Sleep More, Stress Less to Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals

Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig should get with the program. Neither of the weight loss leaders integrates sleep education and sleep diaries. And the companies are making a big mistake, new research suggests. Popular approaches used by groups like Weight Watchers use a diary to keep track of food and exercise. Adding an extra column in the diary for hours slept would be a minor change that could

Planes Land in D.C. Airport While Traffic Controller Sleeps

Numerous attempts to contact air traffic control went unanswered during the final approach to Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport early Wednesday. Two planes had to rely on directions from a regional facility located about 40 miles away, while the nearby control tower remained mysteriously silent.Only one person was scheduled for duty at the time and that air traffic controller was

Shift Work May Cause Swell in Sleep Apnea Symptoms

A new study provides further health concerns for the estimated 20 million Americans who sleep during the daytime because of their work schedule. The symptoms of untreated obstructive sleep apnea may be worse for shift workers, a new study reports.The study compared a group of 31 shift workers to ten daytime workers. Members in both groups were previously diagnosed with sleep apnea and had similar

Did Sleep Medicine Help Boost U.S. Life Expectancy?

Life expectancy hit an all-time high in 2009, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An American born in 2009 can now expect to live about 78 years and two months, a two month increase compared to 2008. Only 2.4 million Americans died in 2009, an all-time low and the 10th consecutive yearly decrease. As usual, women (80.6 years) had a longer life

Why Accidents Increase After Daylight Savings Switch

Was traffic noticeably slower on your morning commute these past couple of days? If so, blame daylight saving time. The “spring forward” is believed to cause a temporary spike in traffic incidents. A 1998 Canadian study found that auto accidents may increase as much as 17 percent immediately following the time change.Media outlets tend to report a few theories on why accidents swell after the

Donate and Support Disaster Relief Efforts in Japan

Millions displaced by Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami face a fourth consecutive night without food, water, shelter or heat. Sleep Education and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine are urging a rapid response to help provide these survivors with the basic necessities.In a special message today, AASM President Dr. Patrick J. Strollo expressed his sympathies to the victims in Japan

Find Sleep as You Spring Forward for Daylight Savings

Many people greet the onset of daylight savings with mixed feelings. The unofficial end to winter is a welcome sight, but springing forward and losing an hour of sleep can be difficult.Plan ahead and ease into the time change starting tonight and you can minimize the sleep deprivation. Try to sleep 20 minutes earlier each night until the time change on Sunday, March 13. Do the rest of your daily

Sleep in America 2011: Sleep & Technology

The powerful technology that keeps us connected, entertained and informed is deeply engrained in our lives and our culture. We carry around phones as powerful as personal computers, a movie about Facebook almost won the Oscars and every new Apple product announcement is celebrated like a national holiday. We can – and often do – spend the entire day in front of a screen, using a desktop computer

CDC: More than 1 in 3 Americans are Sleep-Deprived

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shed light on some unsettling trends involving our sleep. More than 35 percent of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night – and 1 in 20 has fallen asleep at the wheel in the past month.Drowsy driving is one of the most overlooked dangers on our roadways. It’s estimated that as many as 1,550 deaths and 40,000 personal-injury

ADHD and Late Bedtimes Don't Mix for Schoolchildren

Late bedtimes and overall poor sleeping habits can easily transform an A into an F for school-aged children. Sleep is perhaps the most important factor in academic success and healthy cognitive development. Lack of sleep can be disastrous for children, especially if they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.A study in the March issue of the journal SLEEP reports the consequences from