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Approximately one in five people on Earth lives with chronic pain. And the vast majority—up to two-thirds—are women. New research from Aalborg University sheds light on a possible cause: sleep. A new study shows that disturbed sleep increases the body's sensitivity to pain, and that women react more strongly than men. According to the researchers, this opens up a new and often overlooked approach to both the understanding and treatment of chronic pain. "For many years, we've relied on stronger and more targeted medicine. But perhaps the solution is far simpler. It seems that sleep plays a greater role in...

The pill showed "significant" reductions in airway obstruction after 26 weeks.1st pill for obstructive sleep apnea could be around the cornerCurrently, many people diagnosed with OSA patients require a machine that covers their nose or both the nose and mouth during sleep and delivers air through a mask to help keep their airways open. The first oral pill for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could be around the corner after pharmaceutical company Apnimed Inc. reported positive results from its stage III clinical trial. Currently, many people diagnosed with OSA patients require a machine that covers their nose or both the nose...

A new study reveals that fragmented sleep causes cellular damage to the brain's blood vessels, providing further evidence to suggest that sleep disruption predisposes the brain to dementia. The research is the first to offer cellular and molecular evidence that sleep disruption directly causes damage to brain blood vessels and blood flow. "We found that individuals who had more fragmented sleep, such as sleeping restlessly and waking up a lot at night, had a change in their balance of pericytes—a brain blood vessel cell that plays an important role in regulating brain blood flow and the entry and exit of...

Chronic inflammation, already tied to heart disease and cancer, may also worsen the emotional toll of poor sleep. A new study found that older adults with insomnia who experience inflammatory exposure face triple the risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to sound sleepers. As humans age, we experience an increasing risk of chronic inflammation as our cells and immune system break down. Inflammation and insomnia have each been linked to depression risk, whether causally or biologically, but no study to date has examined whether older adults with insomnia are more vulnerable to depressive symptoms when experiencing elevated inflammation. The randomized...

Researchers have linked brighter night-time light exposure to elevated risks of five major cardiovascular diseases. Circadian rhythms govern fluctuations in blood pressure, heart rate, platelet activation, hormone secretion, and glucose metabolism. Long-term disruption of those rhythms in animal and human studies have produced myocardial fibrosis, hypertension, inflammation, and impaired autonomic balance. Researchers conducted a prospective cohort analysis to assess whether day and night light exposure predicts incidence of cardiovascular diseases and whether relationships vary with genetic susceptibility, sex, and age. Data came from 88,905 UK Biobank participants, average age 62.4 ± 7.8 years and 56.9% female, who wore wrist-based light...

Around 15 percent of the world's population suffers from tinnitus, a condition which causes someone to hear a sound (such as ringing or buzzing) without any external source. It's often associated with hearing loss. Not only can the condition be annoying for sufferers, it can also have a serious effect on mental health, often causing stress or depression. This is especially the case for patients suffering from tinnitus over months or years. There's currently no cure for tinnitus. So finding a way to better manage or treat it could help many millions of people worldwide. And one area of research...

Researchers have found a genetic link between the nighttime production of the sleep hormone melatonin and ADHD symptom severity in children. The study enhances our understanding of the complexities associated with this prevalent neurodevelopmental condition. Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, restless sleep, and daytime drowsiness, are common in people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. It’s been hypothesized that people with the condition have a disrupted circadian rhythm. However, the exact mechanism connecting sleep problems and ADHD has remained elusive. A new study led by the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan may have provided the answer. The researchers...

A common sleep aid restores healthier sleep patterns and protects mice from the brain damage seen in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The drug, lemborexant, prevents the harmful buildup of an abnormal form of a protein called tau in the brain, reducing the inflammatory brain damage tau is known to cause in Alzheimer's. The study suggests that lemborexant could help treat or prevent the damage caused by tau in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome and some frontotemporal dementias. "In this new study, we have shown that lemborexant improves sleep and...

After-hours meals have been linked to increased stress and clotting risks — even with the same amount of sleep.Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of newsroom experience. She is also the co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Key Points -A new study from Mass General Brigham found that eating only during daytime hours significantly reduces cardiovascular risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure and clotting protein levels. The researchers used a tightly controlled lab setting to eliminate outside influences, making meal timing the only variable and...

Scientists have long recognized the brain's need for energy, but new research has now illuminated how the brain's energy utilization significantly influences our sleep patterns. The team discovered certain channels in the brain, called ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, act as energy sensors and play a pivotal role in maintaining stable sleep-wake cycles and facilitating smooth transitions between cycles. "Our study shows that even small changes in energy usage can profoundly impact behavior," said Macauley. These changes impact when we sleep, how we sleep and the overall quality of our sleep. The study identified a previously unknown function of KATP channels...

