Research on sleep and its role in health. Covers restorative sleep, nighttime light exposure, sleeplessness, and the links between sleep and disease.
Scientists at UNIGE have identified a neural circuit linking the biological clock to a region of the brain involved in sleep and wakefulness in fruit flies. This circuit, involving dopamine signaling to the mushroom body, plays a crucial role in regulating wakefulness throughout the day.
A new study by Penn State researchers found that young adults' sleep quality is disrupted by loud, bright, or hot environments, but not how long they sleep. The study, which analyzed data from 372 young adults, suggests that a few simple changes, such as earplugs or blackout curtains, can dramatically improve sleep quality.
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.
Research found that people with evening chronotypes have a 1.7 fold elevated risk of needing to retire early and take a disability pension compared to morning chronotypes. This association was present for both men and women, and was linked to poorer health choices and disrupted internal body clocks.
An international review found a link between insomnia and a higher risk of stroke, with a 26% increased risk, as well as hospital admissions. Insomnia was also associated with dementia, depression, and suicidal behaviour, but the results were not consistent across all endpoints.
Neuroscientists at Northwestern University discovered that response speed on exhalation is faster than on inhalation by 41 milliseconds. This study is the first to measure response speed during all phases of respiration, including pauses between breaths.
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.
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.
A new study by Concordia University found that poor sleep in one partner can affect the other's diet quality, with one partner's unhealthy food choices having a ripple effect on the other's eating habits. The study suggests that treating sleep as a shared concern could offer benefits for both partners.
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.
Researchers used social media data to analyze US sleep trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding widespread sleeplessness across the country. The study, published in PLOS One, suggests that nighttime social media posts can be used to track sleep patterns and identify areas of high sleep distress.
Even low levels of nighttime light exposure can lead to structural changes in the heart, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers analyzed data from 11,017 participants and found that those exposed to higher levels of light saw a thickening of the heart's walls and reduced flexibility during a heartbeat.
Researchers at MIT found that short bursts of pink noise during sleep can increase the amplitude of slow electrical waves and CSF flow, leading to more restorative sleep. This technology may also help clear brain waste and potentially improve cognitive function, particularly in people with insomnia and neurodegenerative diseases.
Research of over 11,000 people found that high nighttime light exposure is associated with thickening of the heart's left ventricle and reduced flexibility during heartbeats. The study suggests that reducing nighttime light exposure could be a strategy for preventing heart disease.
Research suggests that deep sleep strengthens resilience to stressful situations in mice by reorganizing brain activity in the prelimbic cortex. The study found that mice who experienced more deep sleep were better able to cope with stressful social situations.
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.
A new study has found that social jet lag, or the mismatch between weekday and weekend sleep schedules, may contribute to teenage anxiety. The research, published in Sleep Medicine Reviews, found a small but consistent correlation between social jet lag and higher levels of anxiety in teenagers.
Researchers found that theta oscillations during learning predicted which experiences were remembered after sleep, and this pattern was associated with better memory performance. The study suggests that the brain may use theta oscillations to 'tag' experiences for later memory consolidation during sleep.
Researchers at the University of York have uncovered the neural mechanism that instructs the brain to prioritize and strengthen important memories during sleep. This 'tagging' mechanism, linked to a specific brainwave pattern, helps the brain filter out irrelevant details and retain key experiences.
A new study suggests that specific brain waves during sleep provide protection against the cognitive decline associated with elevated levels of the neurotransmitter orexin. Individuals with stronger sleep spindles and sleep oscillations during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep had less cognitive decline over time.
A review in Brain Medicine argues that industrialization changed sleep timing and regularity, not duration, with hunter-gatherers sleeping between 6.4 and 7.1 hours a night, less than the industrialized average. The distinction matters, as it highlights the importance of timing and regularity in sleep patterns.
A short workout or a nap can help improve memory performance after 30 hours without sleep, according to a new study. Researchers found that people who exercised or napped performed 22% better on memory tests than those who did neither.
A study by University of Basel researchers found specific brainstem neurons that become activated during prolonged wakefulness and promote sleep drive. These neurons, including GABAergic and serotonergic neurons, increase sleep pressure and ensure prolonged wakefulness is followed by deeper and longer recovery sleep.
A large study found that very disturbed or long sleep (9+ hours) at age 50 was associated with a 9-month reduction in workforce participation. Reporting no sleep disturbances was linked to a 13-year 5-month working life expectancy, while severe sleep disturbances were associated with a 12-year 10-month expectancy.
This cross-sectional study found that melatonin use was associated with a small reduction in REM sleep percentage, but not with differences in total sleep time or other sleep stages. The study suggests that further research is needed to clarify the effects of melatonin on children's sleep.
A large-scale field experiment found that small monetary incentives boosted sleep habits and improved academic performance in college students. The study, published in the Journal of Political Economy, showed a 26% increase in nights with seven or more hours of sleep and 0.075–0.089 higher grade points.
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.
Researchers have identified a new indicator of obesity risk in children by studying circadian rhythm-related genes. The study, published in the journal Nutrients, found that certain gene variations may increase caloric intake or from specific macronutrients.
Research explores whether eyes being open or closed affects brain activity related to mind wandering and arousal. Brain activity associated with arousal has opposite effects on mind wandering depending on eye state, suggesting a context-dependent relationship.
Research suggests that time zone changes disrupt the synchronization between human biological clocks and gut microbiota, leading to digestive complaints, poorer sleep quality, and reduced energy levels. Gradually adjusting one's biological clock through light exposure and meal timing before departure can help reduce jet lag effects.
A new study from UT Health San Antonio found a link between long sleep hours and higher levels of an Alzheimer's-related protein in the blood. The research suggests that long sleep may reflect early neurodegenerative processes, but more sleep is not always better for brain health.
