Based in the United Kingdom, the Sleep Charity provides advice and encourages people to sleep better. It began as the Children’s Sleep Charity with a goal of giving parents and carers in England and Wales access to quality sleep support.
A global effort to streamline how we talk about the 24-hour cycle of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep. By Ryan Falck, Karen Spruyt, Sjaan Gomersali, Kirk Erickson, Ester Cerin, Liye Zou, Antonio Palmeira, Teresa Liu-Ambrose Have you ever thought
Sy Duong-Quy is a professor of medicine, MD, PhD, FCCP and President of Council of Lam Dong Medical College, Director of Sleep Medicine Research Center of Vietnam. He is also currently the President of Vietnam Society of Sleep Medicine (VSSM),
The Seven-Day Sleep Prescription By Aric A. Prather We need sleep to survive. It is as essential as food, water, and oxygen. So how can something that should be so instinctual be so hard? Dr. Prather runs a successful sleep
What are parasomnias and how do they affect sleep quality? Maya Ramagopal: Parasomnias are disruptive behaviors that occur during sleep and decrease sleep quality. They can occur at any time during sleep and can be seen during both rapid eye
New findings in circadian regulators Scientists from Duke-National University of Singapore (NUS) Medical School and the University of California, Santa Cruz, may have discovered the secret to regulating our internal clock. They identified a regulator at the tail end of
The Buzzword is Parasomnias Parasomnias are undesirable behaviors or experiences that occur either during entry into sleep, within sleep, or awakenings from sleep. It is likely that you or someone you know has experienced a parasomnia at one time. Parasomnia
Morenikeji Komolafe is a Professor of Neurology at Obafemi Awolowo University, managing patients with sleep disorders. She has been practicing for 25 years. Healthier Sleep magazine staff had an opportunity to ask Dr. Komolafe a few questions about her advocacy
Narcolepsy Network is a long-standing patient organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). It was established in 1986 by a group of 11 women with the goal of increasing awareness of the benefits
The Nocturnal Brain by Guy Leschziner For Dr. Guy Leschziner’s patients, there is no rest for the weary in mind and body. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnea, and sleepwalking are just a sampling of conditions afflicting those who cannot sleep―and
How do nightmares affect my child’s sleep? Dr. Ramagopal: Nightmares can disrupt your child’s sleep, causing them to wake up feeling anxious and fearful. It may be difficult for them to fall back asleep, leaving them poorly rested for the
The most accurate measurement to determine OSA is level one polysomnography, which requires a night in a sleep lab connected to cords and monitors with someone watching you sleep. For a child, it can be overwhelming. It can be so
The Lullaby Trust is a charity, entirely reliant on voluntary donations, that aims to save babies’ lives and support bereaved families. Around three babies a week still die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and we are committed to bringing
The Buzzword is Curtain Calls If you’ve been around kids at bedtime, you already know what a “curtain call” is: those repeated, sometimes dramatic performances designed to delay bedtime. “I want a drink”, “I need to use the bathroom”, or
Arezu Najafi is an Assistant Professor of Sleep Medicine at Tehran University Medical Sciences, a practicing clinician, researcher, previous mentee of the International Sleep Research Training (ISRTP) program, faculty of the World Sleep Academy, and World Sleep member of the
Generation Sleepless by Heather Turgeon, MFT and Julie Wright, MFT Every school night, the average teen in the United States loses more than two hours of sleep. This book is based on research and experience of those working in the
How does watching TV or using my phone right before bed affect my sleep? Melissa Lipford: Watching TV or using your phone right before bed can impact your sleep in several ways. Social media, games, and shows/movies engage the mind, at
