Category: news

Quick Summary

• Limit evening fluid intake to reduce nighttime awakenings for bathroom visits.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol several hours before bedtime, as they can disrupt sleep quality.
• Engage in regular exercise to promote faster sleep onset and more restful sleep.
• Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time daily, including weekends.

Research indicates that most Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. As a result, it comes as no surprise that numerous individuals feel irritated, worn out, and unable to face the day’s challenges. If you have a busy work life and believe that fitting in additional sleep is nearly impossible, the forthcoming suggestions will be beneficial in helping you secure the necessary amount of rest each night.

Keep in mind that healthy sleep habits are vital to your quality of life, and they can have a huge positive impact. In case you are sick of waking up in the middle of the night and being tired in the morning, you should do something about it. Getting better sleep is easier than you may think; you just need to follow some simple sleeping tips.  

Limit Fluid Intake in the Evening 

Most of us hate the feeling of waking up thirsty, and that’s why we drink water before we go to sleep. Although drinking water in the evening is beneficial, you shouldn’t overdo it. If you drink too much, you will wake up at night and have to go to the bathroom. These trips to the bathroom can have an adverse impact on your quality of sleep. Also, you shouldn’t drink fluids close to bedtime. 

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol 

Many people drink coffee in the morning when they need help getting up. Most of us are used to having a cup of hot coffee early so that we can function properly during the rest of the day. Although it is an excellent idea for mornings, drinking coffee in the evenings is the worst thing that you can do if you have troubles getting enough sleep as it will keep you awake. You should avoid consuming caffeine for 4 to 6 hours before going to sleep. Besides coffee, caffeine can also be found in cola, tea, and chocolate. Alcohol can make you feel sleepy at first, but after few hours it will start acting as a stimulant and decrease your quality of sleep during the night. Avoid consuming it 3 to 4 hours before the bedtime. 

Eat Light Meals 

It is not a good idea to have a heavy meal in the evening as it can cause discomfort. If you plan to have a big or spicy dinner, you should do it at least 3 hours before you go to sleep. In case you start getting hungry afterward, you can eat a light snack an hour before the bedtime. Don’t worry, it won’t disturb your sleep. 

Exercise 

Exercising is not only healthy for our bodies, but for our minds as well. If you exercise regularly, you shouldn’t have troubles sleeping at night. People with active lifestyle fall asleep faster and wake up early refreshed and well-rested. In case you wake up tired, it would be good to exercise a few hours before going to bed. If you do it, you will sleep more soundly, and wake up full of energy in the morning. 

Establish a Sleeping Routine 

In case you have troubles sleeping, it would be of great help to have a sleep schedule. It means that you should try to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day. It works in a way that it regulates your body’s clock, and thanks to it, you won’t have to worry about restless nights. Try to stick to this routine on weekends too. 

Avoid Naps 

Some people need to take a short nap during the day to avoid feeling tired. Although this habit can help you get through the day, it can have an adverse impact on your sleeping at night. Sometimes, when a person takes a nap in the afternoon, he or she can’t fall asleep at bedtime. If this is the case, you should try to get through the day without a nap. However, if it is not possible, you should at least limit it to 30 minutes. 

Get a Comfortable Mattress 

If your current mattress is not as supportive and comfortable as it should be, you should consider getting a new one. The lack of comfort and support often occurs when a mattress has exceeded its lifespan. Comfortable pillows can also improve your quality of sleep and enhance the beauty of your bedroom. It is a win-win situation. 

Go to Sleep When Tired 

Sometimes, people go to bed even if they are not truly tired because they want to get their 8 hours of sleep before the morning. However, you can’t force something like this if you don’t feel tired. In case you go to bed, and you are not asleep after half an hour, it would be a good idea to go to another room, do something that will relax you, and as soon as you start feeling tired, return to bed. 

