Naps on the weekends don’t make up for pulling all-nighters or having extended periods of wakefulness. For years now, it has been accepted wisdom that people with “sleep-debt” during the week can make up the sleep debt on the weekends. Although this was not an ideal situation, sleep experts have accepted the “sleep-debt” viewpoint for their patients.
Read MoreIn a recent study, it was found that sleeping well may help protect men from prostate cancer. It was found that men with higher levels of melatonin “had a 75% reduced risk for developing advanced prostate cancer compared with men who had lower levels of melatonin.” Melatonin is a hormone that is produced at night by the body. A normal level of melatonin is often found in those that have better sleep patterns.
Read MoreThere is a growing trend of using fitness trackers to monitor all types of physical activity, and that even includes sleep patterns. While many of these devices monitor sleep patterns, there is still a certain amount of device error involved in the measuring of sleeping patterns.
Read MoreThere are a growing number of distractions that threaten to infringe on your sleep. Since all of the technology that impacts our lives has not been around for a long amount of time, the studies concerning technological and impact on the human brain are relatively new. According to a study conducted by Michigan State University, using your smartphone at night can affect your sleep patterns and lower your productivity at work.
Read MoreIt is now believed that children can fight obesity with the proper amount of sleep. In a study conducted by a professor of public health at Temple’s Center for Obesity Research and Education (CORE), an increased amount of sleep meant less calorie consumption. Although the decrease in caloric intake was an average of only 134 calories per day, this lowering of intake could have a significant lifetime impact.
Read MoreThere is new evidence that suggests sleep deprived brains may be more susceptible to damage in brain tissue. In a study conducted by researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden it was found that two types of chemicals that are present in high concentrations in the brain were found in the blood after a night of sleep deprivation.
Read MoreIn a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, a strong link was found between disrupted sleep and increased tumor growth and aggressiveness. These differences are believed to exist because of the impact of less sleep on the immune system. The study was conducted using mice and exposing them to two sleeping conditions.
Read MoreAs the life expectancy of men and women across the globe increases, the number of patients with dementia is expected to increase dramatically. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, to the point of interviewing with daily tasks.
Read MoreTraveling on airplanes can be difficult on the mind and body. Some people tend to feel the effects of airplane travel more than others. Everyone has their ways of surviving long flights from sleep masks to leg exercises; the tricks to surviving flights are endless. It is tough to fold your legs into a seat and feel comfortable, especially for a long flight.
Read MoreAccording to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Scientists have researched why people sleep and how it affects the brain. For the first time, scientists have found that during sleep, the brain may cleanse itself of toxic molecules. A study conducted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) found the space between brain cells may increase during sleep.
Read MoreSleep deprivation can have effects which may not seem obvious. In a recent research study concerning the impact of recovery sleep on health, subjects were deprived of sleep during the week and then allowed to sleep in to recover their lost sleep. Control subjects were not deprived of sleep. Not surprisingly, the subjects that were not deprived of sleep were more mentally alert.
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