Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Insomnia in parents can result in sleep problems, suicidal behavior among their offspring

Insomnia in parents can result in sleep problems, suicidal behavior among their offspring

June 12, 2008

WESTCHESTER, Ill. - A history of chronic insomnia in parents is not only associated with elevated risk for insomnia but also with elevated risks for use of hypnotics, psychopathology and suicidal behavior in adolescent offspring, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Thursday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, authored by Xianchen Liu, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, focused on 798 teenagers (450 boys and 348 girls), with an average age of 14.4 years, who completed a sleep and health questionnaire.




According to the results, compared with adolescents of parents without insomnia, participants of insomnia parents were more than twice more likely to report insomnia, daytime fatigue, and use of hypnotics. Adolescents of insomnia parents were also more likely to have depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts during the past year.

"These results suggest that a history of chronic insomnia in parents is not only associated with elevated risk for insomnia, but also with elevated risks for a wide range of mental health problems, substance use, and suicidal behavior in adolescent offspring," said Dr. Liu. "Family sleep interventions may be important to enhance sleep quality and decrease risks for sleep disturbance, psychopathology and suicidal behavior in adolescents. Further studies are warranted to examine how and the extent to which genetic and environmental factors interact in determining sleep disturbances and psychopathology among adolescents."

Insomnia is a classification of sleep disorders in which a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early. It is the most commonly reported sleep disorder.

It is recommended that adolescents get nine hours of nightly sleep.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) offers the following tips on how to get a good night's sleep:

* Follow a consistent bedtime routine.

* Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.

* Get a full night's sleep every night.

* Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.

* Do not stay up all hours of the night to "cram" for an exam, do homework, etc. If after-school activities are proving to be too time-consuming, consider cutting back on these activities.

* Keep computers and TVs out of the bedroom.

* Do not go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime either.

* Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.

* Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool.

* Get up at the same time every morning.

Those who suspect that they might be suffering from insomnia, or another sleep disorder, are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine



Related Insomnia Current Events and Insomnia News Articles Insomnia Current Events and Insomnia News RSS Insomnia Current Events and Insomnia News RSS
Study on origin of mutation that causes Fatal Familiar Insomnia
A PhD thesis at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has studied the origin of the mutation that causes Fatal Familiar Insomnia (FFI). In the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country there is a high rate of carriers of this mutation - 50%of all the cases registered in the whole of Spain.

Study shows that the societal, economic burden of insomnia is high
A study in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep indicates that the indirect costs of untreated insomnia are significantly greater than the direct costs associated with its treatment.

Transcendental meditation reduces ADHD symptoms among students: New study
The Transcendental Meditation technique may be an effective and safe non-pharmaceutical aid for treating ADHD, according to a promising new study published this month in the peer-reviewed online journal Current Issues in Education.

Depression rife among medical students
Medical students frequently suffer from depression, especially during their internship years. New research published in the open access journal BMC Medical Education reveals the extent of the problem and features a detailed analysis of the symptoms and sufferers.

New medication brings hope of jet lag cure
A team of researchers from Monash University, The Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston), Harvard Medical School and Vanda Pharmaceuticals has found a new drug with the potential to alleviate jet lag and sleep disorders caused by shift work.

Study shows pine bark reduces jetlag
A new study published in the journal of Minerva Cardioangiologica reveals Pycnogenol, pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, reduces jetlag in passengers by nearly 50 percent.

Study links primary insomnia to a neurochemical abnormality in young and middle-aged adults
A study in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Sleep is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia, providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition's pathology.

VYVANSE provided behavior, inattention and math test score improvements in children with ADHD
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced results from a 13-hour analog classroom study in school-aged children aged 6 to 12 years with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

New promising obesity drug may have huge potential
According to trials, a new obesity drug, Tesofensine, which may be launched on the world market in a few years, can produce weight loss twice that of currently approved obesity drugs.