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Dental caries (also known as tooth decay or dental cavities) is the most common noncommunicable disease worldwide”1. What can you do to reduce tooth decay? In addition to a low-sugar diet, good oral
Diane Lim, MD, MTR is a staff physician at the Miami Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System within the Sleep Clinic and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep at the University of
Sleep Disorders Australia (SDA) is a voluntary not-for-profit health promotion charity that advocates for the needs of people with sleep disorders and raises awareness of sleep disorders and the significance they can have on the lives of those affected by
The Woman Who Couldn’t Wake Up By Quinn Eastman Sleep was taking over Anna’s life. Even with multiple alarm clocks and powerful stimulants, the young Atlanta lawyer could sleep for thirty or even fifty hours at a stretch. She stopped
Your buzzword is Social Jetlag The term social jetlag is used to describe the mismatch between biological time and social time. Everyone has two clocks they live by – a social clock and a biological clock. The social clock revolves
Moira Junge, PhD, a health psychologist, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, and CEO of the Sleep Health Foundation in Melbourne, Australia, believes collaboration plays a key role in spreading good health messages, increasing reach, and attracting sustainable funding. She is keen
Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes: The Cutting-edge Sleep Science That Will Guarantee a Competitive Advantage by Shane A. Creado, MD Although written for the elite athlete, everyone can benefit from the sleep tips discussed in Peak Sleep. Sleep is a
From competing as an elite athlete to becoming Executive Director of Uplifting Athletes, Rob Long has had an incredible journey, granting him insight into rare diseases and their treatments. As captain for the Syracuse University football team, it looked like
You had a good night’s sleep, a full eight hours, but when the alarm goes off it is hard to wake up. It feels as if you could sleep for another eight hours, and often you could. As you go
Orexins are chemical signals produced in the brain. The area where nerve cells make orexins is called the “hypothalamus”, which is at the base of the brain. This area controls many automatic and hormonal functions. They play a critical role
Your questions about sleep and sleep disorders answered by our issue reviewers who are sleep specialists with a combined 64 years of experience in the field of sleep medicine. Have a question for the sleep experts? Submit questions to healthiersleep@worldsleepsociety.org.
Why We Should Sleep Smarter: The Scientific Blueprint to Optimize your Energy Levels and Supercharge Your Day by Matthew Reed Across the world, millions of people struggle to stay awake, energized, and motivated throughout the day due to poor quality
Lourdes DelRosso, MD, PhD is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine at University of California San Francisco, co-chairs World Sleep Day, is the Director of World Sleep Academy, and chairs the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Public Awareness Committee of the
Circadian Sleep Disorders Network (CSDN) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with chronic circadian sleep rhythm disorders. Circadian sleep disorders are neurological disorders in which the sleep-wake cycle is out of sync with the
Crowdlearning is a way of learning that is based on sharing experience and knowledge in a group of people. It serves as a motivational platform for the transfer of information in education. Crowdlearning can take place in a variety of
The brain continues to work while we sleep, consolidating memories, “cleaning” itself, and maintaining our metabolism and other critical systems of our body. Until recently much of how the brain works during sleep has been speculative. Dr. Laura Lewis, a
Your questions about sleep and sleep disorders answered by our issue reviewers who are sleep specialists with a combined 64 years of experience in the field of sleep medicine. Have a question for the sleep experts? Submit questions to healthiersleep@worldsleepsociety.org.