Tossing and turning all night because of back pain is a nightmare! Time to ditch that ancient mattress and welcome a brand-spanking-new one. Oh, the joy of picking out a fresh mattress! The wait might seem endless, but it’s totally worth it. Now, the real puzzle: what in the world do you do with the old one? If it’s been your dream partner for eons, it’s served its purpose. **Old mattresses are gigantic**, turning your space into a hot mess if you don’t get rid of them properly. For anyone wanting a tidier space without breaking a sweat, figuring out how to properly say goodbye to an old mattress is key. And guess what? Once you nail down how to kick that clunky mattress to the curb, your place will feel amazingly roomy. Hang tight, because you’re about to learn the ins and outs of making mattress removal easy-peasy, making room for more awesome stuff in your life!

The first thing that comes to mind is to leave it on the side of the road and wait until it is taken to the dump. However, this is a wrong solution, especially if you consider the fact that the landfills are already full of old mattresses. Each year, more than 20 million mattresses end up in landfills. Not only they are large and heavy, but they also can create dangerous conditions for workers. You should be aware that their shapes can create flammable air pockets. If you don’t want to put the well-being of landfill workers at risk, you should come up with a different way of disposal. 

Donation 

In case your mattress doesn’t show signs of wear and tear, and it is less than five years old, you should consider donating it. If it is not suitable to you, it may be of use to someone else. You have a variety of options to choose from when it comes to donating. For example, you can ask your friends and relatives if they need a mattress, or you can donate it to charity or the Salvation Army. Many organizations look forward to accepting mattress donations. However, if the lifespan of your mattress has expired, and it shows signs of wear, you shouldn’t donate it. Its weight can double in just a decade due to the collection of dead skin, body sweat, and dust mites, and in this case, you should think of a different way of disposal. 

Recycling 

Recycling is an eco-friendly way of disposal, and it is a great option as most materials inside the mattress are considered recyclable. Some of them include foam, wood, metal springs, and cotton. If you choose this option, you will not only get rid of the old mattress, but you will also help protect the environment. In case your mattress is not suitable for donation, and it is very old, you should contact one of the recycling centers in your area and dispose of it in a proper way. 

Throwing Away 

If the previous two options are unsuitable, you should consider throwing your old mattress away. People usually choose this solution if there is no recycling center in their area. However, getting rid of it is not as easy as leaving it at the side of the road. Most municipal trash collectors won’t accept it because of the weight, as well as the variety of materials that it is made with. If this is the case, you should get in touch with a local sanitation department or contact a dumpster rental company.  

Few things are as crucial as sleep for a newborn. On average, infants dedicate 16 hours daily to sleep, which is vital for their physical and mental growth. Therefore, any sleep issues in the initial stages of life must be addressed immediately.

It is vital to learn what is causing these sleep disturbances. And according to a new study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Hospital, persistent severe problems in babies can be linked to poor maternal prepartum and postpartum physical and mental health.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Fallon Cook followed 1460 women at 15 weeks gestation, and when their babies were 3, 6, 9, and 12 months old.

Experiencing sleep problems during the first year is common, and based on the results of their research, the team divided infant sleep problems into five categories:

• Those who had a few issues (24.7%)
• Persistent moderate problems (27.3%)
• Increased problems at 6 months (10.8%)
• Increased problems at 9 months (17.8%)
• Persistent severe issues (19.4%)

Persistent severe sleep problems in infants were correlated with mental health in mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth. Infants with the mothers who had prepartum and postpartum feelings of anxiety and depression, lower overall perception of health, as well as increased intimate partner violence (IPV) during the first year after birth, were much more likely to have persistent sleep impairments

These findings suggest that there are more things affecting infant sleep than parenting style, with mothers’ well-being during and after pregnancy being one of the most significant factors.

According to the authors, these results are significant as they could be used to predict sleep problems in babies and possibly intervene before they occur. Additionally, parents of infants with sleep problems often fell exhausted, depressed, and anxious and have feelings of self-doubt when it comes to parenting.

And what these findings say is that some infants may be predisposed to sleep problems because of the impaired prepartum maternal mental health, despite how hard parents try to help their newborns sleep.

What we should focus on is identifying and addressing the mental and physical health of women during pregnancy and after childbirth. Parents should seek professional help from their GPs or child health nurse if they are feeling anxious, depressed, and fatigued. Reaching out to family, friends, and local parenting groups can also help.

