Sleeping longer at night had little impact on work productivity or cardiovascular health. However, taking a short daytime nap helped improve productivity and well-being overall.
From more frequent sleep disruptions to increased lucid dreams, a new study investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted sleep and dreaming.
People who are genetically predisposed to be "early birds" only take a few days to adjust to time changes as a result of daylight savings. Night owls can take over a week to adjust to the time change.
Researchers advise parents to check in on their sleeping children to monitor for potential sleep disorders that affect breathing.
Sleep twitches help enrich the encoding of sensory information in newborn rats, laying the groundwork for later motor function.
Combining EEG data and MRI brain scans, researchers discovered how, during sleep, the hippocampus sends memory information it has stored throughout the day to the cerebral cortex, allowing for memory consolidation.
Middle-aged women with higher levels of aerobic fitness sleep more each night and feel more rested than those who are less fit.
Daydreaming and mind-wandering appear to occur when parts of the brain fall asleep while other areas remain awake.
Three consecutive nights of sleep loss can have a negative impact on both mental and physical health. Sleep deprivation can lead to an increase in anger, frustration, and anxiety. Additionally, those who experienced sleep loss reported a change in physical wellbeing, including gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.
Two existing medications have been repurposed to treat sleep apnea. Researchers report the medications reduce symptoms of sleep apnea by 30%.
In mice, natural melatonin is linked to a pre-hibernation state, allowing for a slower metabolism and survival when food is scarce or the temperature is too cold.
People report mental distress is reduced in the Summer compared to the Fall. Researchers speculate the seasonal improvement in mental wellbeing could be a result of improved diet, more frequent exercise, and improved sleep quality during the Summer months.
