Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

New study explains why one identical twin more at risk for autoimmune diseases

It does not matter if you raise them the same, feed them the same, or dress them the same, any parent with identical twins knows their two children are remarkably different. Identical twins are identical in genes, but they are not identical in gene expressions, a difference due to epigenetics.

12 Dec 2017

An overlooked epidemic: Older Americans taking too many unneeded drugs

Consider it America’s other prescription drug epidemic. For decades, experts have warned that older Americans are taking too many unnecessary drugs, often prescribed by multiple doctors, for dubious or unknown reasons.

12 Dec 2017

Mayo Clinic researchers find emojis to be helpful in assessing patients' quality of life

In findings presented to the American Society of Hematology, Mayo Clinic researchers found that using emojis instead of traditional emotional scales were helpful in assessing patients' physical, emotional and overall quality of life.

11 Dec 2017

SLU scientists provide promising approach in designing new drugs for DMD

In a paper published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, Saint Louis University researchers report that a new drug reduces fibrosis (scarring) and prevents loss of muscle function in an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), providing a promising approach in designing new medications for those suffering from DMD.

8 Dec 2017

Prenatal and early-life consumption of sugary drinks may increase risk of mid-childhood asthma

Children between the ages of 7 and 9 may be at greater risk for developing asthma if they consumed high amounts of fructose in early childhood or their mothers drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages while pregnant, according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

8 Dec 2017

Using digital devices before bed may contribute to sleep and nutrition problems in children

It may be tempting to let your kids stay up late playing games on their smartphones, but using digital devices before bed may contribute to sleep and nutrition problems in children, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

8 Dec 2017

Researchers test orange light treatment at emergency psychiatric care

Can orange light therapy help people who have serious mental disorders? Who hear voices and see things that aren't there? Or who are thinking about committing suicide?

7 Dec 2017

People who go to sleep late have wider social networks than morning persons

Using anonymous mobile phone data, Aalto University doctoral researcher Talayeh Aledavood has tapped into patterns in people's behavior. She has found out that our 'chronotypes' - our inherent periods of sleep during a 24-hour-period - correlate with the size of our social networks and how much we are in contact with others and also the kind of chronotypes with whom we interact.

7 Dec 2017

Study reveals connection between restless sleep and Parkinson's disease

A study published in the neurological journal, The Lancet Neurology, has identified that patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have a dopamine deficiency in the brain and suffer from a form of brain inflammation. They are subjected to increased risks of developing dementia or Parkinson's disease as they grow older.

7 Dec 2017

Duration and quality of sleep improves for retired people, research finds

When people retire from work life, they sleep approximately 20 minutes longer than before retirement. The quality of sleep also improves, as retired people experience less early morning awakenings or nonrestorative sleep, unlike in their last working years.

7 Dec 2017

Hot flashes may increase risk of developing diabetes, study suggests

Hot flashes, undoubtedly the most common symptom of menopause, are not just uncomfortable and inconvenient, but numerous studies demonstrate they may increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease.

6 Dec 2017

Hospitals find asthma hot spots more profitable to neglect than fix

Keyonta Parnell has had asthma most of his young life, but it wasn't until his family moved to the 140-year-old house here on Lemmon Street two years ago that he became one of the health care system's frequent customers.

6 Dec 2017

Patients with RBD sleep disorder have risk of developing Parkinson's disease in future

Researchers from Aarhus University have discovered that patients with the RBD sleep behavior disorder lack dopamine and have a form of inflammation of the brain. This means that they are at risk of developing Parkinson's disease or dementia when they grow older.

5 Dec 2017

Lithium chloride prevents neurological damage tied to fetal alcohol syndrome, mice study shows

A single dose of lithium chloride, a drug used to treat bipolar disease and aggression, blocks the sleep disturbances, memory loss, and learning problems tied to fetal alcohol syndrome, new experiments in mice show.

5 Dec 2017

Artificial intelligence and modern musical lullabies can help people sleep better

Over half (54 percent) of us struggle to get to sleep at night and 10 percent of us experience insomnia according to AXA PPP healthcare’s third annual State of the Nation online survey with YouGov.

5 Dec 2017

Penn Medicine's first-of-its-kind app aims to enhance care for bariatric surgery patients

For many patients on the road to bariatric surgery, the process may seem daunting: track steps and exercise, record caloric and water intake, monitor sleep time, alter diet, etc. Pair this daily lifestyle management with clinic appointments, evaluations, and the stress that often comes with any kind of surgery, and patients may become too overwhelmed to move forward with their goals.

4 Dec 2017