A new study published in the January 2010 issue of SLEEP looking at the effect of bedtimes set by parents on mood in 15,659 7-12th graders found that the later a child's bedtime was set, the more likely the child was to have symptoms of depression and/or suicidal thoughts.  Read More

Snoring, choking, gasping, and pauses in breathing while sleeping: all signs of obstructive sleep apnea, a common disorder thought to affect up to 1 in 5 adults (and 3% of children). Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat collapses inward during sleep, resulting in blockage of air flow to the lungs. It often results in people waking up not feeling refreshed despite having gotten a full night's sleep, and to suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. It also causes a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, and negatively affects development, behavior and school performance in kids.

Now, a new study has demonstrated that obstructive sleep apnea has a significant effect on memory as well.

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While it is still unclear what health care reform will look like in this country, or whether the attempts to bring it about will even succeed, I can only hope that it will include provisions to help facilitate enrollment in stem cell and bone marrow registries, which save the lives of children and adults with cancer and other lethal diseases who lack a matching donor. Read More

New parents are often told: sleeping babies, like dogs, should be left in peace. Not all advice, it turns out, is worth following... Read More