The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it's happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heat waves are reshaping our way of life. The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future. That's why the ABC News...

Poor sleep among older adults is linked to disruptions in the brain's "waste removal system," according to researchers. A recent study offers valuable insight into how sleep quality impacts brain functioning. Many studies have linked poor sleep with a decline in brain functioning. Professor Lee's team focused on the glial-lymphatic (glymphatic) system, a fluid transport pathway that plays a vital role in clearing waste from the brain. The system's efficiency is a critical determinant of brain health, particularly in aging populations. Professor Lee and her team sought to understand the glymphatic-brain relationship in poor sleepers, which underlies memory decline. Dysfunction...

Research has found that inadequate sleep duration and late sleep onset are associated with increased glycemic variability in adults. Blood sugar regulation plays a critical role in metabolic health, with fluctuations in glucose levels linked to diabetes complications. Previous research has identified insufficient sleep as a risk factor for impaired glucose metabolism. In the study, researchers conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the relationship between long-term sleep duration and onset timing with glycemic variability. The study analyzed 1,156 participants, aged 46 to 83, from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study. Participants underwent self-reported sleep assessments across multiple visits and...

Resistance or muscle-strengthening exercise, using weights or the body itself, may be the best type of exercise for tackling insomnia in older age, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research. Aerobic exercise or a mix of strength, aerobic, balance, and flexibility exercises also seem to be effective. The researchers scoured research databases for relevant clinical trials, published up to October 2022, that compared physical exercise with routine activities, usual care, other non-physical activity, or health education in people formally diagnosed with insomnia, using the Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (GPSQI). The types of exercise covered by the studies...

Amber Monaghan’s journey into sound healing wasn’t just a career shift—it was a calling. Decades ago, she experienced what she describes as a spiritual awakening, one that sent electrical sensations through her body and left her searching for answers. That search led her to Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, founder of the Neuroacoustic Research Foundation in San Diego, and his work in therapeutic audio research. Thompson had developed a method of recording personalized sounds said to shift the nervous system from a state of stress and imbalance into a space of deep healing, emotional release and spiritual clarity. From the moment Monaghan...

Blue-enriched light can improve sleep quality and daily activity in older adults living at home, according to new research. Researchers found that this type of light therapy led to greater daytime activity, earlier bedtimes, regular sleep patterns and improved sleep quality, offering a promising, non-pharmacological approach to address age-related sleep challenges. As people age, their sleep patterns often change, leading to difficulties falling asleep, waking up earlier, more frequent nighttime awakenings, and overall poorer sleep quality. These changes are linked to age-related changes in the eyes and reduced exposure to daylight, often due to decreased mobility and social interactions, alongside...

New research reveals insight into the impact sleep quality has on a person's immune system, and how it could be linked to the development of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The study found that even a single night of 24-hour sleep deprivation in young, lean, and healthy individuals altered the profile of immune cells that help regulate the immune system to resemble that of individuals with obesity—a condition known to drive chronic inflammation. This suggests that the immune system is highly sensitive to sleep and may adapt rapidly to changes in sleep pattern. According to the researchers,...

Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal 🚨🇺🇸 DOGE GETS HIGH-TECH SLEEP PODS TO FUEL 24/7 EFFICIENCY DRIVE Eight Sleep's AI-powered Pods arrive at @DOGE headquarters, enabling Elon's team to optimize rest while working around the clock. The $1.94T in federal waste won't cut itself. The smart beds use machine learning to track vital signs and automatically adjust temperature for each sleep stage, achieving 78% accuracy compared to medical-grade EEG. Perfect for power naps between budget cuts.

Getting enough quality sleep is essential for maintaining overall health. It supports better brain function, strengthens the immune system, and promotes a healthy heart. On the other hand, sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea can harm both health and quality of life. Poor sleep has also been linked to the early onset of neurodegenerative diseases and can serve as an early warning sign of dementia. ---SNIP--- The study also holds a warning for people who use the commonly prescribed sleep aid zolpidem. The drug suppressed the glymphatic system, potentially setting the stage for neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, which are...

The short-term boost our brains get after we do exercise persists throughout the following day, suggests a study. The study found that, on average, people aged 50 to 83 who did more moderate to vigorous physical activity than usual on a given day did better in memory tests the day after. More deep (slow-wave) sleep also contributed to memory function, and the research team found this accounted for a small portion of the link between exercise and better next-day memory. The research team looked at data from 76 men and women who wore activity trackers for eight days and took...