Student Athletes Sleep Better than their Inactive Peers

A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teenagers who routinely exercise vigorously have higher quality sleep than their peers.Overall, athletes scored higher in sleep quality and mood and woke fewer times after falling asleep. They also had better daytime concentration and less fatigue. Athletes also scored lower for anxiety and depressive symptoms.The study, conducted in

Working Women Sleep Less than Men

A new study found that women who work full time sleep less than men, reports a University of Cincinnati statement. The study suggests that women often are responsible for most household chores and child care, which can affect their sleep.The study’s researchers conducted a phone survey in which respondents were questioned about work, family and health status in addition to sleep-related

Does Childhood Insomnia Exist?

As children begin to attend school regularly, many become involved in extracurricular and social activities that cut into their sleep time, which may result in insufficient sleep. Although children at any age can have anxiety that affects their ability to sleep, U.S. News & World Report notes that school-age children can develop what may be thought of as "pseudo-insomnia."Parents may worry if

Use of Codeine in Children After a Tonsillectomy Can Be Fatal

According to a new case report, the use of codeine for pain after tonsillectomies can be deadly in children who have a rare gene that causes the body to metabolize the drug at a faster rate than usual.The gene is found in about one percent of white people, but could be present in as many as 30 percent of people of African origins, notes

Do Ads Influence How Babies Sleep?

A new study in Pediatrics found that more than one-third of photographs in advertisements and articles in magazines geared toward women, expectant parents, and parents of young children show babies sleeping on their sides or stomachs, and nearly two-thirds of the pictures show infant sleep environments that increase risk for sudden infant

Snoring & Sleep Apnea: Tips for Bed Partners

The most common warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea is loud and frequent snoring. Often it is followed by silent pauses when breathing stops. Then choking or snorting sounds may occur when breathing resumes.A person who has sleep apnea is usually unaware of the problem. So the bed partner plays a critical role in the identification of these symptoms.But noticing the symptoms of sleep

Real Wives of Sleep Apnea

It certainly doesn’t involve as much drama as being one of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” But being a wife of a man with obstructive sleep apnea can be distressing.A new study examined the sleep of 17 OSA wives; they were compared with 17 wives of healthy sleepers. Results were controlled for age and menopausal status.Data analysis shows that OSA wives had lower sleep quality. There was an

Sleep Problems & Kidney Failure

A small study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examined the sleep quality of people with both kidney failure and obstructive sleep apnea.The study involved 30 adults with moderate to severe OSA; 12 of them had kidney failure – also called end-stage renal disease. The other 18 people had normal kidney function.Results show that people with normal kidney function

Race & Daytime Sleepiness

Are African-Americans sleepier than whites?Both a 2003 study and a 2006 study reported that African-Americans have higher scores than whites on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The ESS measures how likely you are to fall asleep in eight common situations.Why might African-Americans score higher on the ESS? It could be that they are more sleep deprived than whites; or perhaps they are more likely to

OSA, CPAP & Alzheimer’s Disease

A small study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine involved 10 older adults with both obstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s disease.They had an average age of 76 years and a moderate level of dementia. For six weeks they had used CPAP therapy to treat their OSA. Then five of the people continued using CPAP therapy for a year; the other five stopped using CPAP.Results

Five Risk Factors for Insomnia

A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep examined potential risk factors for insomnia.The study from Quebec involved 464 adults who were good sleepers; they had an average age of 45 years. Participants completed a variety of surveys that evaluated their sleep, mental health and physical well-being. Then they were followed up after six months and again after 12 months.Results show that

Alcohol & Sleep: Nix the Nightcaps

A new survey by the Department of Health in England shows that many people fail to realize that alcohol can have a negative effect on sleep; 58 percent of surveyed drinkers were unaware that drinking can cause sleep problems.One problem is that drinking alcohol may force you to go the bathroom more often during the night. The Department of Health reports that alcohol stops the brain from

Sleep Apnea in Adults with Down Syndrome

A small study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that untreated obstructive sleep apnea is common in adults with Down syndrome.Results show that 94 percent of people with Down syndrome had OSA; 88 percent had at least moderate OSA with an apnea-hypopnea index of more than 15 breathing pauses per hour of sleep; 69 percent had severe OSA with an AHI of more than 30

Sleep Apnea Increases Death Risk

A new study published today provides strong evidence that severe obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of death.The study shows that the people with severe OSA were 46 percent more likely to die than those who did not have OSA. The risk of death in people with moderate OSA was increased by 17 percent.The risk of death was even higher in men between the ages of 40 and 70; those with severe

Osteoarthritis: CBT for Insomnia Improves Sleep & Pain

A study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine involved 51 older adults with osteoarthritis and insomnia.Twenty-three people received cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia; they had an average age of 69 years. Each of the eight weekly CBT sessions lasted two hours; class sizes ranged from four to eight people.CBT uses a variety of methods to help you develop positive

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: Safe & Effective

A recent article in the Louisville Courier-Journal reminded readers that medications aren’t the only insomnia treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a safe and effective treatment option for people who are struggling with ongoing insomnia.CBT uses a variety of methods to help you develop positive attitudes and habits that promote a healthy pattern of sleep. One common technique is relaxation

