Sleep is the new skinny — with a booming industry to help us get rest
JULY 6, 2017 | THE PULSE | BY ANDREW STELZER | NewsWorks.org Zach Goldberg has had major trouble sleeping for much of the past decade. White noise, black-out shades, avoiding screens before bedtime — none of those adjustments were enough for Goldberg. “In high school and in college, I would spend maybe three or four nights a month just awake until like five, six [in the morning],” says Goldberg. Then he discovered the magic secret, for him: Harry Potter audiobooks. As he gets ready for bed, Goldberg presses play on an iPod especially dedicated for this purpose — and the …
The Scary Way Snoring Can Tank Your Brain
Similar risks apply if you wake up feeling zonked, too BY CHRISTA SGOBBA | July 24, 2017 | MensHealth.com Snoring at night doesn’t just drive your partner crazy—it might signal a serious problem for your brain. People with sleep-breathing disorders tend to have poorer memory and trouble paying attention, new research in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society suggests. In the study, researchers tested 1,700 older adults with at-home polysomnopgraphy, a tool that measures oxygen level and other sleep factors during shuteye, and surveyed them on their sleep habits. Then, the participants took some tests to measure their cognitive …
You’re Not Yourself When You’re Sleepy
July 17, 2017 | by Greg Richter | PennMedicine.org More than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep, and growing evidence suggests it’s not only taking a toll on their physical health through heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and/or other conditions, but hurting their mental health as well. According to a recent study led by Postdoctoral Fellow Ivan Vargas, PhD, in the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, those who are sleep deprived lose some of their ability to be positive-minded people. That may not sound serious, but medical experts say an inability to think positively is a serious symptom of …
The Deadly Combination of Heart Disease and Sleep Apnea
Published on July 24, 2017 | By Mayoor Patel, DDS, MS | SleepReviewMag.com Are you aware of the connection between sleep apnea and heart disease? While snoring can become a nuisance, when a snorer repeatedly stops breathing for brief periods of time, it can lead to cardiovascular problems. Ultimately, sleep apnea can be potentially life-threatening. And if you pair that with smoking, it’s a triple threat to patients’ health. What is the Connection? The connection between sleep apnea and heart disease continues to evolve rapidly. With more and more research advancing this area, we need to remain up to date …
REM vs. Non-REM Sleep: The Stages of Sleep
By Cari Nierenberg, Live Science Contributor | July 19, 2017 11:19pm ET | LiveScience.com Scientists once thought that sleep was a passive state, a time when a person’s brain and body shut down for the night to rest and recover. But now, researchers know that sleep is a highly active time, a period during which the brain and some physiological processes may be hard at work. For example, some hormones involved in growth in children, cell repair or digestion are boosted during sleep. Brain pathways involved in learning and memory also increase, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). …
Sacrificing sleep? Here’s what it will do to your health
by Sandee LaMotte, CNN | Updated 6:32 AM ET, Fri August 18, 2017 This feature is part of CNN Parallels, an interactive series exploring ways you can improve your health by making small changes to your daily habits. (CNN) – We are one groggy, cranky, sleep-deprived population. Depending on our age, we are supposed to get between seven and 10 hours of sleep each night. But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of us get fewer than seven hours of sleep per night. In addition, 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep …
Sleep Apnea and Increased Diabetes Risk
Published on July 19, 2017 | By Mayoor Patel, DDS, MS | SleepReviewMage.com Patients who are experiencing out-of-control blood sugar levels need to schedule a visit with their primary care physician. When the patient visits their doctor, what’s interesting is they might be asked about how well they are sleeping. This is because sleep is closely linked to diabetes. When blood sugar levels are really high, the kidneys are attempting to get rid of it by urinating. And when this occurs, patients might be getting up and going to the bathroom all night long. Diabetes and sleep complications go hand-in-hand. …
CAN YOU FIRE SOMEONE FOR SLEEPING ON THE JOB?
Priyansha Mistry | July 18, 2017 | Featured, Leadership, Strategy | TheHRDigest.com A few years ago, our front desk representative let a 20-something interviewee into the meeting room and advised her that the hiring manager would be there in just a minute. The hiring manager walked in not even five minutes later only to find her asleep with her head on the desk. The interviewee woke up an hour later and apologized for missing the interview. She was allowed another interview, in which she managed to stay wide-awake, and we actually ended up hiring her. Three months later, she resigned …
Disturbed sleep may predict suicide risk
Bernert RA, et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017 | July 12, 2017 | Healio.com Objective measures of disturbed sleep predicted risk for suicidal ideation, regardless of depressive symptoms, according to recent findings. “Suicide is the tragic outcome of psychiatric illness interacting with multiple biological, psychological and social risk factors,” Rebecca A. Bernert, PhD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a press release. “Sleep disturbances stand apart from other risk factors because they are visible as a warning sign, yet nonstigmatizing and highly treatable. This is why we believe they may represent an important treatment target in suicide prevention.” …
5 BEDROOM TWEAKS TO HELP YOU SLEEP THROUGH THE HOTTEST SUMMER NIGHTS
GOOD ADVICE | ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV, JULY 13, 2017 | WellAndGood.com When the mercury rises, a truly great night’s sleep can feel elusive. (It’s hard to catch zzz’s when you’re searching for the cool spot on the pillow.) But rather than crank the AC, a more comfortable snooze session could be as attainable as sliding between the right sheets and laying your head on a cushion that won’t capture heat—plus a few other sustainable swaps—say healthy home experts Lisa and Ron Beres. “Creating a sleep sanctuary is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.” Wondering how to kick off your hot weather …