ScienceDaily: Sleep Disorder News

Dream-enacting behavior is common in healthy young adultsDream-enacting behaviors are common in healthy young adults, and the prevalence of specific behaviors differs between men and women.Sleep changes predict onset of physical changes associated with pubertyA new study suggests that changes in children's sleep patterns that typically occur between the ages of 11 and 12 years are evident before the physical changes associated with the onset of puberty.Adults have dreamlike thoughts during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodesShort, unpleasant, dreamlike mental activity occurs during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes, suggesting that people with these sleep disorders may be acting out dreamlike thoughts.Ecstasy use may lead to sleep apnea: Illegal 'club drug' poisons neurons involved in control of breathing during sleepRepeated use of the drug popularly known as "ecstasy" significantly raises the risk of developing sleep apnea in otherwise healthy young adults with no other known risk factors for the sleep disturbance, a new study suggests. The finding is the latest highlighting the potential dangers of the amphetamine-style chemical, currently used illegally by millions of people in the United States.Clue to mystery of how biological clock operates on 24-hour cycleHow does our biological system know that it is supposed to operate on a 24-hour cycle? Scientists have discovered that a tiny molecule holds the clue to the mystery.Sounds can penetrate deep sleep and enhance associated memories upon wakingThey were in a deep sleep, yet sounds, such as a teakettle whistle, somehow penetrated their slumber. The 25 sounds were reminders of earlier spatial learning, though the research participants were unaware of the sounds as they slept. Yet, upon waking, memory tests showed that spatial memories had changed. Deep sleep, then, is actually is a key time for memory processing, the study suggests.Night beat, overtime and a disrupted sleep pattern can harm officers' healthA police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good "night's" sleep. Add frequent overtime to that schedule, and an officer may be climbing into bed as the sun comes up, setting the stage for short and unrestful slumber.Women With Asthma Feel Worse, Swedish Study FindsWomen with asthma are more anxious, find it harder to sleep and are more tired during the day than their male counterparts, but nevertheless tend to be better at following their treatment, reveals new research from Sweden.Sleep Apnea Therapy Improves Golf GameA new study finds that golfers with obstructive sleep apnea who received nasal positive airway pressure for their disorder improved their daytime sleepiness scores and lowered their golf handicap by as much as three strokes.Teeth Grinding Linked To Sleep Apnea; Bruxism Prevalent In Caucasians With Sleep DisordersNew research has found that nearly 1 in 4 patients with OSA suffers from nighttime teeth grinding. This seems to be especially more prevalent in men and in Caucasians compared with other ethnic groups.Coffee And Nighttime Jobs Don't Mix, Study FindsNight-shift workers should avoid drinking coffee if they wish to improve their sleep, according to recent research. A new study has found the main byproduct of coffee, caffeine, interferes with sleep and this side-effect worsens as people age.Sleep deprivation can negatively affect information processingA new study shows that sleep deprivation causes some people to shift from a more automatic, implicit process of information categorization (information-integration) to a more controlled, explicit process (rule-based). This use of rule-based strategies in a task in which information-integration strategies are optimal can lead to potentially devastating errors when quick and accurate categorization is fundamental to survival.Sleep Disturbances Improve After RetirementA new study shows that retirement is followed by a sharp decrease in the prevalence of sleep disturbances. Findings suggest that this general improvement in sleep is likely to result from the removal of work-related demands and stress rather than from actual health benefits of retirement.Pain Thresholds Linked To Inflammation And Sleep Problems In Arthritis PatientsDespite recent advances in anti-inflammatory therapy, many rheumatoid arthritis patients continue to suffer from pain. Researchers have found that inflammation is associated with heightened pain sensitivity at joint sites, whereas increased sleep problems are associated with heightened pain sensitivity at both joint and non-joint sites.Fighting Sleep: Researchers Reverse Cognitive Impairment Caused By Sleep DeprivationA research collaboration of biologists and neuroscientists has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation. Just as important, the team believes that the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation, such as an inability to focus, learn or memorize, may be reversible by reducing the concentration of a specific enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus of the brain.Surgery Is An Option For Some Patients Hoping To Get A Good Night's Rest, Study FindsAccording to new research, a form of surgery called uvopalatopharyngoplasty is effective for treating certain patients who suffer from sleep apnea, one of the most common sleep disorders.Working Overnights By Physicians Not Linked To Significantly Increased Risk Of ComplicationsAttending surgeons and obstetricians/gynecologists who worked nighttime hours did not have a significantly greater rate of complications for procedures performed the next day, but having less than six hours of opportunity for sleep between procedures was associated with an increased rate of surgical complications, according to a new study.Chronic Pain Treatments Work Better Together, Says AnesthesiologistPeople who suffer from debilitating neuropathic pain may get more relief and sleep better by combining two commonly-prescribed drugs.Scientists Develop Nasal Spray That Improves MemoryGood news for procrastinating students: a nasal spray developed by scientists promises to give late night cram sessions a major boost, if a good night's sleep follows. Scientists show that a molecule from the body's immune system (interleukin-6) when administered through the nose helps the brain retain emotional and procedural memories during REM sleep.Alcoholism's Effect On Sleep Persists During Long Periods Of SobrietyA new study 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.Elderly Women Sleep Better Than They Think, Men Sleep WorseA new study shows that elderly women sleep better than elderly men even though women consistently report that their sleep is shorter and poorer.Sleep Loss Linked To Increase In Alzheimer's PlaquesChronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease makes Alzheimer's brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers report. They also found that orexin, a protein that helps regulate the sleep cycle, appears to be directly involved in the increase.Ways To Quiet Ordinary SnoringOrdinary, loud snoring doesn't seem to be harmful, but snorers still may want to seek treatment to stop snoring, reduce embarrassment and improve sleep for themselves and their bed partner.Gene Variation That Lets People Get By On Less Sleep Transferred To Create Insomniac MiceSleep experts have identified a genetic variation in humans, which the scientists also developed in mouse models, that allows a rare number of people to require less sleep than others.Direct Evidence Of Role Of Sleep In Memory Formation Is UncoveredA research team has pinpointed for the first time the mechanism that takes place during sleep that causes learning and memory formation to occur. The team has determined that short transient brain events, called “sharp wave ripples,” are responsible for consolidating memory and transferring the learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex, where long-term memories are stored.Sleep Helps Reduce Errors In Memory, Research SuggestsSleep may reduce mistakes in memory, according to a first-of-its-kind study. The findings have practical implications for everyone from students flubbing multiple choice tests to senior citizens confusing their medications.Seizure Drug Enhances Sleep For Women With Hot FlashesGabapentin, a drug initially used to treat seizures, improves sleep quality in menopausal women with hot flashes, researchers report in a new study.Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer Is Associated With Disruption Of Sleep-wake Rhythm In WomenA new study shows that the sleep-wake activity rhythms of breast cancer patients are impaired during the administration of chemotherapy. Results indicate that the first cycle of chemotherapy is associated with a temporary disruption of these rhythms, while repeated administration of chemotherapy results in progressively worse and more enduring impairments.That Late-night Snack: Worse Than You ThinkEat less, exercise more. Now there is new evidence to support adding another "must" to the weight-loss mantra: eat at the right time of day. A study has found that eating at irregular times -- the equivalent of the middle of the night for humans, when the body wants to sleep -- influences weight gain. This is the first causal evidence linking meal timing and increased weight gain.