Free Republic

Researchers have known that a lack of quality sleep can increase a person's risk of diabetes. What has remained a mystery, however, is why. Now, a team of sleep scientists have uncovered a potential mechanism in humans that explains how and why deep-sleep brain waves at night are able to regulate the body's sensitivity to insulin, which in turn improves blood sugar control the next day. "These synchronized brain waves act like a finger that flicks the first domino to start an associated chain reaction from the brain, down to the heart, and then out to alter the body's regulation...

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2023 annual meeting found three out of four adults reported sleeping better after sex, and the majority felt that a sleeping pill had a similar or worse effect on their sleep. Results show that 75% of survey respondents reported that they slept better after having sex close to bedtime, and the majority reported experiencing a moderate improvement in their sleep on those nights. Sixty-four percent of respondents also felt that sleeping pills had a similar or worse effect on their sleep compared to sex. "Little scientific data exists around the impact...

An article shows that melatonin, despite its antioxidant effects and role in regulating sleep cycles, can worsen inflammation of the intestine and impair the action of gut microbiota. Melatonin is popularly known as the "sleep hormone" and is often taken as a so-called food supplement without a doctor's prescription by people with sleep problems. "It's generally thought to be harmless. However, our study shows that the ingestion of melatonin supplement can have adverse effects on health," said Cristina Ribeiro de Barros Cardoso. Melatonin can act as an antioxidant and improve several physiological or pathological conditions. "We started out in this...

A deep slumber might help buffer against memory loss for older adults facing a heightened burden of Alzheimer's disease, research suggests. Deep sleep, also known as non-REM slow-wave sleep, can act as a "cognitive reserve factor" that may increase resilience against a protein in the brain called beta-amyloid that is linked to memory loss caused by dementia. The new research reveals that superior amounts of deep, slow-wave sleep can act as a protective factor against memory decline in those with existing high amounts of Alzheimer's disease pathology—a potentially significant advance. The researchers recruited 62 older adults from the Berkeley Aging...

New research shows the chances of higher blood pressure increases exponentially, particularly for overweight middle-aged men, with every hour of sleep they lose or change to their regular nighttime routine. A new study is one of the first large-scale extended studies into the effect of variable sleep patterns on blood pressure. The study involved a global sample covering the equivalent of more than 2 million nights of home sleep data measured from 12,287 adults—88% of them men and, on average, overweight (BMI; 28±6kg/m2)—in their own homes using portable under-mattress sensor monitoring technology and remote blood pressure assessment. On average, each...

Medical sleep treatment may reduce self-harm in young people with anxiety and depression, an observational study suggests. The risk of self-harm increased in the months preceding melatonin prescription and decreased thereafter, especially in girls. Melatonin is a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle and is the most commonly prescribed drug for sleep disturbances in children and adolescents in Sweden. Melatonin use has dramatically increased in recent years. The study identified over 25,500 children and teenagers between the ages of 6 and 18 who were prescribed melatonin in Sweden. Over 87 percent had at least one psychiatric disorder, mainly attention-deficit hyperactivity...

Sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with a 74% raised likelihood of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with seven to eight hours. More than 200 million people globally have peripheral artery disease (PAD), where arteries in the legs are clogged, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. The study included more than 650,000 participants and was conducted in two parts. First, the researchers analyzed the associations of sleep duration and daytime napping with the risk of PAD. In the second part, the investigators used genetic data to perform naturally randomized controlled...

Here are the positions that the experts recommend. Sleeping on your back Advantages: Reduces aches and pains in the lower back and neck Supports your spine so your muscles can relax and recover Helps relieve congestion, especially if you elevate your torso Helps reduce the risk of developing facial wrinkles Disadvantages: Increases the risk of airway collapse for those who snore or have sleep apnea Raises pressure levels for certain types of back pain Increases episodes of acid reflux Raises gravity pressure to make it more difficult to breathe, making it unsuitable for older or heavier people Causes a fetus...

Getting good sleep can play a role in supporting your heart and overall health—and maybe even how long you live—according to new research.. The study found that young people who have more beneficial sleep habits are incrementally less likely to die early. Moreover, the data suggest that about 8% of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns. Participants were followed for a median of 4.3 years. Factors included: 1) ideal sleep duration of seven to eight hours a night; 2) difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week; 3) trouble staying asleep no more...

