9 New Lessons We've Learned About Sleep And Health
If you've ever been afraid of getting sick when your sleep patterns are off, you might be on to something.
A study in mice published just last month in the journal Immunity shows that the circadian clock -- which determines when we are tired, hungry or alert -- is also in charge of controlling an immune system gene, HuffPost's Catherine Pearson reported.
"People intuitively know that when their sleep patterns are disturbed, they are more likely to get sick," study author Erol Fikrig, professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine, said in a statement. "It does appear that disruptions of the circadian clock influence our susceptibility to pathogens."
If you've ever been afraid of getting sick when your sleep patterns are off, you might be on to something.
A study in mice published just last month in the journal Immunity shows that the circadian clock -- which determines when we are tired, hungry or alert -- is also in charge of controlling an immune system gene, HuffPost's Catherine Pearson reported.
"People intuitively know that when their sleep patterns are disturbed, they are more likely to get sick," study author Erol Fikrig, professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine, said in a statement. "It does appear that disruptions of the circadian clock influence our susceptibility to pathogens."
1.Circadian Rhythms Influence Immunity
2. Insomnia Is Still A Big Problem
Multiple studies have shown that not getting enough sleep each night
is linked with poor mental performance, a bad mood, and even an increased risk of health conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health.
For most adults, seven to eight hours is the prime amount of sleep to get a night, while kids and newborns require even more sleep. As the NIH puts it, "how well rested you are and how well you function the next day depend on your total sleep time and how much of the various stages of sleep you get each night."
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For most adults, seven to eight hours is the prime amount of sleep to get a night, while kids and newborns require even more sleep. As the NIH puts it, "how well rested you are and how well you function the next day depend on your total sleep time and how much of the various stages of sleep you get each night."
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3. What Happens When Teens Don't Get Enough Sleep? Blood Sugar problems.
A recent study in the journal Sleep showed just how important it is for teens -- particularly those with Type 1 diabetes -- to get a good night's rest.
The study showed that kids and teens with Type 1 diabetes may have trouble getting a good night's sleep, and that sleeplessness could be linked with their ability to control their blood sugar levels and their behavior and performance at school.
"We found that it could be due to abnormalities in sleep, such as daytime sleepiness, lighter sleep and sleep apnea. All of these make it more difficult to have good blood sugar control," study researcher Michelle Perfect, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona, said in a statement.
The study showed that kids and teens with Type 1 diabetes may have trouble getting a good night's sleep, and that sleeplessness could be linked with their ability to control their blood sugar levels and their behavior and performance at school.
"We found that it could be due to abnormalities in sleep, such as daytime sleepiness, lighter sleep and sleep apnea. All of these make it more difficult to have good blood sugar control," study researcher Michelle Perfect, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona, said in a statement.
4. We Boost Our Learning Capacity As We Sleep
A study published lasts year in the journal Current Biology
shows that during the dreamless parts of our sleep, our brain is amping
up its learning capacity, University of California, Berkeley researchers
reported.
Electrical bursts called "sleep spindles" occur in the brain as we sleep, and scientists have found that these actually work to move information from the hippocampus (a part of the brain that has only limited space to store memories) to another part of the brain, which functions as a sort of brain "hard drive," according to a university press release.
The researchers found that this process most likely occurs during shallow sleep before we reach our dream stage of sleep (called REM sleep).
"These findings further highlight the importance of sleep in our educational populations, where the need for learning is great, yet late bedtimes and early school start times prevent adequate sleep amounts," study researcher Bryce Mander, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at UC Berkeley, said in a statement.
Electrical bursts called "sleep spindles" occur in the brain as we sleep, and scientists have found that these actually work to move information from the hippocampus (a part of the brain that has only limited space to store memories) to another part of the brain, which functions as a sort of brain "hard drive," according to a university press release.
The researchers found that this process most likely occurs during shallow sleep before we reach our dream stage of sleep (called REM sleep).
"These findings further highlight the importance of sleep in our educational populations, where the need for learning is great, yet late bedtimes and early school start times prevent adequate sleep amounts," study researcher Bryce Mander, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at UC Berkeley, said in a statement.
5. Sleep Gets Better With Age
Older people may sleep better than us all, suggests a new study in the journal SLEEP.
Dr. Michael Grandner, a research associate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said the finding "flies in the face of popular belief," and compels us to think about how we think about older people and sleep.
The study, which included 155,000 adults, showed that the oldest (people age 80 and older) were the least likely to report sleep disturbances and tiredness.
The researchers also found that as people got older, they reported fewer and fewer of these sleep issues (with the exception of people between ages 40 and 59 -- especially women -- who reported a small uptick in sleep problems, though the problems then appeared to decrease afterward).
Dr. Michael Grandner, a research associate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said the finding "flies in the face of popular belief," and compels us to think about how we think about older people and sleep.
The study, which included 155,000 adults, showed that the oldest (people age 80 and older) were the least likely to report sleep disturbances and tiredness.
