Sleep Newzzz

Information from "The Sleep Doctor" for better sleep and better health.

by Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.

How Sleep-Friendly Is Your Bedroom?

There’s no room in our homes that we spend more time in than the bedroom. You can say I’m biased, but I think it’s the most important room in the house. The National Sleep Foundation has just released the results of its first-ever “Bedroom Poll,” which is full of information about how aspects of our bedrooms affect sleep life. Read More

Pilot Trouble in the Skies

This story of a veteran Jet Blue pilot’s breakdown during a cross-country flight made headlines recently. Now we’re learning more about the details of what happened during the flight, and about the investigation into this frightening and disturbing episode. Read More

Sleep Disordered Breathing: Not Just a Grown-Up Problem

Despite the old adage, “sleeping like a baby,” we know that children are at risk for many of the same sleep disorders as adults. Sleep-disordered breathing is a problem among children—even very young children. Read More

Sleepless in the City

Real Age has just published its ranking of the best and worst cities for sleep in the U.S., part of its 2012 Oldest and Youngest Cities report. There's good news for residents of cities like Charlotte, NC, Philadelphia, and Austin Texas—you are among the urban dwellers getting the most consistently good sleep. Now, let's take a closer look at that "worst" list. Read More

Sleepless on Wall Street

Wall Street jobs are coveted and highly competitive: they're also notoriously demanding. It's not a stretch to imagine the long hours, intense pressure and grueling pace of Wall Street work could take its toll on sleep and overall health. Read More

Air Traffic Controllers Still Asleep on the Job

Video images of air traffic controllers slumped over and sleeping at their stations is truly frightening. But the issue of sleep deprivation among air traffic controllers is a very real one, and means that some instances of falling asleep—however dangerous and wrong—is not entirely the controllers' fault, or even within their control. Read More

How Much Sleep for Teens?

It's a mantra from physicians, sleep experts and other health professionals we've come to expect: teenagers are short on sleep. Read More

Silent Stroke and Sleep Apnea

Here is yet another health risk associated with sleep apnea: stroke. Read More

Spring Forward—Are you Ready?

I write regularly about the state of sleep deprivation in today's society. This sleep deprived situation isn't going to be helped by the start of daylight savings time this Sunday, on March 11th. Read More

Sleep Apnea and the War on Snoring

The war against snoring has lately gotten very public. A major hotel chain is marketing "snore absorption rooms" in some of its locations in Europe and the Middle East. Meanwhile, there's talk of the snoratorium, a soundproof bedroom designed for the snorer-in-residence to sleep in luxury and comfort. Read More

Aging, Eyes and Our Circadian Clock: What's the Connection?

It's not every day that a news story about circadian rhythms shoots to the top of the "most read" list in a major newspaper. But that's exactly what happened with this story about how the aging of our eyes may affect our circadian clocks and in turn, our overall health. Read More

Sleep Vacations, Away and at Home

Is sleep tourism the next big thing? Around the world, hotels, spas and even nightclubs are designing getaways that cater to a sleep-deprived clientele. Here are a few of the most indulgent sleep getaways from around the world, according to the UK's Guardian newspaper: Read More

Men and Women: Different When It Comes to Sleep

Gender differences in sleep are a fascinating and important area of study. We all know that men and women have different sleep tendencies—think of all those early bird/night owl partnerships out there—but we're now beginning to understand more about why gender matters when it comes to sleep. Read More

Melatonin and Diabetes

We've seen a great deal of research that indicates a strong link between sleep disorders and Type 2 diabetes. Now there's evidence that this link may be genetic. A new study reveals scientists have found a relationship between a gene associated with the "sleep hormone" melatonin, and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Read More

The Serious Risks of Low Sleep in Teens

A large-scale survey on teens and sleep has made a big splash in the news recently with its results: most teens are not getting enough sleep, and their lack of sufficient sleep is being associated with a whole series of risky, unhealthy behaviors, from smoking and drinking to sexual activity and over-eating. Read More

Can Sleep Help Heal Painful Memories?