Being a new parent is stressful enough without infant sleep problems, but when they occur, it can become unbearable. It is crucial to address these issues as soon as they present themselves and take care of your mental and physical health. You can check our science-based sleep tips for babies, for more info on tackling sleep problems in infants.

At a young age, sleep ranks among the crucial necessities. It plays a key role in both physical and mental growth, alongside contributing significantly to emotional health. If you’re under the impression that issues like depression, anxiety, and behavioral challenges are exclusive to adults, you’re greatly mistaken.

An increase in the prevalence of these conditions in children shows that the situation is very serious, and we might have to look for triggers at the early stage of development.

A new study from the University of Birmingham investigates a link between sleep problems at an early age, and how they affect later emotional development. The results show that infants with poor sleep quality have a higher chance of developing depression, anxiety, or behavioral problems as toddlers.

Although it is well known how sleep disturbances can impact mood, irritability, and behavioral difficulties during the daytime, this study investigates how poor sleep affects behavioral and emotional health later in childhood.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham collaborated with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare to find out the impact of night awakenings, prolonged period of falling asleep, and short sleep duration on emotional state and behavioral problems in toddlers at 24 months.

The team used the results from sleep questionnaires from a study where parents reported sleep quality of their children at 3, 8, 18, and 24 months. They gathered the information from almost 1700 parents. Later, those results were compared with an additional questionnaire on emotional and behavioral state at 24 months, filled by 950 parents.

The results showed frequent night awakenings at three months of age to be strongly linked to the inability to control emotions and behavior, and overall emotional problems in toddlers. Additionally, both short sleep and longer sleep onset were correlated to behavioral problems at 24 months, such as temper tantrums.

According to these findings, it is easy to conclude the enormous importance of sleep quality on mental health and the development of healthy coping mechanisms at a later age. These sleep disturbances could have different origins, form genetics to environmental factors. Of course, detecting poor sleep at a young age is vital for healthy development.

Authors highlight the importance of more research in this area, as well as developing novel interventions for infants with sleep problems, as it could be particularly beneficial for healthy emotional state and behavioral control in children.

Stress pops up like a sneaky cat, hiding around every corner of our daily lives. Try as you might, you just can’t shake it off completely. Getting the hang of taming stress and anxiety is super important for keeping your health in tip-top shape. If you’re keen on knocking stress down a peg or two, stick around. You’re about to discover some neat tricks that’ll help keep your cool, making a huge difference in your well-being!

According to a new study from the University of California, Berkley, sleep is an effective way to get your emotions in order. In fact, they claim that losing a night of sleep can lead to a 30% rise in anxiety levels the following day.

We all know that sleep is vital for our well-being, as lack of proper rest often leaves us irritable, prone to mood swings, and unable to concentrate or perform mentally. And according to UC Berkley researchers, a specific phase of sleep is responsible for resetting our anxious brains.

When we fall asleep, we experience a couple of light sleep phases at the beginning, following by deep sleep, and then finally rapid eye movement (REM) stage. It seems that deep sleep is particularly important for reducing stress and anxiety, as neural oscillations are deeply synchronized, and blood pressure and heart rate drop. That gives a perfect opportunity to reorganize connections in the brain and repair damage.

Study authors point that sleep is a natural remedy for anxiety disorders that are on the rise in the US, with over 40 million Americans suffering from them. What’s concerning is that we see a trend of prevalence increase in children and teens. But when you account for the fact that most children and teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep regularly, it all makes sense.

Using a series of experiments, researchers from UC Barkley scanned the brains of 18 young adults, while they watched disturbing video clips. The investigators wanted to see if there was any difference if the participants viewed stirring videos after a sleepless or a night full of sleep. They used polysomnography and functional MRI for measuring brain and other activity, and each session was followed by a questionnaire to assess the level of anxiety in participants.

As expected, subjects who slept less had an increased anxiety response to viewing those disturbing videos. Brain scans showed complete inhibition of the prefrontal cortex, which generally keeps stress and anxiety in check. Additionally, emotional centers in the brain were overactive.