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improves Sleep And Pain In People With OsteoarthritisA new study shows that the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is an effective treatment for older patients with osteoarthritis and comorbid insomnia.Insomnia Is Bad For The Heart; Increases Blood PressureCan't sleep at night? A new study has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems. The investigation measured the 24-hour blood pressure of insomniacs compared to sound sleepers.GERD Negatively Impacts Sleep Quality, Results In Considerable Economic BurdenThere has been much debate about the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep. Three new studies explore GERD's effect on sleep quality and the health-care system as well as how a widely prescribed sleeping pill may mask the disease.Daylight-saving Time Leads To Less Sleep, More Injuries On The Job, Study FindsEvery March, most Americans welcome the switch to daylight saving time because of the longer days, but also dread losing an hour of sleep after they move their clocks forward. Now a new study shows that losing just an hour of sleep could pose some dangerous consequences for those in hazardous work environments.Workplace Bullying Is Associated With Sleep DisturbancesA new study shows that current or past exposure to workplace bullying is associated with increased sleep disturbances. Associations also were found between observed bullying and sleep disruption, indicating that bullying has detrimental effects even when it is experienced indirectly.Why Sleep? Snoozing May Be Strategy To Increase Efficiency, Minimize RiskA sleep researcher argues that sleep's primary function is to increase the efficiency of behavior when animals are awake by regulating behavior's timing and duration.Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Prevalent In Adults With Down SyndromeA new study shows that adults with Down syndrome also frequently suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep Patterns In Children And Teenagers Could Indicate Risk For DepressionSleep patterns can help predict which adolescents might be at greatest risk for developing depression, a researcher has found in a five-year study.First Human Gene Implicated In Regulating Length Of Human SleepScientists have discovered the first gene involved in regulating the optimal length of human sleep, offering a window into a key aspect of slumber, an enigmatic phenomenon that is critical to human physical and mental health.A Real Eye-opener: Researchers Uncover Which Gender Is Losing SleepDespite the strides in gender equality at work and at home, sociologists reveal the social factors that are causing multitasking women to lose sleep.Insufficient Sleep May Be Linked To Increased Diabetes RiskShort sleep times, experienced by many individuals in Westernized societies, may contribute to the development of insulin resistance and reduced glucose tolerance, which in turn may increase the long-term risk of diabetes, according to a new study.Subjective Symptoms Of Sleep Quality And Daytime Sleepiness Associated With Declining Quality Of LifeA new study indicates that self-reported worsening in initiating and maintaining sleep over a five-year period was significantly associated with poorer mental quality of life, and increasing daytime sleepiness symptoms were associated with both poorer physical and mental quality of life.Dementia Induced And Blocked In Parkinson's Fly ModelResearchers have modeled Parkinson's-associated dementia for the first time. Scientists showed that a single night of sleep loss in genetically altered fruit flies caused long-lasting disruptions in the flies' cognitive abilities comparable to aspects of Parkinson's-associated dementia. They then blocked this effect by feeding the flies large doses of the spice curcumin.Poor Sleep In Children May Have Prenatal OriginsAlcohol consumption during pregnancy and small body size at birth predict poorer sleep and higher risk of sleep disturbances in 8-year-old children born at term.Caffeine-Drinking Teens Don’t Get Enough SleepFueled by caffeine teens are up late at night, and they aren't just focusing on homework. Web surfing, text messaging and gaming are keeping them up for hours into the night, according to a recent study.Simpler Definition For Major Depressive DisorderResearchers have proposed that the definition for major depressive disorder should be shortened to include only the mood and cognitive symptoms that have been part of the definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for the past 35 years. Their recommendation would exclude those symptoms that are currently part of the definition that may be associated with medical illness rather than depression.Biomarker Of Breathing Control Abnormality Associated With Hypertension And StrokeScientists have identified a distinct ECG-derived spectrographic phenotype, designated as narrow-band elevated low frequency coupling (e-LFCNB), that is associated with prevalent hypertension, stroke, greater severity of sleep disordered breathing and sleep fragmentation in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.Internet-based Intervention May Improve InsomniaAn online insomnia intervention based on established face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy techniques appears to improve patients' sleep.Improving Care Of Patients Suffering From Rheumatic DiseasesOngoing studies have shown that sleep patterns, emotional support and alcohol habits, among other factors, are important for a good health-related quality of life for patients suffering from rheumatic diseases. Knowledge of these findings can be used to improve the care of such patients.

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