Sleep Archive

A 2024 Harvard study involving more than 84,000 diabetes-free people (average age 62), who were followed for seven years, found those whose sleep duration varied most had a 34% higher risk for diabetes, compared with those whose sleep duration varied the least.

Without enough quality sleep, children are more likely to have health and behavioral problems - and difficulty learning. Here are a few simple things you can do to help your child get the sleep they need.

Many parents face the challenge of getting their child to move from sleeping in bed with them to sleeping in their own bed. Changing this habit takes time; being practical and consistent about it helps.

The combination of drinking alcohol and sleeping while on a plane puts a big strain on the body, especially the cardiovascular system. This is because blood oxygen normally drops slightly when flying high above sea level, sleeping, or consuming alcohol. The more contributors to low blood oxygen there are, the harder the body has to work to compensate by breathing faster and increasing heart rate. There's even more strain if someone has heart or lung disease, which places the person at a higher risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Music therapy uses personally tailored interventions such as singing, songwriting, playing an instrument, or moving to the beat to help people with a variety of health conditions manage disease symptoms and treatment side effects. Research suggests music therapy can curb stress, soothe pain, promote sleep, reduce anxiety, and improve memory and focus. People interested in accessing music therapy can ask their health care team or hospital for a referral, or look for a music therapist through the American Music Therapy Association.

Many factors can diminish men's energy levels, which can lower their libido and sexual stamina. The most common factors are naturally declining muscle mass, less production of the energy-carrying molecules adenosine triphosphate, low testosterone levels, and poor sleep quality. Addressing these issues through diet, exercise, medical therapy, and practicing good sleep hygiene can help improve men's energy levels for sex and daily life.

Being a night owl might increase the risk of developing many health problems, so it might be worth it for night owls to go to sleep a little earlier. The sleep schedule must be shifted slowly to make a lasting change. Tips to do that include setting a bedtime goal between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.; going to sleep 20 minutes earlier every five days, until the bedtime goal is reached; possibly using certain sleep aids until the bedtime goal is reached; and setting a consistent wake time no later than 9 a.m.

Vacation activities are often healthier than everyday habits. Since heart disease and cancer are linked to lifestyle choices people can change, such as poor diet and inactivity, maintaining habits fostered on vacation can improve overall health. These habits include spending more time outdoors, moving more, spending less time online, eating a more varied diet, dining more with others, getting more sleep, and engaging their brain in novel ways.