Insomnia News and Research

Latest Insomnia News and Research

New sleep lab to benefit shift-workers

Two specialist laboratories opening night at the University of Sydney will shed light on the impact of sleep and circadian disruption in medical disorders and shift-workers, and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance abuse and depression.

21 Aug 2008

New discovery may lead to new drugs to regulate sleep

A team of scientists from Oxford University in the UK have discovered the reason why people feel drowsier in dim lighting and more alert in bright white light.

19 Aug 2008

Epilepsy drug gabapentin may reduce insomnia in recovering alcoholics

It's a Catch-22 of the highest order. People with alcohol problems often use alcohol to get to sleep -- but it actually keeps them from getting good-quality sleep all night long.

4 Aug 2008

Sleep gene - search is on!

While scientists and physicians know what happens if you don't get six to eight hours of shut-eye a night, investigators have long been puzzled about what controls the actual need for sleep.

29 Jul 2008

Does sleep help us change or clarify our mind?

When we have to make a difficult decision, or work through an idea, it's often best to 'sleep on it' and come back to it fresh the next day. Swiss scientists have discovered that sleep can have lasting consequences on brain function by stimulating new brain connections that strengthen the learning processes and directly influence our actions.

14 Jul 2008

Good sleep patterns paramount to health in older men

It appears that disrupted rest and activity rhythms are associated with increased mortality rates among older men, according to new University of Minnesota research.

11 Jun 2008

St. John's wort not effective for treating ADHD

Children and teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were treated with the herb St. John's wort did not have any greater improvement in ADHD symptoms compared to those who received placebo, according to a study in the June 11 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

11 Jun 2008

Teens stressed and sleepless because of mobile phones

The latest research into the use of mobile phones suggests that they can cause sleep problems in teenagers.

10 Jun 2008

Mylan announces final FDA approval for Zaleplon capsules, generic version of Sonata

Mylan Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Genpharm ULC, has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Zaleplon Capsules, 5 mg and 10 mg.

9 Jun 2008

Nearly one in five teenagers admit eating problems, but anxiety is a bigger problem than appearance

Eighteen per cent of school children who took part in two health surveys carried out a year apart admitted they had eating problems, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

4 Jun 2008

Post-menopausal therapy to improve women's quality of life

A recent research work by the University of Granada advises post-menopausal women the use of Replacement Hormone Therapy (RHT) for at least five years.

29 May 2008

Gene mutations in mice mimic human-like sleep disorder

Mutations in two genes that control electrical excitability in a portion of the brain involved in sleep create a human-like insomnia disorder in mice, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found. The findings may help scientists better understand the disorder and provide an animal model for developing treatments.

20 May 2008

Alzheimer's disease risk differs between the sexes

The risks of developing Alzheimer's disease differ between the sexes, with stroke in men, and depression in women, critical factors, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

30 Apr 2008

Different processes govern sight, light detection

A Johns Hopkins University biologist, in research with implications for people suffering from seasonal affective disorder and insomnia, has determined that the eye uses light to reset the biological clock through a mechanism separate from the ability to see.

27 Apr 2008

Different processes govern sight, light detection - findings could point toward help for SAD, insomnia patients

23 Apr 2008

Links between sleep disorder, behavior issues in kids

A new study by researchers at Hasbro Children's Hospital offers a closer look at the association between childhood sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including snoring and sleep apnea, and behavioral problems like hyperactivity and anxiety.

10 Apr 2008

Over-the-counter sale of child cough medicine for young children to be banned

As from September this year the over-the-counter sale of cough medicines for children under the age of two years old will be banned in Australia.

9 Apr 2008

Aripiprazole has potential for treating alcohol dependence

Aripiprazole is currently approved to treat bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia. A new study has found that it significantly and dose-dependently increases the sedative effects of alcohol and, to a lesser degree, decreases the euphoric effects of alcohol. Future research will need to examine the beneficial versus the side effects of aripiprazole for treatment of alcohol dependence.

4 Apr 2008

Link found between insomnia and depression in young adults

A study published in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP confirms the persistent nature of insomnia and the increased risk of subsequent depression among individuals with insomnia.

2 Apr 2008

Allergies dramatically impact sufferers' moods and how they feel about themselves

A new Harris Interactive phone survey conducted among 1,000 allergy sufferers, 1,000 consumers (both allergy sufferers and non-sufferers) and 300 physicians shows that beyond the sneezing, sniffling and watery eyes, allergies also have deep and emotional impacts on a sufferer's mood and self-perceptions.

24 Mar 2008