More importantly, after a night full of sleep, anxiety levels dropped significantly. And there was a positive correlation with deep sleep, meaning that participants who experienced more deep sleep had lower anxiety levels.

These findings show that deep sleep is essential for both the prevention and mediation of stress and anxiety.

Researchers managed to replicate their results in another similar study with 30 participants, where participants who got the most deep sleep also experienced the lowest anxiety levels the following day.

Additionally, researchers conducted an online study following 280 subjects for four days and tracking their anxiety levels. The results were similar to previous studies. But interestingly, even the slightest changes in deep sleep affected the anxiety levels.

All these findings support the argument that sleep recommendations should be a part of managing anxiety disorders. More importantly, sleep could be an excellent natural prevention for developing these conditions in the first place.

Cardiovascular ailments encompass disorders related to the heart and blood vessels, and they stand as the leading cause of mortality globally, claiming the lives of nearly 18 million individuals annually, as reported by the World Health Organization.

When we talk about cardiovascular health prevention, exercise and diet get most of the spotlight. And although we do know that proper rest is also essential for our cardiovascular system, most recommendations focus solely on how long we sleep. A new study published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology proposes that sleep patterns are a more significant risk factor for cardiovascular health than sleep duration. There are more factors determining sleep quality, and focusing only on sleep duration may not be the best solution when it comes to heart diseases.

Our internal clocks are responsible for keeping metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep patterns running smoothly. So what exactly happens when the irregular sleep disturbs our internal clocks? Researchers from Brigham and Woman’s Hospital measured that exact effect.

The investigators examined data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The study included 1992 participants with diverse ethnic backgrounds and no history of cardiovascular diseases at the beginning. All the subjects were aged 45-84 years, and they were required to wear a wrist activity tracker for seven days. The device recorded their sleep activities and patterns.

After the initial measurements, participants were followed for five years on average. During that period, 111 subjects experienced a cardiovascular event, including strokes, heart attacks, and other adverse incidents.

Researchers then divided participants into four groups depending on their sleep patterns. When it comes to sleep duration, the most irregular group had more than two-hour difference on a night to night basis, while the most regular one had less than an hour. The investigators also considered consistency, and they compared subjects with the most consistent schedules against those whose bedtimes varied each night significantly.

The results showed that cardiovascular events were most common in people with the most irregular sleep patterns. In fact, they estimate that only 8 in 1000 people with regular sleep patterns would have a cardiovascular event over one year, while that number rises to 20 in people with an irregular sleep schedule.

These results show that sleep consistency is another important indicator of sleep quality, besides sleep duration. The authors expressed an interest in researching this topic even further. They want to know whether an intervention such as a more regular sleep schedule could decrease a person’s risk of a cardiovascular event. Until then, findings from this study confirm how important it is to maintain good sleeping hygiene.

Lack of adequate sleep can be detrimental to your health for various reasons. It notably hampers your body’s capacity for self-repair and elevates the risk of encountering numerous health issues, including heart diseases, diabetes, fatigue, among others. In addition, insufficient sleep often leads to cravings for foods that are high in sugar and fat.

When we are sleep deprived, we often go for junk food, and it can lead to weight gain and additional health problems. Scientists from Northwestern University wanted to investigate this link and find out what is the reason behind the desire for calorie-dense food choices following a sleepless night.

A new study hints that your nose may be the reason for junk food cravings. Sleep deprivation affects the olfactory system, which leads to a sharper perception of food smells. In addition, the communication between brain centers responsible for receiving food signals breaks down, which is why fries, donuts, and other junk food options seem like the best idea.

When certain parts of the brain aren’t getting proper signals, the brain may try to overcompensate by choosing energy-dense food. The researchers wanted to investigate why there is such a breakdown of communication between different brain regions.

Previous research has identified molecules called endocannabinoids (ECs) that are important for how the brain responds to odors, and they also play an important role in feeding behavior. When we are sleep deprived, there is an increased level of endocannabinoids in our blood. That is why these molecules were the logical suspect for investigation of this sudden change of eating behavior.

