sleep efficiency

Oct
9
2009

Alcoholism’s impact on sleep lasts during long sober times

A study in the journal Sleep shows that long-term alcoholism affects sleep even after long periods of abstinence, and the pattern of this effect is similar in both men and women. Alcoholics also had significantly more stage 1 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (8.5 percent in men, 6.3 percent in women) than controls (6.2 percent in men, 5.6 percent in women).


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Jun
10
2009

Improved academic success linked to better sleep in teens

Research in an abstract, “The Relationship of Weekday and Weekend Sleep on Academic”, presented on Wed., June 10, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, suggests that getting more high-quality sleep is associated with better academic performance. The positive relationship is especially relevant to performance in math. Results indicate that higher math scores were [...]


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May
22
2009

Cognitive behavior therapy may help long-term insomnia

For patients with persistent insomnia, a combination of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and the medication zolpidem for six weeks was associated with improvement in sleep, although for a longer treatment period CBT alone was more beneficial, according to a study in the May 20, 2009 issue of JAMA.

Insomnia is a prevalent public health problem affecting large segments of the population on a situational, recurrent, or chronic basis.


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Jan
22
2009

Less sleep linked with lower resistance to colds

Individuals who get less than seven hours of sleep per night appear about three times as likely to develop respiratory illness following exposure to a cold virus as those who sleep eight hours or more, according to recent research findings.

Studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation impairs some immune function, according to background information in the article. Research indicates that those who sleep approximately seven to eight hours per night have the lowest rates of heart disease illness and death. However, there has previously been little direct evidence that poor sleep increases susceptibility to the common cold.


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Jan
12
2009

Exercise improves sleep and reduces PLM episodes

People who experience insomnia or have sleep disruptions related to periodic leg movements (PLM) can benefit from both the immediate and long-term effects of exercise, says a study published in the January 2009 issue Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Exercise reduced PLM, often associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS), and contributed to better sleep patterns in patients who have the periodic episodes of repetitive leg movement during sleep.

The study was designed to examine both the acute (immediate) and chronic (long-term) effects of exercise as it relates to PLM/RLS. Volunteers included sedentary patients already enrolled in a sleep disorder program due to these conditions. All were analyzed after they had performed an intensive exercise session in the morning (acute) and later compared to half the group who trained for approximately six months, three days a week.


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Dec
24
2008

Less REM sleep linked to children and teens being overweight

Children and teens who get less sleep, especially those who spend less time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, may be more likely to be overweight, according to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The obesity rate has more than tripled among children six-to-11 years in the past 30 years, and approximately 17 percent of U.S. adolescents are now overweight or obese, according to background information in the article.


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Sep
9
2008

Women over 70 who sleep little may face greater fall risk

Women age 70 and older who sleep five hours or less per night may be more likely to experience falls than those who sleep more than seven to eight hours per night, according to a report in the September 8, 2008 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. The use of sleep medications does not appear to influence the association between sleep and risk of falling.

“Falls pose a major health risk among older adults and are a leading cause of death, illness and premature nursing home placement,” according to background information in the article. About one-third of adults older than age 65 experience falls each year. Insomnia and disturbed sleep as well as the use of benzodiazepines — hypnotic medications to treat insomnia — are increasingly common in older adults.


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Jun
17
2008

Later start time has positive impacts in schools

Delaying an adolescent’s school start time by one hour has a positive effect on his or her cognitive performance, according to a research abstract presented at Sleep 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).


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Interesting Apnea Statistics
~~ Apnea in United States ~~

As of May 2, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (-0500) (ET), the U.S. population
was 306,340,710. Sleep researchers estimate approximately seven percent
of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. Using that
estimate, there are potentially 21,443,850 apneics in the U.S.

~~ Apnea around the world ~~

As of May 2, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (-0500) (ET), the world population
was 6,777,286,604. Sleep researchers estimate approximately seven percent
of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. Using that
estimate, there are potentially 474,410,062 apneics in the world.