I tend to sleep badly if I have a stressful day, but otherwise sleep fine. Is this abnormal? Dr. Lipford: It is completely normal for stress during the day to affect your sleep patterns. Stress can make it more difficult
Your latest Buzzword is Orthosomnia Millions of people use sleep-tracking devices to keep an eye on how much sleep they are getting night after night. But as the popularity of the devices is increasing, a new problem is popping up:
A new study shows that getting more exposure to natural daylight could help you fall asleep earlier, especially if you spend time outside during the morning hours. Researchers studied the sleep patterns of over 500 students at the University of
Dr. Anne Marie Morse is the Director of Child Neurology and Pediatric Sleep Medicine at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. She is a board-certified neurologist specializing in child neurology and sleep medicine and works with both children and adults, with
For many people who have trouble sleeping, each night is an anxious odyssey where getting a good night’s sleep feels like a battle to win rather than a basic biological process. The problem is that too many people approach sleep
Founded in 2021, Sleep Consortium is a nonprofit organization created to accelerate next-generation research, disease understanding, and therapy development for those living with central disorders of hypersomnolence (CDoH) and other related sleep disorders. These disorders of hypersomnolence include narcolepsy, idiopathic
Dr. Azizi Seixas, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and an Associate Director of the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is also the
A marker that quantifies brain health/aging from sleep
Researchers in the United States have discovered a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurological disease that affects more than 10 million people worldwide. PD is a progressive disorder that does not have a
As answered by our issue reviewers. Question: Can taking iron cure my Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)? Dr. Zak: Before answering this question, I want to address the terms. You have asked about “curing” RLS. RLS is not like an infection
The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the lives of men, women, and children who live with this often-devastating disease. The organization’s goals are to increase awareness, improve treatments, and through research, find a
Your Latest Buzzword is Augmentation. Augmentation is the phenomenon in which patients who have been taking a dopaminergic medication for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and were doing well on the medication, suddenly start experiencing a worsening of
Looking to learn even more? Each issue, we highlight a book about sleep. Available on Amazon and from other book retailers Your Sleep Story: A No-Hype Guide to Sleep Health by Matt Bianchi, MD, PhD In every aspect of health,
Q: What should I do if I am still tired after sleeping the recommended hours of sleep? Dr. DelRosso: The recommended amount of sleep per age group is determined by taking the average of the sleep requirements of the general population.
Founded in 2008, Wake Up Narcolepsy, Inc. (WUN) is a nonprofit, patient advocacy organization dedicated to driving narcolepsy awareness, education, and research towards improved treatments and a cure. Executive Director, Claire Crisp, explains, “Narcolepsy remains an under-recognized, under-reported, and
Founded in 2013, Project Sleep is a nonprofit organization that aims to bridge the gap between sleep health and sleep disorders while bringing a patient-driven focus to the sleep space. Julie Flygare, President and CEO of Project Sleep, states that
Central nervous system disorders of hypersomnolence typically start in early adolescence yet diagnostic delays and misdiagnosis are common, resulting in years of untreated symptoms, exposure to potentially harmful and unnecessary treatments, and an increase in co-morbid depression. Investigators at
Looking to learn even more? For each issue, we highlight books about sleep. Waking Mathilda: A Memoir of Childhood Narcolepsy by Claire Crisp A native of England, Claire Crisp had it all—a strong marriage, three healthy children, and her own home
Your Latest Buzzword is Orexin, also known as hypocretin. In 1998 two separate teams, utilizing different approaches and for entirely different reasons, reported the discovery of a new gene. One team named the gene orexin and the other named it hypocretin.
Looking to learn even more? For each issue, we highlight books about sleep. Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy by Julie Flygare Winner of the San Francisco Book Festival Award for Biography/ Autobiography, Wide Awake and Dreaming is a revealing
Your Latest Buzzwords are Process C & Process S. The two processes that regulate the timing and length of sleep. PROCESS C Where do Process C and Process S come from? Process C refers to our internal clock—our body’s natural sleep
3,008 adolescents aged 10–18 years were surveyed to develop a new self-reporting index to measure the difficulty of disengaging from social media at night. The index of Nighttime Offline Distress (iNOD) showed that youth with higher scores on the index reported