Teen Depression: Sleep Cycle is a Risk Marker

A recent study shows that a teen’s sleep pattern may be a marker of his or her risk for developing depression.The study involved 48 teens who were “at risk” for depression; they had a high risk because of a parental history of depression. The at-risk teens were compared with 48 other teens in a control group; these teens had no personal or family history of a mental health problem.The research

The “Short Sleep” Gene: When Six Hours is Enough

A new study reports the discovery of the first gene involved in regulating the length of human sleep. A rare mutation in the “DEC2” gene enables some people to function well on only six hours of sleep per night.“Subjects with the mutation are able to live unaffected by shorter amounts of sleep throughout their lives,” senior author Ying-Hui Fu, PhD, said in a UC San Francisco

Daytime Sleepiness Can Be a Pain

A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep reports that healthy people may be more sensitive to pain if they are sleepy.The study involved 27 healthy, pain-free adults between 18 and 35 years of age. A physical exam, drug screening and lab tests confirmed that they were in good health. An overnight sleep study verified that they didn’t have a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep

Sleep Loss & Type 2 Diabetes Risk

A new study adds to the evidence that links ongoing sleep loss with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.The small study involved 11 healthy volunteers; they had a mean age of 39 years. They were slightly overweight with an average body mass index (BMI) of 26.5.The volunteers spent two, 14-day periods in a sleep lab. The two studies were conducted at least three months apart, reports MedPage

Back on Campus: Stress, Sleep & College Life

A new study shows that sleep problems will be common as college students return to campus for the fall semester.The study involved 1,125 students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. They completed an online survey about their sleep habits, mood, health and related factors.Results show that more than 60 percent were poor sleepers; these students were much more likely to have

Parents: Help Kids Go Back to Sleep for School

You have all the school supplies on the list. You have new outfits or uniforms for your child to wear.(Or you’ve pulled out the clothes that big brother or sister used to wear; they can be “new” again.)In your head you anticipate all the upcoming changes to your daily schedule. It’s time to go back to school. But are your kids ready to go back to sleep?Children tend to shift their sleep schedule

We Sleep to Be Awake

In April the Sleep Education Blog examined the question of why we sleep. Research has been exploring complex answers to this simple question.But a definitive explanation continues to be elusive; the question remains an “unsolved mystery.”Now an editorial by UCLA’s Jerome Siegel suggests that sleep may not fulfill a universal function across all species. Instead sleep appears to be adaptive; its

Lying Awake & Sleeping in Two Shifts

Waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to return to sleep is one sign of insomnia. But a recent story on NPR’s “Morning Edition” suggests that this wasn’t always the case.A period of wakefulness in the middle of the night used to be the norm. At that time there were no lights to turn on at night. When it got dark outside, it was just as dark inside.A winter night can bring 14 hours

Infections May Trigger Narcolepsy

In May the Sleep Education Blog reported that narcolepsy may be an autoimmune disorder. Research suggests that narcolepsy may develop when the immune system attacks and destroys hypocretin-producing brain cells by mistake. Hypocretin is a hormone that helps promote wakefulness.But what causes this immune system response? A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that bacterial

Child Sleep Problems May Begin in the Womb

A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep examined prenatal factors that are related to sleep problems in children.The study involved 289 children born in Finland in 1998; each child was born at term from 37 to 42 weeks of gestation. Sleep was measured by actigraphy for one week when the children were 8 years of age. Parents reported sleep problems and sleep disorder symptoms.Results link

Sibling Risk for Sleep Apnea in Children

A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep examined obstructive sleep apnea among siblings; it found a high “sibling risk” of OSA in both boys and girls.The study group consisted of siblings born between 1978 and 1986; follow-up data were gathered from 1997 to 2004. Hospital records were analyzed for the entire pediatric population in Sweden – 2.7 million children.Children 18 years of age

Insomnia, Sleepiness & Quality of Life in Older Adults

A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep linked insomnia symptoms and daytime sleepiness with quality of life in older adults.The study involved 3,078 adults over the age of 40. Their mean age was 62 years at baseline and 67 years at follow-up.Results show that self-reported sleep problems were related to quality of life. An increase in insomnia symptoms was associated with a decrease in

Sleep Apnea Treatment: What Works Best?

A story today on NPR’s “Morning Edition” discussed treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. What is the best treatment for OSA? In June the AASM released a clinical guideline for the evaluation and treatment of sleep apnea; it was published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Here is a summary of the AASM recommendations:1. CPAP TherapyCPAP therapy is the “treatment of

Acupuncture Growing in Popularity

Recently the Sleep Education Blog has reported on two reviews and a new study of acupuncture for insomnia; the evidence to support its use remains limited.But a new government report shows that acupuncture is growing in popularity. The report examined the use of complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) in the U.S. in 2007.It found an overall decrease in visits to CAM providers in 2007 compared

New Study of Electroacupuncture for Insomnia

Last week the Sleep Education Blog reported on a recent review of acupuncture for insomnia. The Hong Kong researchers found that study results are “somewhat promising,” but inconclusive.Now the same research team has published the results of their own study. It appears in today’s issue of the journal Sleep.The study involved a community sample of 60 Chinese adults with a mean age of 48 years; 77