SLEEP 2010 only one week away, find full coverage right here

Sleep medicine’s flagship event kicks off at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio next Monday. This year the full SLEEP 2010 coverage will be on the Sleepeducation blog.More than 1,100 new abstracts will be on display at SLEEP 2010. Our team has looked over the entire list and identified some of the studies that stand out. We’ll be posting articles about each of these abstracts

Sleep-friendly software makes your computer screen easy on the eyes

A free program available for download promises to promote sleep by automatically altering your computer screen’s picture.As recent studies indicate, bright screens found on laptops, cell phones and iPads can suppress the body’s melatonin production, potentially leading to insomnia. The hormone regulates the natural sleep-wake cycle by signaling when its time to sleep.F.lux, available for mac and

Poor economy causes U.K. residents to lose nearly an hour of sleep a night

As the European markets plummet, Britons’ sleep debt skyrockets. The tepid economy is the number one concern keeping people in the U.K up at night, according to a new survey. The average sleep length for the nation is only 6 hours and 21 minutes per night, well short of the AASM recommended 7-8 hours for healthy adults. These tired workers appear to be further burdening the British economy. 28

Sleep and exercise: is the benefit all mental?

The popular belief is getting regular physical exercise will make sleeping easier and more restful. A vocal group of sleep researchers are questioning the legitimacy of this conventional wisdom.The New York Times recently published an article summarizing provocative recent research on the benefits of exercise.A Swiss study suggests the benefit is all mental. People sleep better because they

Brain trauma may disrupt melatonin production, disturb sleep

Sleep is never the same after a devastating brain injury and researchers now have a clearer idea why. People with brain injuries produce less melatonin at night and spend more time in slow wave sleep, according to a new study.Australian researchers used a sleep lab to monitor subjects who were recovering from severe brain trauma. The findings were published in the May issue of the journal

Tips for sweet slumber in the summer

From the change of seasons through the sweltering late-summer months, getting a good night’s rest can be a challenge in the summer. The hot and humid weather, the later sunsets, and the added outside noise all contribute to the tossing and turning. The following are tips to help you get the most out of sleep in the summer months.Make your sleeping environment comfortably coolThis cannot be

Yoga can help cancer survivors sleep, study says

Sleepless nights are common for cancer survivors. 30-50 percent of people who battled cancer have symptoms of insomnia months or even years after chemotherapy or radiation treatment.Yoga may be useful to help cancer survivors get back to sleep, according to a study released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.The study involved 410 cancer survivors, mostly women, who were treated in the

Solo performers look for sleep on stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dreamers

The name suggests Shakespeare; the script is closer to a sleep medicine case study. A Midsummer Night’s Dreamers, a series of solo performances about sleep, starts its two week run in Chicago on June 4th.Each of the four segments delves into the conflicts we face when the lights go out.Co-founder Tekki Lomnicki came up with the idea for the show after she underwent a sleep study. She started

Losing sleep over the “Lost” finale

Let's face it, I'm going to stay up way too late Sunday night. After the “Lost” series finale ends at 11:30est/10:30cst, I’ll call my closest “Lostie” friends. Then I’ll hit the internet. After that I’m I’ll have to watch “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to see all of the alternate endings. I know I won’t be able to sleep because I’ll still be thinking about “Lost.”If I’m lucky I’ll get to sleep by 1 a.m.

Author and human guinea pig A.J. Jacobs tries snoring solutions

Author A.J. Jacobs has a snoring problem. His wife kicked him out of the bedroom because he was “as loud as an outboard motor, the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport, and a stadium full of Justin Bieber fans.”In his new article “The End of Snoring,” published in the latest issue of parade magazine, Jacobs enlisted AASM member Dr. Steven Park to help him on his quest to gain re-entry to his bedroom.If

Houston Texans coach attributes sleep apnea treatment for Mario Williams’ weight loss

Word is getting out on NFL rosters about the benefits of identifying and treating obstructive sleep apnea.Mario Williams, the Houston Texans star defensive linemen, appeared this week at the teams first organized team activity 10 pounds lighter, according to an article on the team’s website.Head coach Gary Kubiak said he thinks the former first overall draft pick lost weight because he had

Obese kids more at risk for snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, says Italian study

Childhood obesity carries a lot of risks, especially later in life, and new research shows it can affect sleep early on.A new study suggests kids who are significantly overweight are twice as likely to have obstructive sleep apnea. Those who don’t are even more prone to snore loudly. The results were published in the May issue of the journal Chest.Italian researchers compared more than 800

