Sleep Archive

Articles

The best bedtime for heart health?

People who fall asleep between 10 and 11 p.m. may be less likely to develop heart disease than those who start their slumber earlier or later.

Shield your brain from decline

The acronym SHIELD sums up the habits that may help ward off cognitive decline. SHIELD stands for sleeping at least seven hours per night, handling stress, interacting with friends, exercising daily, learning new things, and eating a healthy diet. Ideally, one should incorporate all of these healthy lifestyle habits into each day. If that feels overwhelming, doctors advise focusing on a different healthy habit per day, until it's possible to practice all of the habits every day.

Naps: Make the most of them and know when to stop them

As babies become toddlers, when they need to nap and for how long evolves, so parents and caregivers need to know how to handle the changes, as well as how to know when naps are no longer needed.

A single-session class offers chronic low back pain relief

A single two-hour pain management class may offer months-long relief from chronic low back pain compared with other approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and back health education.

How much sleep keeps cognitive decline at bay?

Sleeping six hours or less is associated with impaired cognition, mostly in memory, as well as an increase in the protein that can form brain plaque. Sleeping nine hours or more is also linked to cognitive problems, especially in decision making.

Exposure to traffic noise linked to higher dementia risk

A decade or more of high exposure to traffic noise may increase dementia risk.

Healthy sleep patterns linked to lower risk of heart rhythm problems

People with healthy sleep habits may be less likely to have atrial fibrillation and bradyarrhythmia. Healthy sleep patterns include sleeping seven to eight hours a night and rarely or never having insomnia or daytime drowsiness.

Gifts that promote relaxation and resilience

An array of products that encourage people to relax can be good holiday gifts for friends and loved ones who need to reduce their stress levels. Suggestions include a year’s subscription to a meditation app; yoga props such as a mat, blocks, and straps; devices that enable self-massage of the upper body; and products that may foster sound sleep, such as a weighted blanket, a noise machine, and scented bath salts.

Do weighted blankets help with insomnia?

Insomnia affects approximately 10% of adults in the United States, and it is common with mental illness. Insomnia is unlikely to get better on its own if not actively treated. Many people are interested in treatment options that do not involve prescription medications, and a study from Sweden investigated the effectiveness of a weighted blanket on insomnia symptoms for people with insomnia and mental health problems.

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