Articles tagged with Sleep Disorders
University of Missouri researchers are studying how sleep, family structure, and social support affect caregivers and those they care for. The projects aim to improve the health and well-being of families affected by dementia, with a focus on accessible treatments and interventions.
A recent study found that about 1 in 4 patients who took lemborexant experienced frightening nights and groggy mornings, leading to high discontinuation rates. The researchers suggest that the medication's side effects, including vivid dreams and sleep paralysis, may be contributing factors.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released a new clinical practice guideline for managing shift work disorder in adults, recommending individualized treatment based on symptom profile, work schedule, and patient preferences. The guideline highlights the limited quality of evidence for many interventions and underscores the nee...
Researchers found that hydrogen supplementation had no significant effect on sleep quality, but individuals with lower gut microbiome hydrogen production showed greater improvements. The study suggests that individual differences in gut microbiome may influence response to hydrogen supplementation.
A new subtype of depression called 'circadian depression' has been identified, affecting around a quarter of people with severe depression. This subtype is linked to the body's internal clock and is more responsive to behavioural and medical therapies targeting the body clock's unique brain circuits.
A study of 2,435 pregnant women found that those with restless legs syndrome were three times more likely to develop perinatal depression. Screening for RLS during the third trimester may help identify women at higher risk.
A new study found that insomnia disrupts the body's ability to learn and remember that a threat is gone, leading to a reduced capacity to extinguish physiological threat responses. This is associated with a reduced safety memory and increased arousal during recall.
A new Cochrane review found insufficient evidence to support the use of medical cannabis for insomnia, with most studies showing little to no improvement in sleep quality and daytime functioning. However, some studies suggested a potential for adverse effects, such as dry mouth and dizziness.
A study of 556,474 US patients with OSA found the prevalence peaks at age 55, with frequent cardiovascular comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes. The study also identified age- and sex-stratified prevalence of OSA and stroke risk comorbidities.
A new review found that insomnia is associated with a 26% higher risk of stroke and 28% higher odds of hospital admission. The study also linked insomnia to depression, suicidal behaviors, and dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease.
A new study found that greater amounts of REM and deep sleep were associated with lower risks of dozens of diseases, while less than 5 hours of total sleep was linked to high risks of disease. The study analyzed data from 95,559 UK Biobank participants and identified significant associations between sleep patterns and incident diseases.
Research advances in ear, nose, and throat care highlight treatments for conditions like hearing loss, sleep apnea, and dementia prevention. Gene therapy and GLP-1 medications are also being explored for their potential to improve patient care.
A pilot study suggests that essential oils derived from Hinoki roots can help improve sleep quality by reducing nighttime awakenings and increasing delta-wave activity. Participants who used Hinoki root essential oil reported feeling more relaxed and refreshed in the morning.
Researchers found a strong link between daytime air pollution and nighttime coughing levels, even when pollution levels were below the WHO's recommended daily exposure limit. The dataset, which analyzed cough sounds from 32 cities in 12 countries, suggests that air pollution may be a contributing factor to respiratory issues.
Researchers have discovered a rare population of neurons in the cortex that can synchronize activity across large areas of the brain and promote sleep. These Sst-Chodl neurons were found to be active during the transition to sleep and could even help drive the process, suggesting that the cortex is not simply passive during sleep.
A clinical observational study found that individuals with severe sleep apnea have lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 in their blood. This suggests that LL-37 could serve as a potential biomarker for poor sleep quality.
Researchers created a 3D model of the upper airway to study snoring, finding that unsteady airflow across soft tissues produces the loudest sounds. Reducing soft palate vibration may help reduce palatal snoring, suggesting potential solutions for anti-snoring treatments.
Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin investigated the use of THC to alleviate PTSD-related nightmares. The study found that more than half of participants responded to treatment, with over a third experiencing complete disappearance of nightmares. The medication was also well-tolerated, with moderate side effects reported.
A novel AI model can use information collected during routine sleep studies to identify patients' long-term health risks, including heart disease and cognitive decline. The findings also suggest that routine medical tests may contain substantially more physiologic information than current clinical practice extracts.
A study by Osaka Metropolitan University found that neighborhoods with stronger senses of safety tend to have longer sleep durations, while highly walkable streetscapes are associated with shortened sleep duration. Greenery and high enclosure are also linked to longer sleep and reduced insomnia symptoms.
