Chevelle Puts Sleep Apnea on the Music Charts

Sleep disorders had a good year on the music charts in 2009.First Craig David released the hit song “Insomnia.” Now the rock group Chevelle has given obstructive sleep apnea the lyrical treatment.Their song “Sleep Apnea” appears on the band’s fifth album, Sci-Fi Crimes. In September the album debuted at number one on the Billboard Alternative Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts.It also includes

2009: The Year in Sleep Top 5

The Sleep Education Blog is counting down the Top 25 Posts of 2009. Over the past four days we took a look back at 20 of the blog posts that received the highest number of unique pageviews.Today we’ll conclude with the Top Five Blog Posts of the year:5. My Child Bangs His Head in Bed as He Sleeps (Feb. 1)Sleep related rhythmic movement disorder is one of the most disturbing sleep disorders a

2009: The Year in Sleep Top 10

The Sleep Education Blog is counting down the Top 25 Posts of 2009. Over the past three days we took a look back at 15 of the blog posts that received the highest number of unique pageviews.Today we’ll continue with five more of the most popular posts:10. Violent Sleep: Acting Out Dreams & Nightmares (May 2)CBS 2 News in Los Angeles reported on REM sleep behavior disorder. RBD is a sleep disorder

2009: The Year in Sleep Top 15

The Sleep Education Blog is counting down the Top 25 Posts of 2009. Over the past two days we took a look back at 10 of the blog posts that received the highest number of unique pageviews.Today we’ll continue with five more of the most popular posts:15. Sleep, Caffeine & the Starbucks Effect (Jan. 28)Starbucks reported that demand for decaf coffee in some of its stores tends to drop after noon.

2009: The Year in Sleep Top 20

The Sleep Education Blog is counting down the Top 25 Posts of 2009. Yesterday we took a look back at five of the blog posts that received the highest number of unique pageviews.Today we’ll continue with five more of the most popular posts:20. Alcohol & Sleep: Nix the Nightcaps (Aug. 20)Decades of research shows that alcohol disrupts your sleep in a variety of ways.19. Can a “Sleep Diet” Really

2009: The Year in Sleep Top 25

Numerous studies and stories about sleep captured our attention in 2009. It was a great year to learn more about sleep and sleep disorders.Over the next five days the Sleep Education Blog will count down the Top 25 Posts of 2009. These are the blog posts that received the highest number of unique pageviews this year:25. Unable to Sleep, Unable to Work: Insomnia & Disability (March 25)A study

Holiday Wishes from the AASM

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap…-- From “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Clement C. MooreThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine wishes each of you a holiday season filled with peaceful sleep and sweet dreams.Image by Kris de Curtis

Children & Holiday Sleep Loss

Even the most angelic child may transform into a Grinch during the holiday season. Why?Children may be free to stay up later at night since they don’t have to wake up for school in the morning. And the excitement of the holidays can make it harder for them to fall asleep.As a result children may get much less sleep than they need. A new poll by a U.K. bed and mattress company found that children

Sleep & Airline Safety: Pilot Fatigue

Last week the NTSB opened the public docket on its investigation of the Oct. 21 incident involving Northwest Airlines flight 188. It was the second incident this year to focus attention on sleep, sleep disorders and pilot fatigue.For 77 minutes the pilots of flight 188 had failed to respond to radio contact from flight controllers. Then the flight overflew its destination by more than 100

NBA Teams Sleeping Like Champions

Previously the Sleep Education Blog reported that both the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers have been making sleep a priority. Now it seems like sleep is catching on in the NBA.As a result the early morning shoot-around may become a casualty of this renewed emphasis on sleep. Over the weekend sportswriter Howard Beck wrote in the New York Times:For 38 years, the morning shoot-around

Sleep Apnea & Nocturia: Nighttime Urination

A new study evaluated nocturia as a predictor of obstructive sleep apnea.The study involved 1,007 adults. All of them had sought help at a sleep disorders center.They completed medical and sleep history questionnaires. Their sleep was evaluated during an overnight sleep study.HealthDay reports that 797 were diagnosed with sleep apnea. Snoring was reported by 777 people, and 839 reported

Restless Legs & Migraine Headaches

A new study examined the relationship between restless legs syndrome and headaches.The study involved 1,041 people. They were all patients at a headache clinic in Taiwan.More than 700 of them were suffering from migraine headaches. More than 200 had tension headaches. Fifty-one people had cluster headaches.Results show that RLS was present in 11 percent of people with migraines. RLS occurred in

Life, Death & Sleep

This week the CDC reported that in 2007 life expectancy at birth reached a record high of 77.9 years in the U.S.Women (80.4 years) had a longer life expectancy than men (75.3 years). There also was a gap between the life expectancy of whites (78.3 years) and blacks (73.7 years).Hawaii had the lowest age-adjusted death rate of all the states. West Virginia had the highest rate. In general, states

Steelers Tell Fans About Sleep Apnea

On Tuesday night some players from the Pittsburgh Steelers went to a local mall to tell holiday shoppers about obstructive sleep apnea.They signed autographs and talked about the warning signs for OSA. While waiting in the autograph line fans could complete a brief assessment to see if they might be at risk for sleep apnea.Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend took the assessment himself. After the