The researchers also found that as people got older, they reported fewer and fewer of these sleep issues (with the exception of people between ages 40 and 59 -- especially women -- who reported a small uptick in sleep problems, though the problems then appeared to decrease afterward).
6. Sleeping Pills Linked With Increased Death Risk
A new study in the journal BMJ Open shows that there could be a link between taking sleeping pills and an increased risk of death.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found that taking 18 or fewer sleeping pills a year is linked with having a 3.5 times higher risk of death. And the effect seems to be even higher with the more pills you take -- CBS News reported that people who take 132 or more sleeping pills a year have a five-times higher risk of death, as well as a 35 percent increased risk of developing cancer.
However, ABC News pointed out that the study makes no mention of whether the people in the study were also being simultaneously treated for other health conditions, or the reasons for why they were given sleeping pills -- all factors that could also have played a part in upping death risk.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found that taking 18 or fewer sleeping pills a year is linked with having a 3.5 times higher risk of death. And the effect seems to be even higher with the more pills you take -- CBS News reported that people who take 132 or more sleeping pills a year have a five-times higher risk of death, as well as a 35 percent increased risk of developing cancer.
However, ABC News pointed out that the study makes no mention of whether the people in the study were also being simultaneously treated for other health conditions, or the reasons for why they were given sleeping pills -- all factors that could also have played a part in upping death risk.
7. Disrupted Sleep Linked With Alzheimer's
Having trouble staying asleep at night could also be linked with build-up of amyloid plaques
-- linked with Alzheimer's disease -- in the brain, according to
research that will be presented at the annual meeting of the American
Academy of Neurology.
Researchers found that the more "efficient" sleepers in the study -- that is, the people who spent more than 85 percent of time in their beds actually sleeping -- were less likely to have the amyloid plaques than the "inefficient" sleepers -- defined as people who spent less than 85 percent of time in their beds actually sleeping.
"Further research is needed to determine why this is happening and whether sleep changes may predict cognitive decline," study researcher Yo-El Ju, MD, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a statement.
Researchers found that the more "efficient" sleepers in the study -- that is, the people who spent more than 85 percent of time in their beds actually sleeping -- were less likely to have the amyloid plaques than the "inefficient" sleepers -- defined as people who spent less than 85 percent of time in their beds actually sleeping.
"Further research is needed to determine why this is happening and whether sleep changes may predict cognitive decline," study researcher Yo-El Ju, MD, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a statement.
8. Kids Haven't Gotten Enough Sleep In A Long Time
A recent review of studies from University of South Australia
researchers shows that for the last 100 years, kids have consistently not gotten enough sleep at night.
The researchers looked at 300 studies on kids' sleep, dating back from 1897 all the way to 2009, TIME reported. They found that in total, kids generally got 37 minutes less sleep than they should have gotten.
For a full look a the findings, click over to TIME's story.
The researchers looked at 300 studies on kids' sleep, dating back from 1897 all the way to 2009, TIME reported. They found that in total, kids generally got 37 minutes less sleep than they should have gotten.
For a full look a the findings, click over to TIME's story.
9. Being A Lark Is Healthier For Kids Than Being A Night Owl
Australian researchers found last year that kids who go to bed late and wake up late have a 1.5 times higher risk of being obese, compared with kids who go to bed early and then wake up early.
Plus: The kids who slept late and the kids who slept early got the same amounts of shut-eye, meaning that the "timing of the sleep is even more important," said study researcher Carol Maher, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow with the University of South Australia, said in a statement.
The early-to-bed, early-to-risers went to bed 70 to 90 minutes earlier and woke up 60 to 80 minutes earlier than their late-sleeping counterparts, as well as exercised 27 more minutes a day than the late risers, according to the SLEEP study. The late risers also played video games or watched TV for 48 more minutes a day than the early risers.
That's because mornings might be better for physical activity, while late nights are more conducive to activities like TV-watching, researchers said.
Plus: The kids who slept late and the kids who slept early got the same amounts of shut-eye, meaning that the "timing of the sleep is even more important," said study researcher Carol Maher, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow with the University of South Australia, said in a statement.
The early-to-bed, early-to-risers went to bed 70 to 90 minutes earlier and woke up 60 to 80 minutes earlier than their late-sleeping counterparts, as well as exercised 27 more minutes a day than the late risers, according to the SLEEP study. The late risers also played video games or watched TV for 48 more minutes a day than the early risers.
That's because mornings might be better for physical activity, while late nights are more conducive to activities like TV-watching, researchers said.
Summary:
1.Circadian Rhythms Influence Immunity
2. Insomnia Is Still A Big Problem
3. What Happens When Teens Don't Get Enough Sleep? Blood Sugar problems.
4. We Boost Our Learning Capacity As We Sleep
5. Sleep Gets Better With Age
6. Sleeping Pills Linked With Increased Death Risk
7. Disrupted Sleep Linked With Alzheimer's
8. Kids Haven't Gotten Enough Sleep In A Long Time
9. Being A Lark Is Healthier For Kids Than Being A Night Owl
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