Few adverse events are connected to the use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters to help prevent deep vein blood clots from developing into pulmonary embolisms (PE), according to the findings. PRESERVE is an FDA-directed multicenter, prospective, open-label, non-randomized trial that studied the safety and efficacy of IVC filters from six manufacturers. The study was conducted between Oct. 10, 2015, and March 31, 2019. During that time, filters were implanted in 1,421 patients, of which 1,019 patients had an existing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Researchers found that IVC filters were effective in helping to prevent PEs...

We’re not telling you to wake up at 4 a.m. to start your day. However, here are a few things you can do to get up just a bit earlier.A push to wake up earlier can seem like a capitalist scheme to shame late-sleepers into thinking there’s something wrong with them. If you’ve ever seen those lists of people who wake up at 4:30 a.m. to do things that seem more appropriate for daylight hours, you know what we mean. Comparisons like these can feel like we’re not being productive enough. Western society tends to glorify hustle culture, and social...

A new study shows that sleep medications increase the risk of dementia for people who are white. But the type and quantity of the medication may be factors in explaining the higher risk. Approximately 3,000 older adults without dementia were followed over an average duration of nine years. During the study, 20% developed dementia. White participants who "often" or "almost always" took sleep medications had a 79% higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who "never" or "rarely" used them. Among Black participants—whose consumption of sleep aids was markedly lower—frequent users had a likelihood of developing dementia similar to...

Often debilitating, chronic pain is one of the most common reasons individuals seek medical help. Between 67 to 88 percent of them also suffer from sleep disturbances, including longer and more frequent nocturnal awakenings and poorer sleep quality. Because chronic pain and sleep are thought to be correlated, treatment of one could be beneficial to the other. One such treatment is spinal cord stimulation, which shows mounting evidence it improves aspects of sleep and has demonstrated efficacy in treating a multitude of chronic pain conditions. This treatment involves an implantable spinal cord stimulator that sends low levels of electricity directly...

It’s amazing how creepy the nighttime can be, so it’s perhaps no surprise that people tend to experience more paranormal activity after lights out. According to new research, an inability to sleep well could make the night appear even more alive, leading to stronger beliefs in ghosts, demons, aliens, and the afterlife. A number of previous studies have linked such convictions to specific sleep disorders. These include sleep paralysis, which entails a temporary inability to move upon waking or falling asleep; and exploding head syndrome, characterized by hearing loud bangs while nodding off. Given that both these conditions are associated...

Sleep is a necessary and universal human activity that is essential for physical and mental well-being. However, the history of sleep and the attitudes surrounding sleep are riddled with racist beliefs, practices, and ideas. When you sleep, you cannot work, unless you are participating in a sleep study. White people have more wealth than black people and other races. Therefore, white people can better afford to sleep. This is one way the distribution of sleep is racist and perpetuates racism. There are only so many sleep studies, and black people cannot perform them all. Another way sleep has racist roots...

Getting less than five hours of sleep in mid-to-late life could be linked to an increased risk of developing at least two chronic diseases. People who reported getting five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20% more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases over 25 years, compared to people who slept for up to seven hours. Additionally, sleeping for five hours or less at the age of 50, 60, and 70 was linked to a 30% to 40% increased risk of...

Adjusting to a new sleep schedule at the start of the school year can lead to disturbed rest, daytime fatigue and changes in mood and focus for teens. Although they need eight to ten hours of sleep per night to maintain physical health, emotional well-being and school performance, most adolescents get less than eight, especially on school nights. Newly published research from RUSH in the journal SLEEP sheds light on how adolescents can get more shut-eye. "There are a lot of changes a teen goes through," said Stephanie J. Crowley, Ph.D. "One specifically is a change to sleep biology that...

A new study shows that using a weighted blanket at bedtime increases melatonin in young adults. This hormone increases in response to darkness, and some evidence suggests that it promotes sleep. Previous research has shown that weighted blankets may ease insomnia in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Hence, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden experimented with 26 young men and women to examine if the bedtime use of a weighted blanket increases the production of sleep-promoting and anti-stress hormones like melatonin and oxytocin. In addition, they investigated whether the bedtime use of a weighted blanket (12%...

The FBI raided Mike Lindell looking for evidence of a crime, but what they found instead was a good night's sleep. .....

As the title suggests, something's been bothering me about the photo of "classified documents" released by the DOJ in their response filing for the special master request by Trump's legal team. The cover sheets are all wrong. I've had access to Top Secret/SCI material for over 40 years, working with it on a daily basis. I have never seen cover sheets with a solid color border that say "SECRET/SCI" or "TOP SECRET/SCI." Those would be OK if they were just SECRET or TOP SECRET collateral information (not sensitive compartmented information - SCI). The cover sheets for SCI documents have striped...