Researchers have developed a new version of the Daydreaming algorithm, which combines learning and cleaning to improve artificial memory systems' reliability even with biased data. The algorithm focuses on differences between pixels, allowing it to work effectively with strongly biased data, similar to real-world conditions.
A study from Binghamton University found that poor sleep quality is connected to hyperarousal in young people and neurodegenerative patterns among older women. Research analyzed brain scans from over 1,300 participants to see how brain networks connect at rest in those with poor sleep.
Research found that night owls consume more energy, carbohydrates, and fats late at night, leading to increased body fat percentage, belly fat, and higher blood sugar. This eating pattern was associated with poorer lipid profiles and less favourable indicators of glucose regulation.
A recent study by Ben-Gurion University found that secondhand smoke directly disrupts children's sleep patterns, causing significant poor sleep quality and increased fragmentation. The research used objective data and biological markers to demonstrate the toxic effects of tobacco smoke on pediatric sleep, independent of airway blockages.
A single night of sleep testing is insufficient for an accurate diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study published in npj Digital Medicine. The research found that analyzing sleep patterns over multiple nights can provide a more accurate picture of the condition.
Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center found that people who got 5-6 hours of sleep a night gained an average of one pound over six weeks, with increased sedentary time. This study suggests that getting adequate sleep may help reduce the risk of weight gain and obesity-related conditions.
A pooled analysis of two randomized trials found that decreasing sleep by just 1.5 hours each night was associated with increases in body weight, waist circumference, and sedentary time in adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk. The findings highlight the importance of discussing sleep duration at health care visits.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that longer sleep is linked to more stable blood sugar levels in healthy 18-year-olds, even among those with no previous health issues. The researchers tracked participants over two weeks and found a two-way relationship between sleep duration and blood sugar stability.
A study analyzed daily sleep records from Fitbit devices worn by 76 undergraduates to examine longitudinal sleep patterns. The researchers found that average sleep duration increased by 8 minutes from freshman to senior year, and students with higher grades slept longer on average.
A recent study published in Metabolism found that our internal clock independently affects the energy we burn after eating, peaking in the morning and decreasing at night. This discovery sheds light on why late eating may contribute to weight gain or struggles with weight loss.
A Bar-Ilan University study finds that artificial light spilling into coastal waters disrupts sleep in coral reef fish, causing increased aggression and DNA damage. Chronic exposure may have lasting biological consequences.
A new poll shows nearly all Michiganders age 50 and over value keeping their brains healthy, but less than half know daily habits can reduce dementia risk. Only half practice key brain-protecting habits.
A new study from the University of Surrey investigated infant sleep cycle development using actigraphy data, revealing rhythmic patterns of inactivity in infants as young as three months old. The study found that cycles of inactivity lengthen with age, with breastfed infants showing longer cycles compared to non-breastfed infants.
A survey of over 5,700 Chinese adolescents found significant associations between screen time, body weight, and mental health with sleep quality. Rural adolescents and girls fared worse overall, highlighting the need to address these factors to improve sleep.
A new study suggests that moderate sitting may be beneficial for highly active adults, contradicting previous guidelines. The research found a J-shaped association between daily sitting time and health outcomes, with the lowest risk at approximately 4 hours of sitting per day.
A recent study found that long naps may increase the risk of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in people with type 2 diabetes. MASLD is characterized by excessive fat buildup in the liver, which can lead to chronic disorders like NAFLD.
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.
Researchers at the University of Groningen found that a clinically approved asthma drug can restore access to social memories disrupted by sleep deprivation. In a study, mice who were sleep deprived after meeting other mice couldn't recognize them later, but the drug roflumilast allowed them to recall their social encounters.
A new study found that pregnant women's expectations about postpartum sleep predicted their actual sleep quality after delivery, with 70% of women anticipating poor sleep. The study suggests that addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety may improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.
A new study found that individuals with a 'Sleep Appreciate' profile are willing to pay more for better sleep, while those with a 'Sleep Devalue' profile require less money. The research suggests integrating economic perspectives into sleep health research may offer novel insights for designing interventions.
College students who take more daily steps tend to have better sleep quality and reduced mental health issues. The study, published in Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Chronobiology International, found that excessive sedentary behavior can lead to negative mental health outcomes.
A new EPI-SLEEP study will investigate the impact of personalized in-ear sleep technology on sleep disturbances and circadian health in adults with epilepsy. The study aims to generate robust evidence for a low-risk approach to improving sleep without adding medication burden.
A cohort study found that smartphone acquisition at age 13 was linked to increased risk of insufficient sleep at age 14. Excessive smartphone use was also tied to higher odds of depression and obesity. Limiting screen time may protect adolescents from these outcomes.
By inducing rhythmic on-and-off activity in small portions of the brain, researchers triggered a recalibration of neural connections that normally only occurs during sleep. This approach offset the effects of sleep deprivation and revealed features of sleep key to its restorative effect, including improved tactile memory tasks.
A new study reveals that adolescents who use their smartphones more before bed have more late-night smartphone usage. The research found that teenagers with greater pre-bedtime smartphone use had greater late-night use, with an average of 46 minutes of late-night use per night.
A new University of Arizona study has found that several common sleep behaviors may be linked to signs of brain aging. Sleeping outside the recommended seven-to-nine-hour range, frequent daytime napping, and sleeplessness were distinctly associated with greater volume of white matter lesions in healthy people.
A recent study found that shorter sleep duration is associated with increased perinatal anxiety and obsessive beliefs. Mothers who experience disturbed sleep tend to have higher levels of anxiety, particularly those with lower coping ability. The study suggests prioritizing mom's sleep may benefit her mental health.