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley examined the relationship between sleep abnormalities and the brain areas related to emotions. They discovered that REM sleep processes emotional experiences, so that these experiences feel less painful, difficult, and emotionally charged after sleep. Read More

The Sleep-Heart Connection

Here's some serious and important news about sleep and heart health: there's yet more evidence of a link between sleeplessness and heart disease. The results of a large-scale study show that people who suffer from insomnia are at higher risk for heart attacks. Read More

Safer Sleep for Babies: New Guidelines

Moms and Dads, here's some important news: there are new guidelines you should know about that can help your baby sleep more safely. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new recommendations for sleep safety and protection against SIDS. SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome, has yet to be fully explained. Read More

Not Just For Men: Sleep Apnea and Sex Problems

I was pleased to read this recent blog post, which addresses the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sexual function in both men and women. In general, we don't talk nearly enough about the detrimental effects of sleeplessness and sleep disorders on sexual relationships. Read More

Sleepless and in Pain: A Link Between Fibromyalgia and Sleep

There's some important news for millions of people-most of them women-who suffer from the syndrome fibromyalgia: a new study suggests that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia. Read More

Testosterone, Sleep and Sexual Health

When it comes to sleep, testosterone may be the somewhat forgotten hormone. We know a great deal about the importance of testosterone as the male sex hormone, its role in the body and the effects of testosterone deficits, particularly for men. But there's been relatively little attention paid to the effects of testosterone on sleep, for both men and women. Read More

Stressed and sleepless in the UK

According to a couple of news reports from Britain, the ongoing financial crises-and the stress they cause to everyone from bank executives to everyday investors-are taking a toll on health, well being, and sleep. Read More

Battling Cancer, and Not Sleeping Enough

We're making so many great gains in the fight against cancer. More people than ever are living long, full, active lives after a cancer diagnosis, through treatment and beyond. One thing that's not happening for people with cancer? They are not getting enough sleep. For people coping with cancer, sleep problems are an all-too-common complication that doesn't get enough attention. Read More

Alcohol: Not a Friend to Sleep

One of the most basic and important topics I write about, and emphasize to my patients, is the idea of sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene means a routine of healthy, sleep-promoting habits that prepare and enable you to consistently receive a sound, full and restful night of sleep. Read More

Many Pediatricians Overlook Sleep

It's not just adults whose sleep problems often go undiagnosed: children also are at risk for undiagnosed sleep problems. A recent study points to a partial explanation for this: very few pediatricians are trained in sleep issues, and many do not feel confident in making diagnoses related to sleep. Read More

Valerian: A Help for Post-Menopausal Insomnia?

Here's some potentially good news for the millions of women who are coping with insomnia as a consequence of menopause: a recent study indicates that the herbal supplement valerian is an effective treatment for women with post-menopausal insomnia. Read More

Is the Circadian Rhythm Less Effective with Age?

We all know that sleep often becomes more difficult as we age. Some of us who've accumulated a certain number of birthday cards know this first hand! Read More

Kids Asleep, But Still Texting

Well here’s a decidedly 21st century sleep issue. Apparently there’s a rising phenomenon among teens: sleep texting. That’s right, teens are reaching for their phones during the night, firing off messages, and waking with no recollection of their actions. Read More

Co-sleeping Neither Helps Nor Hurts Child Development

This probably won’t put differing opinions to rest on the issue of the “family bed,” but it is good news for parents who choose to co-sleep with their children: The results of a new study indicate that bed-sharing does not negatively affect cognitive or behavioral development in young children. Read More

Kava Continues to Be a Mystery

Among “herbal” remedies for sleep, perhaps none has raised more questions over recent years than kava. Concerns about its safety have prompted extensive scientific study—and according to a recent large-scale review, we still don’t have answers to some basic questions about the risks associated with kava use. Read More