Sleep

Sleep is a physiological behavior that is common in all animal species. It forms around one third of a human life. It is not known clearly the exact functions of sleep but it seems to be essential for survival as prolonged sleep deprivation leads to severe physical impairment followed by cognitive loss and eventually death.

How Morning Routines Influence Cognitive Performance, Mood, and Circadian Rhythm

How simple, evidence-based morning habits recalibrate the circadian system to sharpen cognition, stabilize mood, and support long-term mental health.

Spoon Test for Sleep Deprivation

Brain Activity During Sleep

What is Sleep?

Does Your Alarm Sound Affect Your Mood?

How Long should my Child Sleep for?

Can too much sleep be dangerous?

The Health Risks of Oversleeping

Stimulants and Sleep

What is Sleep Regression?

Is Daytime Napping in Adults Good or Bad?

What is Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD)?

See more featured articles »

Sleep and Yoga

Effect of Sleep on Your Emotions

Sleep Onset Mechanics: Understanding the Transition from Wakefulness to Slumber

Difference Between Nightmares and Night Terrors

How Can Mindfulness Meditation Improve Sleep?

Sleep Deprivation - Inadequate Quantity of Sleep

Nutritional Effects on Sleep

The Importance of Having a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep and Hormones

What Does Polysomnography Involve?

How Can Sleep Affect Men's Health?

How Long Should My Teenager Sleep For?

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Importance of Sleep

Management of Sleep Deprivation

Why Do We Dream?

Regulation of Sleep

Types of Sleep Disorders

Function of Sleep

How to Catch up on Lost Sleep

Causes of Nocturnal Awakenings

Tips on Getting to Sleep

The DEC2 Gene and Sleep

What is the Role of Melatonin in Sleep Regulation?

Sleep Hygiene

History of Sleep

Why Do We Sleep?

A Guide to Managing Sleep Disorders

REM Sleep Activity

Ghrelin and Sleep

Health Effects of Poor Sleep - Quantity and Quality

How Much Sleep do People Need?

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) Management

Could Humans Ever Hibernate?

Shift Work Sleep Disorder

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

Causes of Sleep Deprivation

Neuroscience of Sleep

Role of Sleep in Memory Consolidation

How Does Pain Affect Your Sleep?

What is the Circadian Rhythm?

Hypnotics and Sleep

Stages of Sleep

How Does Sleep Affect Your Immunity?

A Guide to Healthy Sleep Positions

Promoting Sounder Sleep in Older Adults

Latest Sleep News and Research

The four-day week has plenty of fans. Now researchers are testing what it really changes

The Sussex 4-Day Week study is a 14-week UK protocol designed to investigate how reduced working hours affect physical and mental health, wellbeing, sleep, work performance, and potential biological and psychological mechanisms. Researchers aim to combine questionnaires with actigraphy, inflammatory biomarkers, interoception testing, and brain imaging in at least 150 adults, with data collection expected to continue until 2027.

3 Sep 2026

Too little or too much testosterone may matter for heart rhythm

A review of clinical trials, observational studies, genetic analyses, and mechanistic research suggests that atrial fibrillation risk may follow a U-shaped relationship with testosterone, increasing at both low and high levels. Evidence on testosterone replacement therapy remains mixed, with researchers calling for prospective studies to determine whether mid-physiological testosterone targets and treatment formulation influence AF risk.

2 Sep 2026

Bright light therapy boosts activity and sleep in older adults

Bright light therapy lamps can improve sleep, activity levels and circadian rhythms of older adults in urban areas who have diminished exposure to natural light, a new study from the University of Surrey reports.

2 Sep 2026

Daily steps may match aerobic training for asthma control

For people with moderate to severe asthma, increasing the number of daily steps may be as effective as structured aerobic training sessions for managing the disease.

2 Sep 2026

Shared biological pathways may explain chronic fatigue across diseases

A shared biological secret that helps explain chronic exhaustion in conditions including long Covid and PTSD has been discovered by researchers at the University of East Anglia and Oxford BioDynamics.

2 Sep 2026

Your weekend meal schedule may matter more than you think

In a prospective analysis of 104,806 adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort, greater differences in meal timing between weekdays and weekends were associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease in men over a median 8.1 years. The associations were strongest when weekend eating shifted earlier, while delayed weekend eating was linked specifically to coronary heart disease, with no association detected for cerebrovascular disease.