To investigate, researchers examined how sleep deprivation influenced food choices and how levels of an endocannabinoid called 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG) changed. They tested 25 healthy adults with normal body mass index. Divided into two groups, participants experienced either usual or short sleep periods. After that, researchers analyzed 2-OG levels, food choices, and fMRI scans to see how sleep deprivation impacted brain connectivity.

Interestingly, when sleep-deprived people were given a choice to pick what they want to eat, they chose higher energy food like donuts, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies. Sleep deprivation was also linked to higher levels of 2-OG.

Patients also underwent an fMRI scan before the buffet to help researchers understand how different odors affected signaling between brain regions. Interestingly, the piriform cortex, which is the first cortical brain region to receive olfactory signals, showed that food smells were perceived more strongly than non-food odors in sleep-deprived patients.

But that is not all.

The fMRI scans showed increased activity in the piriform cortex when sleep deprived patients encountered food odors. Source: Northwestern University

The piriform cortex sends signals to another region called the insular cortex, which is responsible for food intake and feelings of satiety. But when subjects were sleep-deprived, this connection was weaker, and it was also linked with an increase in 2-OG levels.

In conclusion, a lack of sleep influences the endocannabinoid system, which then affects different brain areas, and the result is an increased preference for energy-packed foods. The statistics show an alarming rate of sleep deprivation and obesity in the US, and these findings could help scientists to develop new ways of battling both things at once.

Diagnosing sleep issues is crucial for the early identification of sleep disorders and ensuring the appropriate treatment is administered. If left unchecked, these disorders can significantly damage overall well-being and life quality.

However, diagnosing sleep disorders is a fairly complex process. You need to go to a sleep clinic where sleep technicians perform polysomnography, and then the results are interpreted by sleep specialists. One of the most crucial steps in this process is the identification of sleep stages. And a new study from the University of Eastern Finland gives presents a strong case to how a deep learning algorithm can help with the identification of different sleep stages.

Traditionally, sleep is divided into rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM, with non-REM consisting of an additional three stages. Classification is performed manually during polysomnography and using several instruments such as electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), and electrooculogram (EOG). This protocol is costly, time-consuming, and requires trained professionals.

That is why researchers from the University of Eastern Finland wanted to develop a deep learning model that can help with the identification of sleep stages and diagnosing sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

OSA is one of the most common sleep disorders, and some estimates go as far as saying that over 30% of the world population suffers from it. And the number is only going higher with the increase in overweight and obese individuals, which is one of the most common risk factors for developing OSA. When untreated, this condition increases factors of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other serious health implications.

To improve sleep stage identifications, researchers used data from healthy as well as individuals with OSA to develop a deep learning model. They wanted to look at the overall classification accuracy and also the precision with the increase of OSA severity.

The results showed that the deep learning model had 83.7% accuracy classifying sleep stages using a single frontal EEG channel in healthy people. In individuals with suspected OSA, that number was 82.9%. After adding the EOG channel, it only slightly improved precision, and numbers rose to 83.9% in healthy individuals, and 83.8% in people with suspected OSA. According to these results, the model performed better than some previous ones, and its accuracy is equivalent to an experienced physician performing manual sleep stage identification.

The single-channel model had an 84.5% accuracy when predicting sleep stages in healthy adults, while the number went down to 76.5% in people with severe OSA symptoms. These results were expected, as even experienced physicians have problems identifying stages in patients with severe OSA, as their sleep architecture changes due to sleep fragmentation.

These findings are promising, and it could mean we are about to start using advanced deep learning models for highly accurate sleep diagnostics. Wearable non-intrusive sensors, improved diagnostics, and artificial intelligence learning are potentially the future of AI diagnostics, not just sleep. Hopefully, this deep learning model can help with OSA diagnostics, assessment, and providing better treatment.

Childhood is a crucial period for the development of our central nervous systems, making it imperative that during this time, children are provided with all necessary essentials. This encompasses appropriate nutrition, both physical and mental stimulation, a sense of joy, and, importantly, sufficient sleep.

Sleep is essential for proper cognitive functioning. It is well known that lower sleep duration is correlated with cognitive and mental health problems in adults. However, a large scale analysis of this correlation has lacked in children.