The American College of Chest Physicians has released a clinical guideline on sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy, highlighting the need for targeted care. The guideline provides nine evidence-based recommendations to screen, diagnose, treat, and reevaluate pregnant patients with obstructive sleep apnea, associated with significant...
A randomized clinical trial found that ingesting fecal microbes from healthy donors improved sleep efficiency and reduced wake after sleep onset in participants with chronic insomnia. Sleep quality scores also showed significant improvement over two months.
Researchers discovered that damaged myelin generates abnormal rhythms in the sleeping brain, linked to disruptions in brain circuit stability. This finding may help design non-invasive approaches to repair myelin during sleep, improving sleep quality in patients with MS and Alzheimer's disease.
Research in zebrafish shows that altered presence of neural microexons leads to hyperarousal, insomnia, and stress-like behavior. The study suggests that this mechanism could be conserved in humans and may contribute to symptoms of disorders like autism and schizophrenia.
A zebrafish study has discovered that a gene associated with restless legs syndrome affects the cerebellum, a brain region crucial for movement coordination. The researchers found that mutations in this gene lead to developmental abnormalities and abnormal locomotion patterns.
A new study found that reinforcing natural daily rhythms improves sleep and brain waste clearance after a stroke, leading to better outcomes. The researchers tested various interventions targeting the body's internal clock and found promising results in mouse models of stroke.
A study of 90 Japanese esports players found 43.3% had poor subjective sleep quality, with later bedtimes and shorter sleep times common among pros. Early-morning gaming was linked to poor sleep quality, highlighting the need for sleep support tailored to competitive status.
A new study from Penn State College of Medicine found that excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with a higher risk of both prevalent and incident hypertension. Individuals reporting excessive daytime sleepiness had 52% higher odds of prevalent hypertension and 74% higher odds of incident hypertension compared to normal controls.
A digital platform developed by Concordia University researchers offers an accessible solution for older adults struggling with insomnia and anxiety. The seven-week eCBT+ program demonstrates high effectiveness in improving sleep efficiency and reducing symptoms of both conditions, with users finding the platform easy to use and useful.
A new study found that women with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea reported worse symptoms, including sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and cognitive function, compared to men. The study suggests that current algorithms for diagnosing and treating sleep apnea may not consider the broader range of symptoms women experience.
A new study found that U.S. military veterans with both insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea have a substantially elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with either condition alone. The risk is particularly high among younger veterans, even after accounting for demographic and metabolic factors.
Adolescents with irregular sleep and insomnia symptoms have higher odds of overnight hospital stays and poorer general health in their 20s. Poorer sleep health during adolescence is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including lower life satisfaction and reduced overall well-being.
A new study found that adults feeling older than their chronological age experience more insomnia symptoms, less regular sleep, and greater daytime sleep-related impairment. The mismatch between subjective age and actual age is associated with poorer self-reported physical health.
A clinical trial found that low-dose quetiapine improved sleep quality and reduced obstructive sleep apnea severity, but significantly impaired alertness and driving performance. The study highlights the need for caution when using sedating medications for insomnia in people with known or possible sleep apnea.
A study found that women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis are more likely to have an evening chronotype and increased daytime sleepiness, associated with higher levels of thyroglobulin antibodies. The research highlights the importance of investigating underlying mechanisms for this association.
A study proposes that sleep disruption may be connected to increased risk of dementia through the brain's waste clearance system. The glymphatic system, active during sleep, helps remove metabolic waste, and its disruption may lead to cognitive decline.
Researchers found that positional therapy leads to long-term behavior changes and improvement for patients with positional OSA. More than two-thirds of patients continued side-sleeping behavior even after stopping therapy, suggesting a potentially self-maintained therapeutic effect.
Experts from Mount Sinai will present a new AI model that predicts lung nodule risk and assesses the impact of air pollution during pregnancy. The researchers also explore cognitive consequences of sleep-disordered breathing and reevaluate asthma guidelines to integrate both conditions.
A recent study found that sleep disturbances in pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, and daytime sleepiness were linked to an increased risk of GDM.
A major new study has found that severe asthma patients are often battling other health conditions, with nearly all suffering from at least one major issue. The study identified three distinct profiles linked to how well asthma is controlled and the treatments needed, offering potential breakthroughs for improving care.
A U-shaped pattern shows that both short and long sleep durations are associated with faster aging, while optimal sleep duration (6.4-7.8 hours) is linked to better health. The study suggests a broader connection between sleep and disease, impacting organs beyond the brain.