2 Sep 2026

Inconsistent health records limit care and research for menopausal women

More attention than ever is being paid today to midlife women's health, including the menopause transition.

2 Sep 2026

Seafood at breakfast stood out in a study of nearly 6,000 adults

Researchers analyzed dietary and sleep data from 5,975 Japanese adults to examine whether seafood, EPA, and DHA intake at different meal occasions was associated with chronotype and social jetlag. Higher intake at breakfast showed the strongest association with earlier sleep timing and less social jetlag, although the cross-sectional design cannot establish whether dietary timing influences sleep patterns or vice versa.

1 Sep 2026

Study identifies three distinct BMI trajectories among people with type 2 diabetes

A recent study by the University of Eastern Finland identified three distinct body mass index (BMI) trajectories among people with type 2 diabetes.

1 Sep 2026

Study links human gut bacteria to levels of key chemicals in the brain

The neuroactive potential of bacteria living in the human gut is associated with levels of key chemicals in the brain, according to a new study from the University of Surrey and the University of Roehampton.

1 Sep 2026

Early baby swimming linked to a small IQ advantage by preschool age

A prospective cohort study of 1,935 mother-child pairs examined whether baby swimming during the first 6 months of life was associated with IQ and cognitive performance at ages 4 to 6 years. Swimming participation was associated with modestly higher scores across several cognitive domains, but the researchers cautioned that the observational findings cannot establish causation and may partly reflect socioeconomic and family-level differences.

1 Sep 2026

Breastmilk from cannabis users showed differences, but cannabis may not be the whole story

A narrative review found that maternal cannabis use may be associated with differences in breastmilk fat, protein, lactose, and the immune factor secretory immunoglobulin A, but evidence comes primarily from only two human studies and remains limited and inconsistent. The authors stress that maternal diet, food security, socioeconomic circumstances, and other forms of adversity could confound these associations and should be incorporated into future research.

31 Aug 2026

Night owls face tougher work-life balance and higher mental risks

Balancing work and personal life is more challenging for evening types, or "night owls", than for morning types, or "early birds".

31 Aug 2026

A personalized elimination diet changed the gut microbiome in people with migraine

In a 12-week randomized, sham-controlled trial of 98 adults with migraine, eliminating IgG-positive foods altered gut microbial composition and produced a greater reduction in serum zonulin than a sham elimination diet. The microbial changes were associated with previously reported reductions in CGRP and IL-6 and improvements in migraine and sleep, although the authors emphasized that these mechanistic links remain exploratory.

31 Aug 2026

People with diabetes may have another reason to protect their cardiovascular health

Better cardiovascular health, measured using Life’s Essential 8, was associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment among people with diabetes after accounting for genetic susceptibility. Associations with dementia varied by genetic risk, while higher LE8 scores were also linked to greater gray matter volume and lower white matter hyperintensity volume.

30 Aug 2026

Updated consensus offers new roadmap for childhood bedwetting care

Nocturnal enuresis (NE) in school-age children is more than a nighttime inconvenience: when persistent, it can affect self-esteem, sleep, family life and social functioning.

28 Aug 2026

Digital technologies reshape clinical research and public health

JMIR Publications this week released seven feature News and Perspectives articles covering how digital tools are transforming clinical research, public health readiness, health care institutions, and consumer choices.

28 Aug 2026

Theta rhythms guide the brain’s memory selection during sleep

Why do we remember certain moments while forgetting others? Every day, our minds are bombarded with thousands of pieces of information, yet our brains have a limited capacity to consolidate these experiences into lasting memories.

27 Aug 2026

New stroke guideline mandates personalized and early rehabilitation

A stroke can change life in an instant, affecting everything from walking and speaking to memory, mood and the ability to perform everyday tasks.

27 Aug 2026

Can caffeine make you mentally sharper in the morning? This study tested the idea

In a controlled crossover study of 51 recreationally active young men with low habitual caffeine intake, researchers tested whether 300 mg of caffeine taken about an hour before morning testing affected cognition, mood, temperature, appetite, and related outcomes, with reactive agility assessed in 27 participants. Caffeine did not improve cognitive or reactive agility performance or meaningfully alter mood, tiredness, appetite, or thermoregulation under the study conditions.

27 Aug 2026