Respiratory rhythms can help predict insomnia
The breathing and heart rates and cortisol levels of women with metastatic breast cancer can be used to predict if they'll suffer from chronic insomnia and sleep disruptions, a common complaint from patients who want to maintain their quality of life.
More Insomnia Current Events and Insomnia News Articles


Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six-Week, Drug-Free Program Developed At Harvard Medical School
by Gregg D. Jacobs

Imagine an insomnia treatment that improves sleep in 100 percent of insomniacs, helps 75 percent of insomniacs become normal sleepers, and allows 90 percent of insomniacs to reduce or eliminate their use of sleeping pills. This treatment is safe, natural, and has no side effects except improved mood, higher energy, increased mind/body control, and better health. No, this is not a new miracle...



Insomnia
by Stephen King

Ralph Roberts hasn't been sleeping well lately. Every morning he wakes just a little bit earlier until pretty soon, he isn't sleeping at all. It wouldn't be so bad if not for the strange hallucinations--and the nightmares that keep coming to...



The Insomnia Solution: The Natural, Drug-Free Way to a Good Night's Sleep
by Michael Krugman

Insomnia. It’s nearly universal affliction that keeps millions of Americans up at night. But now there’s help: THE INSOMNIA SOLUTION by Michael Krugman. In this revolutionary book, Krugman shows readers that insomnia is not just a nighttime affliction, but a 24-hour-a-day condition resulting from daytime stress that persists into the night, delaying the onset of sleep and making it...



The Insomnia Answer: A Personalized Program for Identifying and Overcoming the Three Types ofInsomnia
by Paul Glovinsky, Art Spielman

Finally, a groundbreaking, drug-free solution that works-first time in paperback. The 50 million Americans who suffer from insomnia need-and want-this answer now. There is no "one size fits all" solution to insomnia because, as this revolutionary book illustrates, there are three types that affect those who suffer from it: difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and broken...



Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia: A Session-by-Session Guide
by Michael L. Perlis, Carla Jungquist, Michael T. Smith, Donn Posner

Cognitive behavior therapy which has been adapted to treat so many problems, has also brought data-driven and data-yielding treatment to insomnia. Focusing on this evidence-based modality, Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia is a much-needed treatment manual that provides clinicians with the why’s and how’s of this approach in concise and practical terms. This book, which is written...



Overcoming Insomnia A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Workbook (Treatments That Work)
by Jack D Edinger, Colleen E Carney

It is estimated that one in ten U.S. adults suffers from chronic insomnia. If left untreated, chronic insomnia reduces quality of life and increases risk for psychiatric and medical disease, especially depression and anxiety. There are two forms of insomnia: secondary insomnia, in which it is comorbid with another condition such as psychiatric disorders, chronic pain conditions, or...



Overcoming Insomnia A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work)
by Jack Edinger, Colleen Carney

It is estimated that one in ten U.S. adults suffers from chronic insomnia. If left untreated, chronic insomnia reduces quality of life and increases risk for psychiatric and medical disease, especially depression and anxiety. There are two forms of insomnia: secondary insomnia, in which it is comorbid with another condition such as psychiatric disorders, chronic pain conditions, or...



The Insomnia Answer: A Personalized Program for Identifying and Overcoming the Three Types of Insomnia
by Paul Glovinsky, Art Spielman

The sleep solution that identifies the three types of insomnia. In this revolutionary book, Dr. Paul Glovinsky and Dr. Art Speilman, two experts in the evaluation and cures of insomnia, offer a program designed to tackle the three most persistent sleep problems-getting to sleep, staying asleep, and broken sleep-drug-free and clinically proven. Now, 50 million Americans who suffer from...



Sleep Through Insomnia: Meditations to Quiet the Mind & Still the Body
by KRS Edstrom

Take the pressure and failure out of insomnia as you learn how to break old patterns and develop a wonderful new relationship with sleep. Guided mindfulness meditation skills blended with celestial music that show you the way to the land of nod. Provides not only immediate results, but also internalizes skills to draw on forever. A great audio to have on hand for occasional or chronic...



Insomnia: A Cultural History
by Eluned Summers-Bremner

In today’s media-saturated and hyperconnected society, increasing numbers of people are finding it hard to switch off their overstimulated brains and escape the demands of daily life. We are becoming, it seems, a world of insomniacs. But this condition of perpetual unrest has plagued people for centuries. The roots and effects of insomnia are complex, Eluned Summers-Bremner reveals in this...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com