The debate in sleep science has gone on for a generation. People and other animals sicken and die if they are deprived of sleep, but why is sleep so essential? Psychiatrists Chiara Cirelli and Giulio Tononi of the Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness proposed the “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis” (SHY) in 2003. This hypothesis holds… Continue reading Why Is Sleep So Essential?
Category: Sleep Health
6 Unconventional Ways to Stop Snoring
An estimated 90 million American adults snore, according to sleepfoundation.org. And over half the country – 59 percent – has a partner who snores. Millions of people are looking for remedies, and after years of unsuccessful tries with more traditional methods, it may be time to try other techniques to stop the sawing of logs.… Continue reading 6 Unconventional Ways to Stop Snoring
Can a To-Do List Help You Sleep Better?
If you have trouble falling asleep, you might try writing a brief to-do list, researchers say. Investigators from Baylor University compared sleep patterns between study participants who took five minutes to write down upcoming duties versus participants who listed completed activities, and found that the do-to list won the battle for sleep. “We live in… Continue reading Can a To-Do List Help You Sleep Better?
A Wrist Gadget Can Help in Sleep Studies
Sleep studies, which have always been performed in an expensive laboratory setting, could be replaced by a much simpler method that allows subjects to sleep at home. The details were published in Current Biology. According to the researchers, the findings represent a major breakthrough in sleep research because, for the first time, it will now… Continue reading A Wrist Gadget Can Help in Sleep Studies
How to Conquer Insomnia
The most common sleep problem in adults age 60 and older is insomonia. People with this condition have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Insomnia can last for days, months, and even years. There are many reasons why older people in particular may not get enough sleep at night. Feeling sick or being in pain can… Continue reading How to Conquer Insomnia
Sleep Gets Better in Retirement
Retirement is proving restful. A new study has found that retirees sleep an average of about 20 minutes longer per night than they did before retirement. And the quality of their sleep also improves. Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, in collaboration with the Finnish Institution of Occupational Health, University of Helsinki, and University… Continue reading Sleep Gets Better in Retirement
Five Ways to Stop That Infernal Snoring
If your spouse or significant other snores, you may have just endured another sleepless night. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are steps you can take – or at least have him or her take – that could end the snoring and perhaps even save your spouse’s life in the process. A… Continue reading Five Ways to Stop That Infernal Snoring
Sleep Deprivation May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Older Women
Older women who don’t get enough sleep were more likely to have poor cardiovascular health, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017 in Anaheim, California, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians. A release from the association notes that in the… Continue reading Sleep Deprivation May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Older Women
Tart Cherry Juice Increases Sleep Time for People Aged 50+
Tart juice of the cherry variety Montmorency was found to help extend sleep time by 84 minutes among study participants, ages 50 and older who suffer from insomnia, according to a pilot study published in October 2017 in the American Journal of Therapeutics1. A release from the Cherry Marketing Institute quotes lead researcher Jack Losso,… Continue reading Tart Cherry Juice Increases Sleep Time for People Aged 50+
How to Get Your Best Night’s Sleep Every Night
Waking up on the wrong side of the bed is a place we’ve all been: you tossed and turned all night, get up feeling less than refreshed, and are already daydreaming about a Starbucks trip. From busy schedules to poor sleep routines, there’s a plethora of reasons why between 30 and 40 percent of American… Continue reading How to Get Your Best Night’s Sleep Every Night
Lack of Sleep at Midlife Is Bad for Your Health
Many of the women I talk to tell me that lack of sleep is one of the biggest side effects of menopause, but they accept it as part of life. Now, though, there’s reason to be more wary of midlife insomnia, because lack of good quality sleep can triple the risk for a heart attack.… Continue reading Lack of Sleep at Midlife Is Bad for Your Health
Dream Deprivation: The Hidden Cost of Sleep Loss
Many health concerns attributed to sleep loss may actually be linked to dream loss, an expert says. Rubin Naiman, PhD, a sleep and dream specialist at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, recently published a comprehensive review of data on the problem. His review, “Dreamless: the silent epidemic of REM sleep loss” in… Continue reading Dream Deprivation: The Hidden Cost of Sleep Loss
More Than One-Third of Older Adults Take Something to Help Them Sleep But Many Don’t Talk With Their Doctors
Sleep doesn’t come easily for nearly half of older Americans, and more than a third have resorted to some sort of medication to help them doze off at night, according to 2017 results from the National Poll on Healthy Aging. However, according to a release from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, most poll… Continue reading More Than One-Third of Older Adults Take Something to Help Them Sleep But Many Don’t Talk With Their Doctors
4 Tips To Sleep Better During Allergy Season
Spring is the season of renewal. Plants and trees start to rebound from the harsh winter that claimed most of their leaves and vegetation. Birds return from their Southern vacations, serenade us with their morning songs and rebuild their nests in preparation for new arrivals. Unfortunately, there is another renewal that many people don’t look… Continue reading 4 Tips To Sleep Better During Allergy Season
Home Remedies That Can Help Stop Snoring
Although snoring is often the subject of jokes, it can be serious. Snoring affects up to half of adults, according to the Mayo Clinic. Snoring occurs when air flows past the relaxed tissues in your throat and causes the tissues to vibrate as you breathe. It’s often associated with a disorder called obstructive sleep apnea… Continue reading Home Remedies That Can Help Stop Snoring
Memory Loss Linked to Poor Sleep
A lack of sleep among older people elevates risk of memory loss as well as a number of physical and mental disorders, according to new research. UC Berkeley researchers published their conclusion in the journal Neuron. “Nearly every disease killing us in later life has a causal link to lack of sleep,” said the article’s… Continue reading Memory Loss Linked to Poor Sleep
Five Steps to a Good Night’s Sleep
Anyone who has ever had a bad night’s sleep knows that sleep deprivation is no joke. Sleep directly affects your mood, productivity and decision making all day long. The health experts at Envolve, an integrated healthcare solutions company, share a few tips to help you and your family improve your sleep habits: Relaxation Ritual. Set… Continue reading Five Steps to a Good Night’s Sleep
A Better Sleep App?
Researchers have come up with an app that goes one step beyond the sleep-monitoring apps already on the market. The old-style apps help people monitor their sleep patterns by monitoring time of going to bed, time of waking up and any tossing and turning. Now, a group of Brown University computer scientists and clinical psychologists… Continue reading A Better Sleep App?