Baby Keeping You from Sleep? Wait a Few Months

Parenting seems a lot less rewarded when you’re waking constantly to tend to a crying child. Consistent fatigue can suck the joy out of one of life’s most gratifying milestones. The good news is the end is in sight, and it’s a lot closer than you might think.More than half of babies sleep through the night after about two or three months, researchers have discovered. A much smaller number of

Dedication to CPAP Takes a Positive Personality

Do you view CPAP as the machine that can save your health or is it a consequence of your lifestyle choices? How you answer may predict whether you’ll stick with CPAP or become the 25-50 percent of obstructive sleep apnea patients who leave their condition untreated.A study in the journal Sleep and Breathing examined what types of personalities adhere to CPAP, the front-line treatment for

Sleepy Gene Worsens Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Some people are naturally wired to be tired. About 25 percent of people carry a gene variant that makes them sleepier than their peers, researchers have discovered.The breakthrough explains why you might feel exhausted for staying up a half hour past your normal bedtime while your coworker in the next cubical has no problem regularly burning the candle at both ends.People with a gene variant

Real or Hoax? Photographer Spends 40 Days Without Sleep

Tyler Shields did something this October that most medical experts would consider highly dangerous, irresponsible and most likely impossible. The 28-year-old Los Angeles photographer claims he went 40 days without a wink of sleep. Friends tasked with monitoring Shields insist he was awake the entire time, and never felt the urge to close his eyes and drift away.If you have your doubts, you’re not

Sleepwalk with Me: Comedian Mike Birbiglia's Sleep Disorder Scare

Meet Mike Birbiglia. He claims he jumped out of a second-story hotel window to avoid a missile attack. Witnesses say a madman crashed through a window in the middle of the night and then stumbled badly injured into the hotel lobby.Birbiglia was as surpised as the hotel guests when he woke up covered in gashes. The guided missile attack was a nightmare but his actions were anything but a dream. 33

Use CPAP, Limit Heart Failure Risk

It may not seem like it, but how you deal with sleep apnea is a life-or-death decision. CPAP therapy can help you avoid heart failure, and reduce your risk of death.A study published in the October issue of Sleep and Breathing looked at how patients with heart problems and sleep apnea responded to CPAP treatment.The study included 18 patients had suffered advanced heart failure at least three

Acid Reflux, Heartburn and Your Sleep

There’s a reason why doctors say you should avoid eating spicy foods before bedtime. The pain and discomfort from indigestion can make getting to sleep a real challenge. People with acid reflux disease (GERD) may struggle with this problem on a daily basis.Several study abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology explored how upper gastrointestinal

Sleep Complaints Common for Arthritis Sufferers

More than 10 million Americans with arthritis have regular sleep disturbances. National survey data shows an especially high rate among arthritis patients – nearly 23 percent. Only about 16 percent of people without arthritis have sleep-related complaints.The study published in the October issue of Arthritis Care & Research analyzed findings from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. More

Fibromyalgia Linked to Restless Leg Syndrome

Constantly exhausted but unable to sleep, the complaint is common among fibromyalgia patients. Until now doctors have had a difficult time treating sleep disruption from the chronic condition. Researchers have discovered restless leg syndrome is often the culprit, and medication for the sleep disorder may greatly improve patients’ quality of life.A study published in the October issue of Journal

Study Finds Long-term CPAP Causes Subtle Facial Changes

Canadian researchers have discovered a slight side-effect associated with the front-line treatment for sleep apnea. Long-term CPAP use can lead to nearly undetectable changes in facial structure. The changes won’t cause any health problems and the benefits of CPAP for sleep apnea outweigh any concerns, the researchers report.Investigators at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver used

Workplace Disability & The Value of Sleep

The business cost of insomnia goes beyond loss of employee productivity. Workers with regular sleep disturbances go on disability more often and take longer to return to work.A study published in the October, 2010 issue of the journal SLEEP investigated how insomnia impacts workplace health. Researchers found sleep disturbances predicted later workplace disability for mental disorders, physical

Inadequate Sleep Undermines Dietary Fat Loss

Dieting sometimes just doesn’t work out as hoped, despite your best intentions. Before you reexamine your exercise routine or diet, consider your sleeping habits.A small study conducted at the University of Chicago suggests sleep is the third vital element in the battle to shed fat. Exercise and dietary efforts may be less effective without a regular 7-8 hours of shuteye.Dieters in the study shed

Can Congressional Hearings Cure Insomnia?

When was the last time you watched CSPAN? Was it when congress debated about health care reform or political campaign contributions. Or was it when comedian Stephen Colbert lambasted congress or when a congressional panel questioned Major League Baseball's top stars about steroid use?There's a reason why people tune in to see the unusual and entertaining but choose to read about important policy

Irregular Sleep in Early Pregnancy Linked to Hypertension Later

Adopt healthy sleep habits early in pregnancy and your body will thank you later. Research shows too much or too little sleep during near the beginning of pregnancy can lead to hypertension and potentially serious complications during the third trimester.Women who sleep about nine hours night have significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to pregnant women with unhealthy