Infant study: Sleeping babies capable of learning

A study released today reveals infants are capable of making real-world associations while they’re deep in dreamland.Researchers at Columbia University repeatedly played a tone while blowing a puff of air into 26 sleeping infants’ eyelids. Each time the babies would scrunch their faces in response.Eventually the puffs of air stopped, and the tone continued. A video camera that recorded their

Majority of assisted living residents have “significant sleep disturbances”

It’s no secret people sleep less as they get older, and there’s no better example of this than residents of assisted living facilities.65 percent have some type of clinical sleep disorder, according to a study published in the American Geriatrics Society.The authors tracked 121 seniors after they enrolled in one of 18 assisted living facilities in the Los Angeles area.The subjects took the

Pregnant smoking linked to childhood sleep problems

A new study gives soon-to-be moms another reason to butt out. Doctors across several U.S. cities combined efforts to look at how using various substances during pregnancy affected children’s sleep.Alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and opiates had no noticeable effects, but pregnant mothers who used nicotine products tended to have children with sleep problems.Researchers regularly checked up on a group

Latest line of Sony HDTVs watch you sleep

An advanced feature Sony is rolling out with its latest line of HDTV’s lets the television watch you, the viewer.This role reversal is made possible by facial recognition technology comparable to what’s found in Sony’s high-end cameras.Why would they include this you ask – the answer is to save energy. When users fall asleep while watching television, it automatically turns of the screen’s

Green light also alters sleep, television before bed still bad

Sleep experts warn the bright light produced by televisions, computers and iPads can meddle with sleep. There’s a line of products made to counter that effect by blocking out blue light wavelengths, which can reset the body’s circadian clock. Online you can purchase special sunglasses and screen filters, but there’s no guarantee the products will work as advertised and prevent insomnia.There’s

Have sleep apnea? See a sleep dentist

More sleep apnea patients are discovering the dentist can help them get a good night's sleep.A report that aired this week on Fox 5 Atlanta adds to the growing praise for oral appliances, dental devices you wear when you sleep to keep your airways open.Learn more about obstructive sleep apnea and oral appliances at sleepeducation.com.For regular coverage of sleep dentistry related topics, check

Wide awake in Washington: some congressmen choose cheap over sleep

Part of being a Washington lawmaker is living out of a suitcase. When in session, senators and congressmen split time between their home districts and the capital. This brings up a unique problem: the need for two regular places to sleep.As anyone who’s ever lived in Washington D.C. can attest, renting a place isn’t cheap, especially when there’s a mortgage to pay back home. The Chicago Tribune

Study: Caffeine beneficial for shift workers

If you work overnights, drinking a cup of coffee early in your shift might not be a bad idea, new research suggests.A review of several studies published in the May issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found caffeine appears to help cut down mistakes on the job for shift or nighttime workers.Researchers analyzed the findings of 13 studies examining the effects of caffeine on

Summer blockbuster 'Inception' deals in dreams

If you made it out to see "Iron Man 2" this past weekend, chances are you caught the trailer for "Inception." The sci-fi thriller casts Leonardo Dicaprio as a special agent who steals valuable secrets from deep inside the subconscious during dreams.Here's the theatrical preview:There are a lot of talented names working on "Inception." Its directed by "The Dark Knight's" Christopher Nolan. This is

Aged baseball greats Griffey, Hernandez caught napping at games

Once upon a time Ken Griffey Jr. electrified baseball fans, launching home runs at a record clip, while roaming center field in Seattle’s Kingdome. Fast forward to May 2010, Junior is back in a Mariners uniform, about to nap his way out of baseball.At 40 years old chronic injuries have stripped him of his gold-glove caliber defensive skills, so the M’s have him penciled in as Designated Hitter

“Good Morning America” Dr.: cognitive behavioral therapy better fix for insomnia than sleeping pills

This morning a segment on ABC’s “Good Morning America” explained how cognitive behavioral therapy works and how it helps patients with insomnia.The first in a series of stories titled “Help Me Fix It”, Dr. Richard Besser emphasized you don’t need pills to get your sleep back on track.The AASM recognizes cognitive behavioral therapy as the treatment of choice for primary insomnia. Sleeping

Are the best and brightest natural night owls?

