Sleep Apnea a Common Problem for NFL Players

A new study being presented today shows that obstructive sleep apnea is common in retired NFL players.The study involved 167 players. Results show that 60 percent of the linemen had sleep apnea. During sleep they had an average of 18.1 breathing pauses per hour.The linemen also had an average body mass index of 34.2. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.Forty-six percent of non-linemen had

Grey's Anatomy Dissects PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is common among returning military personnel, though it is not often discussed. That may change after last week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy entitled “Elevator love Letter.” Owen Hunt became head of trauma at Seattle Grey’s Hospital after receiving an honorable discharge from the army. Although Owen returned physically intact, his co-workers are beginning

Understanding Child Parasomnias

Child parasomnias are sleep disorders that can put a scare into parents. Episodes can involve unusual and undesirable actions.Nightmares may be the most familiar parasomnia. Others include sleepwalking and sleep terrors.The good news is that these disorders tend to be common and harmless in children. In many cases the child will have no memory of the event.But some children may have a more severe

Are You at Risk for Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea can have a severe impact on your health and well-being. Studies have linked it to problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and depression.But most people with sleep apnea are unaware that they have it. Could you be one of these people?Find out by answering these simple questions. See if you might be at risk for sleep apnea.Get help for sleep apnea at an

Insomnia and Weight Gain

A new study examined the link between insomnia and weight gain.The study involved 14 men with primary insomnia and 24 healthy controls. It measured their levels of the “hunger hormones” leptin and ghrelin three times during one night of sleep.Results show that men with insomnia had less total sleep time than controls. Leptin levels were similar between the two groups. Leptin helps to suppress

Evidence that Obstructive Sleep Apnea Causes Brain Damage

A new article on SleepEducation.com reports on the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and brain damage.A recent brain imaging study from France found a loss of “gray matter” in people with sleep apnea. A UCLA team reported similar results in a June 2008 study.They found that people with sleep apnea have tissue loss in the mammillary bodies. These are brain regions that help store

Unable to Sleep, Unable to Work: Insomnia & Disability

How you sleep - or don't sleep - can affect how you work. Studies show that insomnia can have a negative impact on the workplace. It can result in decreased productivity. It also can increase absences from work.Now a new study from Norway suggests that insomnia can even increase the risk of long-term work disability.The study involved 6,599 working adults. They were between 40 and 45 years of

Women, Shift Work and Breast Cancer

BBC News reports that some women in Denmark who developed breast cancer after years of working night shifts are receiving compensation from the government.Is there a clear link between shift work and breast cancer?A 2008 review found only limited evidence. Yet there was enough data to convince the International Agency for Research on Cancer.The IARC convened a working group in 2007. It was

Who Sleeps Better – Women or Men?

A new study takes an objective look at the sleep of 1,324 men and women. Who were the better sleepers?In this case it was the women. During one night in a sleep lab they had a higher percentage of sleep time than the men. They also had a higher percentage of deep, slow wave sleep.Another part of the study involved 66 young, healthy volunteers. An “external stressor” disturbed their sleep during

Sleep & Jet Lag on Day 2 of “March Madness”

How did yesterday’s jet lag-challenged teams fare on the first day of the NCAA basketball tournament?BYU came out flat, fell behind and never caught up to Texas A&M. Cal State Northridge was the opposite. They started strong but faded late in a loss to Memphis.As for UCLA, they’re probably relieved to have escaped with a one-point win. After crossing three time zones to play a late game, they’ll

Sleep, Jet Lag and “March Madness”

The NCAA basketball tournament tips off today at 12:20 p.m. EDT. Did you finish your bracket yet?President Obama completed his bracket early. Surprisingly, he was extremely “conservative” with his picks.His Elite Eight includes all four of the number-one seeds and three of the number-two seeds. His only sleeper? Third-seeded Syracuse over second-seeded Oklahoma.If you’re still finalizing your

Are “Smart Drugs” a Smart Choice for a Brain Boost?

Early results from a new study in JAMA show that it may not be smart to take modafinil as a “brain booster.” The drug may have a greater risk of addiction than it was first thought to have.The small pilot study involved 10 healthy men. Taking modafinil increased the dopamine in their brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in addiction.The brand name for modafinil is

Sleepy Soldiers: Proposal Recommends More Sleep for U.S. Combat Troops

Stars and Stripes reports that the U.S. Army Medical Command is proposing changes to current Army sleep guidelines.The draft proposal recommends that U.S. soldiers in combat zones get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Current guidelines suggest that soldiers get at least four hours of sleep each day when deployed.The change would help prevent “performance degradation” on the battlefield.

Are You Dream Deprived?

Sleep deprivation can have a severe impact on your health and well-being. Sleeping less than seven hours per night increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.The Times in London reports that sleep loss also may cause you to suffer from “dream deprivation.” The article suggests that healthy dreaming is vital to your overall mental wellness.Is the

Is Your Cell Phone Keeping You Awake at Night?

You may think that you can’t live without your cell phone. But maybe you’d sleep better without it.A study from Sweden in 2008 involved 21 healthy subjects between the ages of 14 and 20. They were divided into two groups.A control group used their cell phones for no more than five calls or text messages per day. The other group used their phones for more than 15 calls or text messages per day.

