Tag: Insomnia

Overnight brain stimulation improves memory: Non-invasive technique enhances memory storage without disturbing sleep

New research in humans demonstrates the potential to improve memory with a non-invasive brain stimulation technique delivered during sleep. The results, published in JNeurosci, come from a project funded by the United States Department of Defense that aims to better understand the process of memory consolidation, which could translate into improved memory function in both

Brain changes linked to sleep need

We’ve all experienced going to bed tired and waking up refreshed, yet how that happens at the molecular level remains a mystery. An international study published today in Nature sheds new light on the biochemistry of sleep need in the brain. According to the American Sleep Association, 50 million to 70 million U.S. adults have

Sleep problems in Parkinson’s disease: Can we fix them?

A team of researchers at VIB and KU Leuven has uncovered why people with a hereditary form of Parkinson’s disease suffer from sleep disturbances. The molecular mechanisms uncovered in fruit flies and human stem cells also point to candidate targets for the development of new treatments. Sleep and Parkinson’s Parkinson’s disease affects 5 million people

Lighting intervention improves sleep and mood for Alzheimer’s patients: Daytime light exposure decreases sleep disturbances, depression and agitation

A tailored lighting intervention in nursing homes can positively impact sleep, mood and behavior for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to preliminary findings from a new study. People with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias may experience sleep problems, wandering, and associated daytime irritability. This study tested whether a tailored daytime lighting intervention could improve sleep

Short and long sleep durations lnked with excess heart age: Sleep duration and heart age may be a simplified way to express cardiovascular disease risk

Preliminary results from a new study show that excess heart age (EHA) appeared to be lowest among adults who reported sleeping seven hours per 24-hour period. Results show that mean adjusted EHA was lowest among adults who reported sleeping seven hours per 24-hour period. Sleeping times less than or greater than seven hours were associated

Sleep paralysis and hallucinations are prevalent in student athletes: Study also suggests sleep disorders are associated with depression symptoms

Pilot data from a recent study suggest that sleep paralysis and dream-like hallucinations as you are falling asleep or waking up are widespread in student athletes and are independently associated with symptoms of depression. This study is the first to examine the relationship between these sleep symptoms and mental health in student athletes, independent of

A key switch in biological clocks

Just as we abide by an external time schedule to eat, sleep, and go to work, our body is similarly dictated by internal clocks. Known as circadian rhythms, these daily cycles keep us on a regular 24-hour day and are involved in numerous aspects of our well-being. When these biological clocks fail to work as

Insomnia causes the brain to ‘eat itself’, study finds 

Insomnia causes the brain to ‘eat itself’ and may lead to Alzheimer’s, study finds Sleep is important to clear away brain cell ‘wear and tear’, research suggests Yet, insomnia causes this to go into overdrive and remove healthy brain cells Previous research suggests the removal of such cells is linked to Alzheimer’s The study was

Acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy for treating insomnia in cancer survivors

A Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-supported randomized clinical trial of cancer survivors showed that eight weeks of either acupuncture or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) decreased the severity of insomnia among cancer survivors, though improvements were greatest among patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy. The study will be presented at the upcoming 2018 ASCO Annual

The effect of night shifts: Gene expression fails to adapt to new sleep patterns: Genes related to the immune system and metabolic processes did not adapt to new sleeping and eating patterns

Have you ever considered that working night shifts may, in the long run, have an impact on your health? A team of researchers from the McGill University affiliated Douglas Mental Health University Institute (DMHUI) has discovered that genes regulating important biological processes are incapable of adapting to new sleeping and eating patterns and that most

Effects of night-time light on internal body clock

New research published in The Journal of Physiology has illuminated the effects of night-time light exposure on internal body clock processes. This is important for helping those who have poor quality sleep, such as shift workers, and could help improve treatments for depression. The body has an internal clock that causes various physiological processes to

Revisiting existing drugs finds molecules that control body clocks: Discovery of an anti-aging supplement that reduces jet lag in mice

Using drug repurposing, a team of researchers led by animal biologists at Nagoya University has discovered compounds that can either shorten or lengthen the circadian rhythm in human cells. A hormone, also known as a common anti-aging supplement demonstrated period-shortening activities, and when it was fed to mice, jet lag symptoms were significantly reduced. Further