Insomnia & Headaches in Young Children

A new study links insomnia symptoms with headaches and gastrointestinal regurgitation in young children. The results were published yesterday in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.The study involved 700 children. They were between 5 and 12 years of age. Parents completed sleep and development questionnaires for their child. Results show that 19 percent of children had parent-reported

Sleep Apnea & Obesity in Children and Teens

A new study shows that teens were more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea if they were overweight or obese. But obesity did not increase the risk for OSA in younger children.The results were published today in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.The Australian study involved 234 Caucasian children. They were between the ages of 2 and 18 years. Their height and weight were used to calculate

High School Writing Contest: Deadline is Jan. 15

The Jan. 15 deadline is only one month away for the 2009 – 2010 AASM High School Topical Review in Sleep Science Contest.High school juniors and seniors are invited to submit an original review paper. They can choose a subject from a list of 12 topics related to sleep medicine and sleep research.“This contest is an excellent opportunity to introduce students to some of the fascinating aspects of

Bipolar Disorder in Children May Be Linked to a Circadian Clock Gene

A new study found that the circadian clock gene RORB may be involved in bipolar disorder in children.The study analyzed the genetic make-up of 305 children with bipolar disorder. They were compared with 140 controls.Results show a positive association between bipolar disorder and four variants of the RORB gene. The authors suggest that this gene may be an important target in the search for the

A Book of Sleep for Children

Born in South Korea and educated in London, illustrator Il Sung Na makes his American debut with A Book of Sleep.“It's the rare picture book that, upon arrival, feels as though it has been around for years already,” noted Publisher’s Weekly.The opening line sets the stage for the story: When the sky grows dark and the moon glows bright, everyone goes to sleep . . .except for the watchful owl!This

Updating Memories to Prevent the Return of Fear

A new study shows that old fear memories can be “updated” to prevent the return of fear. The discovery is promising for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder."Our results suggest a non-pharmacological, naturalistic approach to more effectively manage emotional memories," study co-author Elizabeth Phelps, PhD, said in a press release.The researchers used mild wrist shocks to condition

Sleep & Hyperactive Boys

A new study examined the link between sleep duration and hyperactivity in preschool children.The study involved 2,057 mothers in Quebec. They answered annual questionnaires until their child reached 5 years of age.Results show that nightly sleep duration and hyperactivity were significantly associated. Highly hyperactive children were five times more likely to have a short sleep duration. Short

Urine Test May Detect Sleep Apnea in Children

A new study shows that obstructive sleep apnea in children is associated with alterations in urinary concentrations of specific protein clusters.The study evaluated morning urine proteins. It involved 60 children with OSA. They were compared with 30 children who have primary snoring and 30 controls.The researchers found that the urine concentrations of 16 proteins were altered in children with

Infant Sleep: SIDS & Crib Safety

A new study examined trends and factors associated with infant sleeping position.The study analyzed telephone surveys from 1993 through 2007. Each year’s survey involved nighttime caregivers of infants born within the last seven months. They were asked, “Do you have a position you usually place your baby in?”Results show that the proportion of babies placed to sleep on their backs steadily

A Low-Energy Diet & Sleep Apnea

A new study examined the effect of weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea in obese men. The results were published online in the British Medical Journal.The Swedish study involved 63 obese men with an average weight of 248 pounds. Their average age was 49 years. Sleep apnea was measured using a home sleep test.All of the men had moderate to severe OSA and were being treated with CPAP therapy.

Sleep in Children with Autism

A new study examined sleep behaviors and sleep quality in children with autism spectrum disorder. The results were published Dec. 1 in the journal Sleep.The study involved 59 children with ASD. They were between 4 and 10 years of age. They were compared with 40 typically developing children.Parents completed the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire. They also completed a sleep diary for

Sleep, Performance & Mental Practice

A new study examined how sleep enhances physical performance following mental practice. The results were published Dec. 1 in the journal Sleep.The French study involved 32 healthy volunteers. They were between the ages of 20 and 35 years.The volunteers were trained to perform a computerized finger-tapping task. First they memorized a sequence of eight finger movements.Then they repeatedly tapped

Sleep, Pre-Teens & Puberty

A new study suggests that sleep changes in pre-teens may occur before the physical changes of puberty. The results were published Dec. 1 in the journal Sleep.The Israeli study involved 94 healthy children from five schools. They were between the ages of 10 and 11 years when the study began.The children completed sleep diaries to track their sleep-wake patterns. They also wore an actigraph on

Sleepwalking, Sleep Terrors & Dreams

A new study shows that episodes of sleepwalking and sleep terrors may be related to short, unpleasant, dreamlike mental activity. The study suggests that people with these sleep disorders may be acting out dreamlike thoughts. The results were published yesterday in the journal Sleep.The French study involved 43 people with severe sleepwalking or sleep terrors. Their age ranged from 11 years to 72

Acting Out Dreams: Fear and Laughing

A new study shows that healthy young adults are likely to report dream-enacting behaviors. The results were published today in the journal Sleep.The Canadian study involved 1,140 first-year college students. About two-thirds of participants were women. They responded to different types of questions about dreaming.One group answered questions that described specific types of dream-related behavior