The SLEEP 2026 annual meeting will bring together leading sleep medicine professionals to discuss the latest research and advancements in sleep care. The event will feature over 1,400 research abstracts, keynote addresses, and a showcase of the latest products and technologies in sleep medicine.
Researchers found significant loss of neurons in the locus coeruleus, a second critical region involved in arousal and muscle tone regulation. This finding suggests an immune-mediated process and challenges the prevailing explanation for narcolepsy with cataplexy.
A new study reveals that nurse-delivered models of care can effectively manage common sleep problems like insomnia and OSA, but designing services with patients and staff is critical. The review found strong potential for GP nurses to deliver treatments like CBTi and support patients on CPAP machines.
The new clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides evidence-based recommendations on combining behavioral-psychological and pharmacological therapies to treat chronic insomnia disorder in adults. The guideline suggests that CBT-I by itself is the most efficacious first-line treatment for insomnia, ...
Research suggests that exercising at a time that matches an individual's natural chronotype (morning or evening alertness) can lower cardiovascular disease risk. The study found that chronotype-aligned exercise improved blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol levels, and sleep quality more effectively than mismatched timing.
Researchers developed an analytic tool using machine learning to predict how CPAP affects cardiovascular disease risk in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The study found significant variation in treatment response across the cohort, identifying subgroups who benefited or were harmed by the therapy.
Researchers developed DARC-NESS, a model that explains why nightmares persist in children and how to break the cycle through tailored therapy. By focusing on nightmare efficacy and child response mechanisms, clinicians can create effective treatment plans to empower kids to master their dreams.
A study of 3,959 healthy Japanese workers found that longer working hours, including unpaid care and domestic work, are associated with a higher risk of nonrestorative sleep and poor mental health in women. The researchers call for policy changes to address time poverty and promote gender equality.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has announced the 2026 award recipients for their exceptional contributions to sleep medicine. The award winners are Dr. Susan Redline, Danny Eckert, Dr. Douglas Kirsch, Dr. Beth Malow, and Dr. Robert Stansbury, recognized for their research, education, advocacy, and clinical care.
The ATS 2026 International Conference will feature the ATS AI Lab Exposition Space, highlighting advancements in AI in healthcare. Keynote speakers Robert M. Wachter and Laurah Turner will discuss AI's impact on medical education and its future.
Researchers found that vivid dreaming helps sustain deep sleep perception across the night, offering a new perspective on what shapes our perception of sleep depth. The quality of dreams, especially immersiveness, appears crucial in interpreting brain activity during sleep.
Long COVID affects quality of life with neuropsychiatric issues like cognitive dysfunction, depression, and memory loss, impacting daily tasks and work. The review highlights the need for standardized diagnosis and treatment to address this chronic condition.
A study published in JAMA Network Open found that analyzing fine-scale patterns in brain waves during sleep can provide insights into brain health. The research suggests that sudden large spikes on EEG, known as kurtosis, are associated with a lower risk of dementia.
Researchers tracked daily behaviors of African turquoise killifish for four years, identifying 100 distinct 'behavioral syllables' that predicted lifespan. Fish that lived longer tended to sleep at night, swim with greater vigor, and be more active during daylight hours.
Researchers evaluated 12 hypnotic medications on sleep architecture and respiratory function in adults with obstructive sleep apnea. The study found that while some medications worsened respiratory outcomes, others showed no significant effects, highlighting the need for individualized treatment.
Researchers discovered that 53% of newborns with myelomeningocele had sleep-disordered breathing, highlighting the need for routine screening and early intervention to prevent long-term complications. The study's findings suggest that addressing sleep disorders in high-risk infants could meaningfully improve their neurodevelopment.
Teens are getting significantly less sleep, with over 50% reporting less than 5 hours per night, a rise from 2007 when it was around 30%. This short sleep is linked to emotional regulation issues, poor academic performance, and increased risks for obesity and diabetes.
A new study by Dr. Alex Gileles-Hillel and colleagues found that children with sleep apnea are twice as likely to contract the flu or COVID-19. The researchers suggest prioritizing annual vaccinations for these children to prevent severe respiratory complications.
A new study found that nearly one in five adults with tinnitus have had to reduce their working hours or leave employment due to the condition. The research also revealed that targeted interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, can improve work productivity and overall wellbeing.