MEDICAL EXPRESS - SLEEP APNEA

1. The rise in children's melatonin use and what experts want you to know

   Packed holiday schedules, no school, disrupted bedtime routines—a parent's worst nightmare. And if you are one of the many turning to melatonin to help their little ones get to sleep, you may want to think again. New research suggests this increasingly popular solution deserves a closer look.

2. Fairy tales can help teach children about healthy sleep

   Some traditional fairy tales and classic children's fiction that have soothed many a child to sleep may also provide accessible and engaging ways to discuss healthy sleep with children, suggest researchers in the Christmas issue of the BMJ.

3. Sleep apnea linked to changes in the brain

   People with breathing problems during sleep may have a larger hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, according to a study published in the December 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology.

4. Study finds sleepiness affects New Year's resolution success

   Researchers from the University of South Carolina, CQUniversity Australia and the University of Surrey recommend adding one more item to your list of New Year's resolutions: getting enough sleep. Their recent study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, found that sleepiness increases reliance on habits—whether good or bad.

5. Getting in sync: Wearables reveal happiest times to sleep

   Sleep schedules are often one of the first things that people choose to compromise in order to check everything off their to-do lists, especially with the end of the year approaching. But folks hoping for happy holidays should reconsider.

6. Study supports taVNS for chronic insomnia, but questions on its legitimacy remain

   China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) researchers at the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Hospital have conducted a study showing that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation improves sleep quality in patients with chronic insomnia.

7. Breathing coordinates brain rhythms for memory consolidation during sleep

   Just as a conductor coordinates different instruments in an orchestra to produce a symphony, breathing coordinates hippocampal brain waves to strengthen memory while we sleep, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

8. Q&A: Study shows males spend approximately 52% more time in bright light than females

   Danielle A. Wallace, MPH, Ph.D., from the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is the corresponding author of a new study in npj Biological Timing and Sleep, titled "Light Exposure Differs by Sex in the U.S., with Females Receiving Less Bright Light." In this interview, she discusses her research.

9. Experts advocate for permanent sleep telehealth services to enhance patient care nationwide

   The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has issued a new position statement advocating for permanent telehealth coverage, emphasizing its essential role in providing high-quality, patient-centered care for individuals with sleep disorders.

10. Spanish physicists clash with British Sleep Society over time change

    The seasonal time change synchronizes the start of human activity with morning light (dawn), allowing more daytime leisure in summer afternoons. This is the focus of an article that Jorge Mira Pérez and José María Martín Olalla, professors at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and the University of Seville (US), have published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

11. Excessive screen time linked to poor sleep, behavior issues in kids

    Excessive screen use by preschool-age children can lead to reduced sleep quality, exacerbating problems such as poor attention, hyperactivity and unstable mood, a new study suggests.

12. Usual/permanent night shifts, poor sleep quality linked to epilepsy

    Night shifts and poor sleep quality are associated with an increased risk for incident epilepsy, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in BMC Public Health.

13. Good sleep may shield against frailty in older adults, India study finds

    India is home to more than 150 million people over the age of 60. This figure will more than double by 2050, reaching roughly the current total population of the United States, according to projections from the United Nations Population Fund.

14. Do weighted blankets help you sleep better? Here's what to know

    Rhonda James was skeptical when her husband ordered a weighted blanket for her online. But five minutes after she wrapped it around her body, she zonked out.

15. Bright light may lower depression symptoms by promoting better sleep

    Why might more time in the sun boost a person's mood? A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, suggests that sleep may hold the key. The study, which included more than 6,600 participants, found that participants who spent more time in bright light had more regular sleep, and more regular sleep was associated with lower depression symptoms and lower odds of mild or severe depression. Results are published in JAMA Network Open.

16. Peer support could help millions with sleep apnea slumber easier, study says

    Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, therapy can improve the lives of people with obstructive sleep apnea, but nearly half of adults with CPAP machines fail to adhere to a regular regimen of CPAP use. A new University of Arizona Health Sciences study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that peer support improved CPAP adherence and patient satisfaction, which can improve sleep and overall health.

