Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Getting active in midlife may boost brain resilience to Alzheimer’s

In cognitively healthy middle-aged adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, becoming physically active, especially in line with WHO guidelines, was linked to lower brain amyloid burden. Remaining sedentary was associated with reduced cortical thickness in brain regions vulnerable to AD.

1 May 2025

New wearable health sensor aims to transform dementia care and prevent stillbirths

University of Surrey spin-out Z-PULSE Ltd has secured funding to fast-track the commercialization of its self-powered wearable health sensors, which aims to transform dementia care and could potentially prevent thousands of stillbirths each year.

1 May 2025

Caffeine increases brain complexity during sleep and shifts it toward a critical state

Caffeine shifts brain activity during sleep by increasing EEG complexity and reducing long-range temporal correlations, particularly in non-REM (NREM) sleep. These changes reflect a movement toward a “critical regime” of neural processing, more pronounced in younger adults.

1 May 2025

Brensocatib once-daily pill shows benefits for chronic lung disease

Results of a large, global clinical trial spanning five continents with over 1,700 patients with bronchiectasis, published this April in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated benefits of an investigational, once-a-day pill called brensocatib as a therapy for the chronic lung condition.

30 Apr 2025

Exercise helps mitigate cancer treatment side effects

Exercise can counter the detrimental effects of cancer treatment, such as heart and nerve damage and brain fog, suggests an overarching review of the existing pooled data analyses of the most recent research, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

29 Apr 2025

Better sleep, BMI, and glucose control lower female infertility odds

A new study using NHANES data found that higher Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) scores, reflecting better cardiovascular and mental health, were linked to lower odds of female infertility. However, adding depression to the LE8 framework did not significantly improve its predictive value.

29 Apr 2025

Disrupted body clocks raise risk of early death, study finds

A large cohort study from China and the U.S. shows that Circadian Syndrome (CircS)—a cluster of metabolic and behavioral disruptions—is linked to higher all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The risk increases with the number of CircS components, especially among adults aged 40–60.

29 Apr 2025

Synthetic tau protein reveals key insights into protein misfolding and fibril formation

Scientists at Northwestern University and University of California, Santa Barbara have created the first synthetic fragment of tau protein that acts like a prion.

29 Apr 2025

Obesity changes how the gut responds to plant compounds, researchers report

Researchers found that the impact of polyphenols rutin and genistein on the human fecal metabolome varies significantly by body mass index (BMI). Lower BMI individuals showed more diverse metabolic responses, revealing how gut health and obesity could shape polyphenol metabolism.

28 Apr 2025

Researchers discover dual role of sleep in memory formation

Memory formation, storage, and retrieval are fundamental processes that define who we are and how we interact with the world.

28 Apr 2025

Why your heart works harder at night after a few drinks, according to new research

Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich found that moderate alcohol consumption transiently raises nocturnal resting heart rate without altering objective sleep stages. However, it worsens subjective sleep quality, highlighting subtle cardiovascular stress even at low alcohol doses.

28 Apr 2025

MASLD in children linked to increased mortality and chronic complications

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that children diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are at significantly increased risk of premature death and serious long-term health complications.

28 Apr 2025

Think only obese people get sleep apnea? Think again, says largest study yet

Researchers assess the prevalence of obesity and obstructive sleep apnea while also considering the role of age and sex in this relationship.

28 Apr 2025

Ultra-processed foods make up nearly half of US grocery purchases, raising public health concerns

A 2025 study of nearly 60,000 US households found that almost half of grocery purchases were ultra-processed foods (UPFs), with major disparities based on income, education, and race. Non-Hispanic white households led in UPF purchases, especially in beverages, reversing earlier trends.

28 Apr 2025

Want better FIFO relationships? Prioritize communication, researchers advise

Researchers from Central Queensland University found that fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers experience lower relationship satisfaction when away on shift, primarily due to reduced communication with their partners. Ensuring consistent communication mitigates these negative effects.

27 Apr 2025

Study finds early signs of dry eye in most young adults

Researchers at Aston University have called for more advice to be given to young people about preventing dry eye disease, after a study carried out in conjunction with Oslo University Hospital and Sørlandet Hospital Trust in Norway found that 90% of participants had at least one sign of the condition in their eyes.

25 Apr 2025

Exploring the science behind blank minds and conscious gaps

Mind blanking is a common experience with a wide variety of definitions ranging from feeling "drowsy" to "a complete absence of conscious awareness."

24 Apr 2025

Urgent action needed to protect children from extreme heat in schools and child care settings

As Canadians face increasingly intense and frequent heat waves, health, education and legal experts are sounding the alarm on a growing crisis: extreme heat in schools and child care settings due to the escalating effects of climate change.

24 Apr 2025

Researchers uncover link between heart attack severity and circadian rhythm

The molecular mechanism behind why heart attacks can vary in severity depending on the time of day has been uncovered by researchers at UTHealth Houston, potentially paving the way for innovative treatments that align with the natural circadian rhythm.

23 Apr 2025

Move more, think sharper: How physical activity boosts brain health in aging

A brisk walk, a splash of water aerobics, or even a light jog around the block – if your heart rate goes up then so too will your brain health according to new research from the University of South Australia.

23 Apr 2025