Sleep Disorder News and Research

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A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. A test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders is the polysomnogram.

Insomnia and sleep duration linked to diabetes

Individuals with insomnia and objective short sleep duration are at increased risk for developing diabetes, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday, June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

9 Jun 2009

Effects of meditation on sleep in chronic insomnia

Meditation may be an effective behavioral intervention in the treatment of insomnia, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday, June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies

9 Jun 2009

Research links primary insomnia to specific neurochemical abnormality

A research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday, June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia (PI), providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition's pathology.

9 Jun 2009

Research shows how cells tell time

In a new study appearing online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Liu and his co-workers have found that this mold, which uses a protein called FRQ as the main gear of its clock, marks time by a sequence of changes in the protein's chemical structure.

8 Jun 2009

Blue light goggles improve sleep quality in the elderly

Sleep disturbances increase as we age. Some studies report more than half of seniors 65 years of age or older suffer from chronic sleep disturbances. Researchers have long believed that the sleep disturbances common among the elderly often result from a disruption of the body's circadian rhythms - biological cycles that repeat approximately every 24 hours.

1 Jun 2009

New method a dream come true for sleep apnea patients

Researchers from the University of Sydney have found the first hard evidence that the special masks doctors prescribe to patients with sleep apnea - a disorder that can cause interrupted breathing leading to choking and even death while asleep - actually work.

4 May 2009

Rockefeller University Hospital opens new Sleep Research Center

A good night's sleep is good for your health, but the details have long been sketchy.

20 Apr 2009

Treating sleep disorders in people with traumatic brain injury may not eliminate symptoms

A study in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine is the first to assess the effectiveness of treating sleep disorders in adults with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

15 Apr 2009

Non-drug treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Long-term benefit not proven

Whether people with Alzheimer's disease benefit in the long term from non-drug treatment interventions remains an unanswered question.

15 Apr 2009

Simple method to monitor sleep and potentially diagnose sleep disorders

Sleep is such an essential part of human existence that we spend about a third of our lives doing it -- some more successfully than others.

15 Apr 2009

Obesity and overweight linked to greater risk of restless legs syndrome

A new study shows both obesity and a large belly appear to increase the risk of developing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a common sleep disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move your legs.

6 Apr 2009

Retired NFL linemen have high incidence of sleep apnea

Sleep disordered breathing, also known as sleep apnea, is highly prevalent among retired National Football League (NFL) players, and particularly in linemen, according to Mayo Clinic research.

29 Mar 2009

Add-on treatment may reduce treatment-associated weight gain caused by antipsychotic treatments

Antipsychotic drugs, such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal) and quetiapine (Seroquel), are commonly used to treat psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, but also bipolar disorder and even behavioral problems related to dementia.

29 Mar 2009

Drug being used to improve cognition affects dopamine, suggesting potential for abuse

Preliminary research in healthy men suggests that the narcolepsy drug modafinil, increasingly being used to enhance cognitive abilities, affects the activity of dopamine in the brain in a way that may create the potential for abuse and dependence, according to a study in the March 18 issue of JAMA.

17 Mar 2009