Will Smarter Phones Make Us Better Sleepers?

With iTunes and an iPhone, you can do much more than download Soulja Boy’s latest hit song. Some application developers are even hoping the iPhone will help you sleep better.Developer Mark Cooke and composer Norihiko Hibino worked together to create “Prescription for Sleep.” They describe it as “a music visualizer that is intended to act as a sleep aid.” It combines “soothing imagery and

The Young & the Restless: Children, TV & Bedtime

The AP reports that there is some controversy over a bedtime TV program for children. “The Good Night Show” is a three-hour block of programs for children between the ages of 2 and 5. It airs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the PBS Kids Sprout network.A network executive says the show is a helpful tool in the “real world” where most homes have a TV on at night. It’s a better viewing option for children

Parenting Challenges: Children & Bedtimes

At 7:30 p.m. you begin your nightly bedtime ritual for your 8-year-old. A relaxing, warm bath. Brush the teeth. You talk about what happened during the day. Read a favorite bedtime story. Sing a lullaby. It ends with a kiss goodnight.At 8:30 p.m. your child quickly drifts off to sleep for a solid 10 hours. Then he or she wakes at 6:30 a.m., bright, perky, happy, and ready for the day ahead.Sounds

An Economic Upturn for Makers of Sleeping Pills

Another sign that the economy is affecting our sleep: We’re taking more sleeping pills.Advertising Age reports that sleeping-pill prescriptions increased seven percent last year. Sales rose even though ad spending dropped by hundreds of millions of dollars.Sepracor had revenues of $161.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2008 from sales of Lunesta. This was up from $149.8 million for the same

When Dreams Come Alive: “Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog”

By now you may be one of the millions of people who have seen “Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog.” The dog is the latest YouTube sensation.What can we learn from Bizkit?Well, the video is pretty good evidence that dogs have dreams. In fact, YouTube is littered with similar videos. They all show sleeping dogs in various states of twitching, whimpering and moving. But few of them can match Bizkit’s

Sleep and High School Start Times: Lessons from Fairfax County

An editorial in today’s Washington Post examines the debate over school start times. It shows just how complex it can be to make changes to daily school schedules.A proposal in Fairfax County, Va., would change the start time of most high schools in the county from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. It appears that there is strong support for a change. But there are also many obstacles.Money is one concern.

Childhood Sleep Disorders May Affect Cognitive Development

Long-lasting sleep problems in children can affect their cognitive development. This is the finding of a new study in the journal Sleep.It links ongoing sleep problems through childhood with cognitive problems at age 17. Results show that long-lasting sleep problems may affect “executive functioning.”These functions are a part of how the brain regulates thoughts and actions. One example is the

Daylight Saving Time Begins: Spring Forward Before You Go to Sleep

For most of the U.S. daylight saving time has arrived again. Officially it begins late tonight at 2 a.m.If you live in Hawaii or in most parts of Arizona, you get to ignore the time change. Your states already enjoy plenty of daylight.For the rest of the country, the AASM recommends that you set your clocks ahead one hour in the early evening. Then go to sleep at your normal bedtime. This will

Parents: Pay Attention to Sleep Problems & ADHD

New research continues to examine the link between sleep and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children.The latest study appears in the March 1 issue of the journal Sleep. It finds that children with ADHD get about 33 minutes less sleep per night than other children. They also get less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.The authors suggest that there may be an underlying sleep problem that

Much Ado About Snoring

Segments of today’s Morning Edition on NPR focused on snoring in adults and children.Snoring is a common problem. But what can be done about it?First, you need to be aware that snoring is a common sign of obstructive sleep apnea. Most often this kind of snoring is loud and frequent. It tends to be followed by silent pauses in breathing. These pauses may end with a loud choking or snorting

Is Daytime Sleepiness an Excessive Risk for Older Adults?

Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in older adults. But is it anything to be worried about?A new study from France may raise a few eyebrows. It links EDS in older adults with an increased risk of death.The study involved 8,269 adults with an average age of 74 years. All of them were living in the community rather than in a nursing home. None of them had dementia when the study began.At the

Take Sleep Medications Carefully

Sleep medications are a safe and effective treatment option for insomnia. They can help break the cycle of sleepless nights.But like any other drug, sleeping pills can cause side effects. These include nausea, headaches and dizziness. A recent incident involving a school-bus driver in Winston-Salem, N.C., is a reminder that daytime sleepiness is another possible side effect.Some people also may

America is Still Sleeping, More or Less

Today the National Sleep Foundation released the results of its 2009 Sleep in America Poll. It shows how a random sample of 1,000 American adults responded to a survey in the fall.How are we doing? On average, Americans could use a little more sleep.Respondents reported sleeping an average of 6.7 hours per night on weekdays for the past two weeks. This is down slightly from the 6.8 hours reported

Sleep Stats & Facts for National Sleep Awareness Week

The National Sleep Foundation’s National Sleep Awareness Week is today through next Sunday. So how’s your sleep awareness?Here are some sleep facts and stats from the AASM:Humans spend about 1/3 of their lives asleep.Newborns need about 16 to 20 hours of sleep per day.During adolescence a change in the body clock keeps most teens from feeling sleepy until 10 p.m. or later.Adults who don’t get