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.

Research suggests that lack of sleep may be contributing to the obesity pandemic

The recent rise in obesity may be partly due to the reduced amount of time we spend asleep, according to new research from the University of Bristol, UK.

6 Dec 2004

Effective management of insomnia begins with recognition and adequate assessment

A seminar in this week’s issue of THE LANCET outlines the common but poorly understood condition of insomnia, concluding that awareness and assessment of insomnia by family doctors is a priority.

29 Nov 2004

Many patients with sleep apnea or insomnia also have attention deficit disorder

People who have difficulty sleeping at night or staying awake during the day may suffer from more than just a sleep disorder.

25 Oct 2004

Surgical remedies for snoring and sleep disorders

Like thousands of Americans, snoring keeps Dr. Kenny Pang awake at night. It’s not his own nocturnal nasal sounds, or those of his wife, that trouble Dr. Pang -- it’s the why behind the sounds.

13 Oct 2004

Children who have problems breathing during sleep tend to score lower on tests of mental development and intelligence

Children who have problems breathing during sleep tend to score lower on tests of mental development and intelligence than do other children their age, according to two studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Both studies appear in the October issue of Journal of Pediatrics.

7 Oct 2004

Pregnant women are at higher risk for restless legs syndrome

Pregnant women are at higher risk for the occurrence or worsening of restless legs syndrome (RLS), a movement disorder that affects up to 10 percent of the general population, according to a study reported in the September 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Sep 2004

Oral appliances effective in treating obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disorder characterized by repeated episodes of reductions or cessation in breathing during sleep. Millions of Americans, both men and women, have this medical problem

18 Sep 2004

Adenotonsillectomy resolves child sleep disorders

Within the last ten years, the primary reason that children have had surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids is not infection but obstructive sleep apnea.

18 Sep 2004

67 percent of older Americans report trouble sleeping

Sleep for people over 55 often involves waking up several times during the night, not being able to get back to sleep and waking up earlier than desired in the morning.

14 Sep 2004

Lack of sleep may cause behavioral, learning and attention problems

Nine-year-old Fernando Perry-Mendoza may no longer need medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder thanks to the results of a sleep study at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital’s new Pediatric Sleep Program.

1 Sep 2004

Doctors urge Government to 'wake up' to new sleep apnoea bill

“Heavy snoring and sleep apnoea used to be seen as a laughing matter – but this new bill underlines the fact that the condition is no joke.

26 Aug 2004

Newly discovered protein switch may be key to understanding sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression

University of California researchers have found that a newly discovered protein switch which they named neuropeptide S appears to work in the brain to enhance wakefulness and reduce anxiety in laboratory animals. According to Rainer Reinscheid and his colleagues, the protein could help in the understanding of sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression.

18 Aug 2004

Typical warning signs for sleep apnea

Twenty percent of Americans have trouble sleeping. Millions of them have a common condition called obstructive sleep apnea, a respiratory disorder marked by upper airway obstruction, which causes brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.

31 Jul 2004

We know they need caffeine, but how it works on the newborn is the subject of a new study

Every morning, millions of adults consume voluminous cups of coffee, seeking the jolting effect of caffeine. As these adults consume their coffee, they do so unaware that some of the youngest Americans are also getting a treatment of caffeine - not to stay awake, but to assist in treating a major sleep disorder found in some neonates.

21 Jul 2004

New resources to better understand sleep

To help parents and their children understand and fully appreciate the importance of sleep, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Science Education and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have developed a new supplemental curriculum for use in high school biology classes.

21 Jun 2004

People with extremely early or extremely late sleep times may suffer from Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder

You probably know "night owls," those people not ready to fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning. And, you may also know "larks," those early risers who wake before the sun comes up and are ready for bed right after dinner. People with extremely early or extremely late sleep times may suffer from Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder (CRSD).

11 Jun 2004

Brain cells containing the chemical histamine are critical for waking

A study by scientists with the Veterans Affairs' Neurobiology Research Laboratory and UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute shows that brain cells containing the chemical histamine are critical for waking.

27 May 2004

Basketball enthusiasts are on a losing streak when it comes to sleep

Basketball enthusiasts are on a losing streak when it comes to sleep. A new poll shows that more than half (55%) of NBA fans watching the playoffs reported going to sleep later than normal on nights when they watched a game; of these, nearly 92% reported going to sleep an hour or more later than usual.(1)

24 May 2004

Research into sleeping disorder drug may help multiple sclerosis patients

A University of Nottingham academic is leading a research project looking at whether a drug produced for a sleeping disorder could improve the quality of life for thousands of multiple sclerosis patients.

17 May 2004

NASA and Stanford to develop technologies for physiological monitoring of humans

NASA and Stanford University are launching an exciting new joint venture to develop technologies, instruments and systems to conduct physiological monitoring of humans in support of basic and applied space biology research.

15 May 2004