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.

REM Sleep Activity

Importance of Sleep

A Guide to Healthy Sleep Positions

Sleep and Hormones

What Does Polysomnography Involve?

Role of Sleep in Memory Consolidation

How Long Should My Teenager Sleep For?

What is Sleep Regression?

Is Daytime Napping in Adults Good or Bad?

How to Catch up on Lost Sleep

Health Effects of Poor Sleep - Quantity and Quality

See more featured articles »

Shift Work Sleep Disorder

Neuroscience of Sleep

Regulation of Sleep

How Can Mindfulness Meditation Improve Sleep?

How Much Sleep do People Need?

Could Humans Ever Hibernate?

Causes of Nocturnal Awakenings

Sleep Hygiene

Why Do We Dream?

What is Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD)?

Causes of Sleep Deprivation

History of Sleep

Why Do We Sleep?

How Can Sleep Affect Men's Health?

Sleep and Yoga

Types of Sleep Disorders

Can too much sleep be dangerous?

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

Hypnotics and Sleep

Tips on Getting to Sleep

Stages of Sleep

Ghrelin and Sleep

Function of Sleep

What is the Role of Melatonin in Sleep Regulation?

The DEC2 Gene and Sleep

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) Management

Management of Sleep Deprivation

The Health Risks of Oversleeping

How Does Pain Affect Your Sleep?

Sleep Deprivation - Inadequate Quantity of Sleep

How Long should my Child Sleep for?

Difference Between Nightmares and Night Terrors

Does Your Alarm Sound Affect Your Mood?

What is Sleep?

Brain Activity During Sleep

Spoon Test for Sleep Deprivation

Nutritional Effects on Sleep

Effect of Sleep on Your Emotions

A Guide to Managing Sleep Disorders

What is the Circadian Rhythm?

Stimulants and Sleep

The Importance of Having a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep Onset Mechanics: Understanding the Transition from Wakefulness to Slumber

How Does Sleep Affect Your Immunity?

Promoting Sounder Sleep in Older Adults

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Latest Sleep News and Research

Blurry line between medical and vision insurance leaves patient with unexpected bill

Barbara Tuszynski was concerned about her vision but confident in her insurance coverage when she went to an eye clinic last May.

30 Jan 2026

Biomarker discovery may pave the way for early diagnosis of Parkinson's

A team led by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has succeeded in identifying biomarkers for Parkinson's disease in its earliest stages, before extensive brain damage has occurred.

29 Jan 2026

Her son’s injury never got its day in vaccine court. Their lawyer is now advising RFK on its overhaul.

In 2019, after a routine vaccination, 11-year-old Keithron Thomas felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and down his arm. His mother, Melanie Bostic, thought it would go away after a few days. But days turned to weeks, then months, and years.

29 Jan 2026

Wake-promoting drug improves alertness in early morning shift workers

Many more people work very early morning shifts than overnight ones, and a large proportion struggle with excessive sleepiness from shift work disorder, leading to problems with focus, performance and safety.

29 Jan 2026

Eating melatonin-rich foods is linked to lower obesity and depression rates

This cross-sectional analysis of 8,320 Brazilian adults quantified melatonin intake from habitual diets and examined associations with multiple chronic health outcomes. Higher dietary melatonin intake was inversely associated with obesity and depression in a non-linear pattern, with no significant associations observed for other conditions.

28 Jan 2026

Newly discovered compound can advance the body's internal clock

A Japanese research team has discovered a new compound that can advance the body's internal clock—offering hope for faster recovery from jet lag and better adaptation to night-shift work.

28 Jan 2026

Exploring the link between devices and adolescent sleep

New research in Brain & Behavior found a link between screen time and adolescents' sleep quality and beliefs about healthy lifestyles.

28 Jan 2026

'Evening people' more likely to have poor cardiovascular health

Middle-aged and older adults who were more active in the evenings had poorer cardiovascular health compared to their peers who were more active during the day.

28 Jan 2026

Study isolates mania-specific genetic architecture in bipolar disorder

Researchers at King's College London and the University of Florence have, for the first time, identified the specific genetic blueprint of mania, the defining feature of bipolar disorder.

27 Jan 2026

Sleeping without pillows may help reduce nighttime eye pressure in glaucoma

Sleeping without pillows may help lower high internal eye pressure, build-up of which causes optic nerve damage and glaucoma-the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide–in people with the condition, suggests preliminary research, published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

27 Jan 2026

How modern lifestyles reprogram the gut microbiome and shape disease risk

Modern lifestyle factors such as circadian disruption, sleep deprivation, stress, and exercise reshape the gut bacteriome and its metabolic outputs. These microbiome changes are linked to immune, metabolic, and cancer-related pathways, largely through evidence from animal models and observational human studies.

27 Jan 2026

Menopause associated with reduced brain volume and increased anxiety symptoms

Menopause is linked to reductions in grey matter volume in key brain regions as well as increased levels of anxiety and depression and difficulties with sleep, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

27 Jan 2026

Midlife insulin levels influence timing and duration of menopausal vasomotor symptoms

A woman's insulin levels in midlife are linked to the timing and duration of menopausal hot flashes, night sweats and cold sweats, according to new research from the University of Victoria (UVic).

27 Jan 2026

New role for GLP-1 drugs: Improving survival in people with severe psychiatric disorders

This editorial argues that GLP-1 receptor agonists could substantially improve healthspan and reduce premature mortality in people with serious mental illnesses by targeting cardiometabolic risk rather than psychiatric symptoms alone. It highlights emerging evidence, safety considerations, and equity challenges that position GLP-1 RAs as a promising public health strategy for this high-risk population.

25 Jan 2026

Camera-based technology measures cardiopulmonary coupling without physical sensors

From a physiological perspective, heartbeats and breathing do not operate independently in the human body. Cardiac rhythm varies with the respiratory cycle, and the close interaction between the two is known as cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC).

23 Jan 2026

Nearly half of adults now live with heart disease as obesity and diabetes surge

The 2026 American Heart Association Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics report shows that nearly half of adults are living with cardiovascular disease, with cardiometabolic risk factors projected to rise substantially by 2050. Despite progress in smoking reduction and cholesterol control, worsening obesity, diabetes, hypertension, sleep health, and persistent inequities threaten future cardiovascular health.

22 Jan 2026

Menopausal hormone therapy linked to greater weight loss with tirzepatide

A new study led by Mayo Clinic found that postmenopausal women receiving menopausal hormone therapy lost 35% more weight while taking tirzepatide, a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of overweight and obesity.

22 Jan 2026

Short naps refresh the brain for better learning

Even a short afternoon nap can help the brain recover and improve its ability to learn. In a study published on January 22, 2026, in the journal NeuroImage, researchers at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and University of Geneva, show that even a nap is enough to reorganize connections between nerve cells so that new information can be stored more effectively.

22 Jan 2026

Lifelong health: The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 enters a new era of aging research

One of the world’s most extensive birth cohorts is now entering later adulthood. At the University of Oulu in Finland, the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) is launching a major new follow-up combining decades of biological, social, and environmental data with modern digital health tools to examine how lifelong exposures and the genome shape health and aging.

22 Jan 2026

ŌURA and NUS launch joint lab to advance personalized preventive health

ŌURA, maker of the most scientifically validated smart ring, Oura Ring, and the Centre for Sleep and Cognition (CSC) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), today announced the opening of the Oura–NUS Joint Lab, a new research entity dedicated to advancing personalized preventive health.

21 Jan 2026