17. College students' insomnia linked more strongly to loneliness than screen time

    Being lonely is a bigger hurdle to a good night's sleep for college students than too much time at a computer or other electronic screen, a new study by Oregon State University suggests.

18. Sleep apnea associated with age-related macular degeneration

    A Center for Eye Research Australia study has linked low levels of oxygen in the blood overnight—a common sign of obstructive sleep apnea—with wet age-related macular degeneration.

19. Broken sleep a hallmark sign of living with the most common liver disease, scientists find

    The prevalence of MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) is exploding in most regions of the world, boosted by increased obesity and sedentary lifestyles. MASLD (formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is already the most common liver disorder: it affects 30% of adults and between 7% and 14% of children and adolescents, and this prevalence is predicted to rise to more than 55% of adults by 2040.

20. Nocturnal enuresis more common in children with sleep apnea

    Nocturnal enuresis is more common in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Children.

21. A 'chemical metronome': Researchers uncover how astrocytes help the brain's master clock keep time

    Imperial researchers have uncovered a "chemical metronome" in the brain, which helps to synchronize the master clock that tells us when it's time to sleep. In a study of brain cells from mice and humans, researchers found that star-shaped cells called astrocytes rhythmically produce a chemical pulse that helps the brain's master clock keep time, influencing our circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle.

22. Jet lag: Your metabolism recovers quicker than your brain—new study

    The body has a network of daily (circadian) clocks that influences most areas of our health, including sleep and metabolism. A central clock in the brain is closely tied to daily sleep rhythms. But there are also clocks in other tissues—such as liver, muscle and fat—and they play an important role in metabolism.

23. High blood pressure and shorter sleep may worsen brain decline

    People with high blood pressure who also lack sleep may be at increased risk of reduced cognitive performance and greater brain injury, Monash University research has found.

24. Irregular sleep-wake cycle linked to heightened risk of major cardiovascular events

    An irregular sleep-wake cycle is associated with a heightened risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, even for those who clock up the recommended nightly hours of shut-eye, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

25. The link between sleep and blood pressure: New research sheds light on gender differences

    You may have heard sleep described as something of a magic pill for the body. With the right amount, timing, and quality, it can work wonders—strengthen the immune system, improve blood sugar, even decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Sleep differences have been reported for some time in men and women, but it is not well known whether the characteristics of sleep serve different functions in one gender over the other, especially as it relates to the heart. New research seeks answers.

26. Researcher offers advice for those with trouble sleeping

    Sleep problems have become a widespread issue. In a new popular science book and in an interview with ETH News, ETH sleep researcher Caroline Lustenberger describes the do's (and don'ts) for when you can't get to sleep.

27. A new clock to structure sleep: Study shows brain stem region involved in organization of sleep

    Researchers at the University of Lausanne have identified a novel role for the brain's "locus coeruleus" in sleep and its disruptions. This brain region facilitates the transition between NREM and REM sleep states while maintaining an unconscious vigilance toward the external world. Stress disrupts its functions and negatively impacts on sleep quality.

28. New insights into sleep uncover mechanisms with broad implications for boosting brainpower

    While it's well known that sleep enhances cognitive performance, the underlying neural mechanisms, particularly those related to nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, remain largely unexplored. A new study by a team of researchers at Rice University and Houston Methodist's Center for Neural Systems Restoration and Weill Cornell Medical College, coordinated by Rice's Valentin Dragoi, has nonetheless uncovered a key mechanism by which sleep enhances neuronal and behavioral performance, potentially changing our fundamental understanding of how sleep boosts brainpower.

29. Researchers link snoring to behavioral problems in adolescents without declines in cognition

    Adolescents who snore frequently were more likely to exhibit behavior problems such as inattention, rule-breaking, and aggression, but they do not have any decline in their cognitive abilities, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).

30. Bidirectional association seen for sleep disorders, chronic kidney disease

    There are bidirectional associations for sleep disorders with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a review published in the November issue of Chronic Kidney Journal.