Sleep

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Eating Your Way to a Good Night’s Sleep

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on February 8, 2010 in Sleep Newzzz

The new year typically brings a fresh batch of health tips and ideas for living better from all directions in the media. Read More
The Unconscious Doer

By Ezequiel Morsella on February 5, 2010 in Consciousness and the Brain

One is surprised when first learning that most of the sophisticated and intelligent processes in the brain are unconscious. In action production, the heavy lifting is done by unconscious processes. Read More
More on Lack of Sleep and Weight Gain.

By Dennis Rosen, M.D. on January 31, 2010 in Sleeping Angels

More and more evidence is surfacing connecting weight gain with not sleeping enough. Read More
Is a Narcissist Keeping You Awake?

By Dr. Mark Goulston on January 24, 2010 in Just Listen

Also seen at the Huffington Post . Read More
Are We Really Getting Less Sleep than We Did in 1975?

By John Cline, Ph.D. on January 18, 2010 in Sleepless in America

We frequently hear that life has become more complex, stressful and time pressured over the past few decades. It is typically assumed that this has led to people getting less sleep than in the past. This is a concern because short sleep durations have been linked to major health issues such as obesity and hypertension. Read More
"Don't go to bed angry" - "Oh really?"

By Dr. Mark Goulston on January 9, 2010 in Just Listen

Nice advice if you can follow it.

Over many years as a couples therapist I have observed that when a couple is angry at each other, one partner often deals with it by avoidance and falls dead asleep while the other can't fall asleep and glares at their partner sometimes feeling the urge to smack 'em. Read More
What Do Snoring Kids and Urine Have in Common?

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on January 8, 2010 in Sleep Newzzz

Answer: a clue to whether or not your child's snoring is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea or not. Read More
Do later bedtimes increase risk of teenage depression, suicidal thought?

By Dennis Rosen, M.D. on January 5, 2010 in Sleeping Angels

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
Dealing with Shift Work

By John Cline, Ph.D. on January 4, 2010 in Sleepless in America

I have always thought it ironic that the sleep medicine field recognizes the challenge of getting good sleep and functioning well, because a grueling schedule involving working over-night is inherent in the work of sleep medicine. Much of the important work in the sleep field is done on third shift! Read More
New Year’s Resolutions? Not this Time.

By Adia Colar on December 31, 2009 in New Chapter

I believe the reason I've always rebelled against New Year's resolutions is because I wasn't totally dedicated to them. They always felt somewhat compulsory. I had good intentions when I created them, but good intentions didn't equal commitment. I can't recall ever having a resolution that I established at the beginning of the year that was crucial enough for me to follow it for a whole year. Yet, I'd find myself creating the same resolutions again and again. Read More
Why so long to respond?

By Simon Y. Feuerman, Psy.D., L.C.S.W. on December 30, 2009 in My Mother, My Father, My Money

Today's NY Daily News calls out the President with regard to the attempted Christmas Day attack on a Northwest Airlines jet in Detroit. Read More
Heft During the Holidays: A Weighty Issue

By Jennifer Baumgartner, Psy.D. on December 23, 2009 in The Psychology of Dress

As Christmas winds down, and we are on the precipice of a New Year, we are reminded of our holiday mistakes...and extra slice of cheesecake, a mug of eggnog, a heaping helping of mashed potatoes. Losing weight and getting into shape in the most popular of the New Year's resolutions and often the most difficult to maintain. Read More
The Gift of Sleep, Part II: Give Yourself a Good Night’s Rest.

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on December 23, 2009 in Sleep Newzzz

In Part I, I talked a little bit about holiday gifts you could give to help others get a better night's sleep. But in your hurry to scratch those names off your list, don't forget about the person that should at the top of your list (but usually isn't) - YOU. Read More
Don't ignore that snore!

By Dennis Rosen, M.D. on December 23, 2009 in Sleeping Angels

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.
Read More
The Perfect Holiday Gift: Give the Gift of Sleep, Part I

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on December 22, 2009 in Sleep Newzzz

‘Tis the season for gift-giving and spreading holiday cheer. But how many times have you -
1) received a gift you just don't need, or
2) given a gift that's destined to never be used or appreciated? Read More
Do Your Adolescent Children Keep Odd Sleep Hours?

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on December 22, 2009 in Sleep Newzzz

Puberty brings a ton of changes to a young person's life, but now we have evidence that the changes children experience in their sleep between the ages of 11 and 12 can happen sooner than the usual physical changes in adolescence. Read More
Sounds Can Change—and Boost—Your Memories

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on December 21, 2009 in Sleep Newzzz

Now this is pretty cool. New research just came out showing that we can hear sounds during deep sleep, and that those sounds can influence how we consolidate our memories. Read More
A Good Safe Sleep for Your Baby

By Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D. on December 17, 2009 in Birth, Babies, and Beyond

When you are putting your baby to sleep, choose safety over comfort. Read More
The Lark vs. The Owl: Don’t Mess with Mother Nature

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on December 16, 2009 in Sleep Newzzz

Most of us know whether we're a lark who likes to beat the sunrise, or an owl who prefers to work by moonlight. Larks function best in the morning and tire through the day, whereas owls feel sharper as the day goes on and reach their optimum level at around 9 o'clock at night. Read More
Not Guilty by Reason of Sleep

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on December 14, 2009 in Sleep Newzzz

Let's be thankful that the sleep disorder suffered by a British man who unwittingly killed his wife in his sleep is extremely rare. Read More

Sleep Blogs

Insomniac
How to become sleep savvy.
By Gayle Greene PhD
Sleep Newzzz
Information from "The Sleep Doctor" for better sleep and better health.
By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.
Sleeping Angels
How children's sleep affects their health and well being.
By Dennis Rosen, M.D.
Sleepless in America
Healthy rest, problem sleep, and the dreams and nightmares therein.
By John Cline

Sleep Basics

For many of us, sleep is the sweet balm that soothes and restores us after a long day of work and play. But for those for whom sleep is elusive or otherwise troubled, the issue is far more fraught. Most people, at some point in their lives, experience difficulty falling asleep.

Go to the Sleep Basics page for more on Sleep including:

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Heartbreak and Home Runs: The Power of First Experiences

How early life experiences shape our character.