OSA and liver injury independent of weight has yet to be examined.

25 May 2005

A good education makes women sleep better

According to a study done in Taiwan educated women are less likely to suffer from insomnia than their less learned counterparts, but surprisingly, their male equivalents are less likely to get a good night’s sleep if they have had the benefit of a good education.

24 May 2005

Better educated a woman is, the more likely she is to sleep through the night

Women have higher rates of insomnia than men, but the better educated a woman is, the more likely she is to sleep through the night, finds a large study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

24 May 2005

Study evaluate the effects of long working hours

At the same time as many urban economies are developing into 24-hour societies, it is becoming increasingly popular amongst shift workers to compress their working hours. This is done by working longer shifts and/or restricting free time in-between shifts. The advantage is longer consecutive periods of days off. The disadvantage is lack of recovery during work periods.

23 May 2005

Obstructive sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of suffering a stroke

Moderate to severe cases of the nighttime breathing problem known as obstructive sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of suffering a stroke, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 23.

23 May 2005