A new 2020 study wanted to analyze the impact of sleep duration on psychiatric and cognitive problems, and also see how it impacts different brain structures.

Researchers from the University of Warwick investigated over 11,000 children aged 9-11 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) consortium. All the children came from the US with a wide range of geographic, ethnic, socioeconomic, and health backgrounds.

Behavioral measurements were used to obtain sleep duration, cognitive, and mental health assessments. Researchers also looked at structural MRIs to see if there were any changes in central nervous system composition in relation to sleep duration.

After statistical analyses, researchers found that the feelings of anxiety, depression, and impulsive behavior were negatively correlated with the sleep duration in participants. The same could be said with cognitive performance. Interestingly, the mental well being of parents was also negatively correlated with the amount of sleep their children were getting.

Looking at the neural imaging, researchers noticed a trend of lower brain volumes, especially in particular areas such as temporal, prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortex, inferior and middle temporal gyrus, precuneus, and supramarginal gyrus.

Different brain areas affected by sleep. Source: University of Warwick.

After one year, a follow up with around half the initial participants showed depressive symptoms were correlated with shorter sleep duration even at that time. Since there is a complex link between sleep and mental health, we often see sleep disturbances in people with depression and anxiety. And it can be hard to break from that circle since mental health problems make it harder to maintain good sleep hygiene, and a lack of proper rest makes these conditions worse.

The biggest problem is that the majority of children don’t get enough sleep on school nights. Inappropriate screen time, the use of electronics before bedtime, inadequate school schedule, too much homework, and other activities can all impact your child’s rest. However, you should try your best to teach them the importance of sleep.

One of the coauthors, professor Edmund Rolls stated that children who slept for less than 7 hours on average expressed 53% more behavioral problems and had a 7.8% lower cognitive score than children who slept 9 to 11 hours. These numbers should highlight just how essential sleep is for both mental health and cognitive performance.

Although we need that sleep is vital, especially in the developing period, researchers admit that we need more studies to discover the underlying mechanisms for these links.

For many, the idea of acquiring knowledge while asleep has long been an enticing concept. However, attempts by some to master languages like Spanish or Chinese by playing lessons as they slept soon revealed that this technique wasn’t particularly effective. While sleep plays a crucial role in learning, it cannot substitute for the effort required to learn.

However, a new study from the University of Freiburg shows it could be possible to optimize sleep and achieve more efficient learning.

The team of researchers wanted to assess the importance of odor cues during learning, sleep, and testing, on memory formation in school children. Some previous studies performed in laboratory conditions showed that odors could be a potent stimulus for memory consolidation during sleep. However, this new study wanted to explore how this hypothesis would hold in everyday conditions.

The study was conducted in 6^th-grade healthy German students in their home and school environment. To see how odor impacts learning English vocabulary, researchers used rose scent as an odor cue. They divided the students into four groups

1. The control group didn’t receive any intervention.
2. The second group had a rose scent present while they were studying and sleeping.
3. The third group had a rose scent present while learning and taking a test.
4. The final group had a rose scent present while learning, sleeping, and taking a test.

The results surprisingly showed that the students remembered vocabulary much better with a rose scent. In fact, the students who were exposed to rose scent during learning and sleep showed a 30% increase in learning success compared to the control group. There was no difference between the second group where the fragrance wasn’t present during testing and the last group where it was present during all three phases. The researchers published these findings in the Nature Group’s Open Access journal Scientific Reports.

These findings suggest that a simple fragrance stick could be used for improving learning efficiency. It highlights the importance of odor cues in memory acquisition and consolidation. And if something so simple could be this efficient, everybody could boost their learning ability with ease.

However, there are a few limitations to this study. The participating students went to two different schools, meaning different teachers, classes, and tests. That could very well be a reason for some of the result differences. Also, there was no control over other environmental factors. Students were responsible for studying, and the use of scented sticks and their reports may not reflect these parameters objectively. That is why scientists perform these experiments in a lab, where they can control all the factors, but this study provides valuable insights nevertheless.

This could be a significant step towards making learning more efficient and improving the effect of sleep on memory formation.