Our society seems to celebrate the ambition of early risers. We tend to admire the person who’s out on a seven mile jog at the crack of dawn or the employee who’s firmly planted at their desk long before everyone else arrives.The night owl, who sleeps through most of the morning, is viewed as lazy or irresponsible at best, drunks or criminals at worst.Do we have it all wrong? Evolutionary

Single sleepless night enough to cause insulin problems

One all-nighter is all it takes to trigger insulin resistance, one of the key components of type 2 diabetes.This alarming finding will appear in next month’s issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Even a short night sleep caused insulin resistance. The study measured the insulin sensitivity of nine people after two separate nights of sleep. The first night the subjects

Long sleepers at risk, mortality study warns against abnormal sleep lengths

The findings of a new study on sleep and mortality might make you think twice about sleeping in regularly. The long-term consequences might be dire; the study suggests people who sleep too much or too little sleep are at high risk for death.The study published in the May issue of SLEEP adds to the chorus of warnings about the harmful effects of poor sleep habits.Researchers analyzed pooled data

Sleepwalking disorder at center of Colorado Springs teen murder case

The disorder that causes people to act out their dreams continues to grab media attention this month. A 13-year-old Colorado Springs boy is in court for a deadly attack on family members. His mother says he appeared to be possessed. His lawyers claims he did it all in his sleep.On year ago, police say Daniel Gudino shot and killed his 9-year-old brother, then shot his mother in the shoulder and

Study: sleep problems increase risk for injuries at work

Managers take notice - sleep problems can cost businesses big bucks. New research indicates employees who have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep are more at risk for workplace injury.In a study published in the May 1st issue of SLEEP, Canadian researchers found this was especially true for blue collar workers.The authors pulled data from the 2000-2001 “Canadian Community Health Survey

‘Wide Awake: A Memoire of Insomnia’ promises to be a humorous romp about the sleep industry

A self-described fourth generation insomniac, three years ago Patricia Morrisroe set out on a personal journey to conquer her lifelong sleep disorder. From traditional medicine to new age healing, she would sample everything the sleep industry had to offer. She talked to sleep doctors and drug makers, and magicians and hypnotherapists, all in an effort to become a sleep expert.This week, her

CBS 2’s "Sleep Wreckers" are a few of the common-sense insomnia culprits

On day 2 of WCBS New York City’s “Sleep Week,” health reporter introduced viewers to their so-called “Sleep Wreckers.”Most elements in their list should be familiar for regular blog readers.- Pets in bed-Alcohol before bedtime-Supplements like B6, B12 or Ginseng in the evening-Sleep disorders like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome-Pain or discomfort while sleeping-StressThe report only

Sleep week at New York’s WCBS

Springs sweeps is here again, and broadcast outlets across the country are pulling out all the stops to draw viewers. In New York City WCBS hopes to get a ratings boost by airing the feature series “Sleep Week.”In the first special report, which aired last night, health correspondent Dr. Holly Phillips profiled REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.The story focused on the Oregon case we previously

Study links women’s waistlines with sleep habits

Swedish researchers have further proof that your sleep habits contribute to obesity. They found women who sleep less tended to have bigger bellies and waistlines.Past studies have linked short sleep duration to higher body mass index (BMI) scores. In a study published in the May 1st issue of SLEEP, researchers wanted to learn the relationship between sleep length and quality and central obesity,

New movie “In My Sleep” a sleepwalking murder mystery

It’s a classic setup that hails back to Alfred Hitchcock. A man waking up in bed, covered in blood next to a knife. He doesn’t know how he got there, or if he killed anyone.The protagonist of the new film “In My Sleep” knows he sleepwalks. But was he capable of murder or was it all a setup?Opening in limited theaters in New York City last weekend, the film so far has inspired a tepid response

Running on empty: marathon runner Tera Moody's struggle with insomnia

Without sleep even the simplest everyday tasks, like driving or writing emails prove to be a challenge. The normally challenging physical tasks we do to stay in shape are nothing short of herculean. 30 minutes on the Stairmaster can feel like a hike up the summit of K2.So what’s it like to run marathons with no sleep?U.S. Olympic hopeful Tera Moody knows the feeling all too well. She’s had

Fighting Freddy Krueger, “Nightmare on Elm Street” and nightmare disorder

In the newly released remake of “Nightmare on Elm Street” the protagonists try to stay awake to avoid dreaming of the demonic Freddy Krueger. As evident by the high kill-counts in each of the horror film in the series, it turns out they were doing it all wrong.In real life, people who have recurring nightmares about a menacing figure like Freddy should instead see a psychologist or behavioral