Looking to learn more? Each issue, we highlight one book about sleep. Sleep Disorders For Dummies by Max Hirshkowitz and Patricia B. Smith An easy-to-follow guide to help you get a good night’s rest. Sleep Disorders For Dummies is for anyone who has trouble sleeping—or has a loved one who suffers
As answered by our Special Issue Reviewers Q: What are some warning signs of sleep deprivation? __________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas: Waking up tired, needing more than two cups of coffee, feeling tired, yawning, having difficulty focusing during the middle of the afternoon and
Anyone having trouble sleeping has heard the “sleep hygiene” rules: Don’t drink caffeine after 2:00pm, use the bedroom only for sleeping, put down screens an hour before bed. But as the millions with poor sleep can attest, following one-size-fits-all directives
As answered by Issue Reviewers Q: Any tips on making time for sleep in a busy life? Dr. ThomasThe key is to consider good and adequate sleep as necessary for health, just like optimal food, exercise, relationships and so
When you are falling asleep and your body suddenly jerks, jolts or startles, this is a hypnic jerk or benign myoclonic jerk. Some people refer to them as a twitch, start or involuntary contraction, but all words are describing the
Patient Organization Highlight The Hypersomnia Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit, patient advocacy organization working on behalf of people with idiopathic hypersomnia and related rare sleep disorders. Diane Powell, the current Chair of the Board of Directors and CEO, explains, “Idiopathic
Does sleep impact dementia risk? A new study suggests that sleeping less than 5 hours per night is associated with a two-fold greater risk for dementia when compared to sleeping 7-8 hours per night. Additionally, taking longer than 30 minutes
As answered by Issue Reviewers Q: Is it possible to sleep too much? Dr. ThomasHypersomnia is the term used to describe excessive sleep duration, and is not normal. The capability of sleeping 11 or more hours in a 24-hour
You Are Getting Sleepy: Lifestyle-Based Solutions for Insomnia by Paul Glovinsky, PhD and Arthur Spielman, PhD is an easy-to-follow guide written by two founding experts in behavioral sleep medicine that will help you achieve a good night’s rest. Taking into
Recent research ties sleep deprivation to recurrent nightmares in adolescents aged 10-20. Researchers in China surveyed 19,229 students to reveal that recurrent nightmares occurred more often in those who habitually slept less than eight hours per night. The study found
Over 24 hours, sleep can be organized into one block, called monophasic, or multiple blocks knowns as biphasic or polyphasic sleep. Little is known about variation in organizational patterns of sleep in humans, but it is expected that monophasic sleep
PATIENT ORGANIZATION HIGHLIGHT DAY4NAPS is a digital database for narcolepsy awareness events occurring on a global scale. Mark Patterson, MD, PhD, President of the organization, adds, “We also provide links to international narcolepsy and sleep organizations, serving to act as
The case for eliminating seasonal time changes. In most of the United States, daylight saving time starts each year on the second Sunday in March when we set clocks ahead one hour. A growing body of evidence shows that this
As answered by Issue Reviewers Q: Is it normal to awaken to use the bathroom several times per night? Dr. ThomasNo. This reflects either fragmented sleep, resulting in periods of wake after each sleep cycle, bladder irritability or increased
A new study reveals that sleep deprivation and/or lack of sleep impairs the ability to stop and block unwanted thoughts. Intrusive, negative or unwanted thoughts tend to be a complaint of those living with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other
In Sleep-Wrecked Kids: Helping Parents Raise Happy, Healthy Kids, One Sleep at a Time, author and speech pathologist/myofunctional practitioner with 38 years of clinical experience, Sharon Moore will explain: • The importance of sleep for kids• The good sleep formula•
Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners ASAP is an organization for patients with sleep apnea created by patients with sleep apnea. Kathy Page, Past President of the ASAP Board of Directors explains, “Everything we do, everything we create or try to
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, or OMT as it’s regularly referred to, is a therapy of exercises for the face and tongue that can improve or even eliminate causes of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. The muscles of the tongue, throat and
As answered by our Autumn 2020 Special Issue Reviewers Q: How do I know if I’m getting enough sleep? Dr. ThomasThe average sleep requirement is about 7 hours, but shorter and especially longer is normal. The need to sleep in
Looking to learn even more? Each issue, we highlight one book about sleep. Check out this bestseller in sleep. Arianna Huffington, of The Huffington Post and Thrive Global, is the author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night
Poor sleep can raise blood pressure and alter gut microbiome. A recent scientific study suggests that staying awake all night can lead to high blood pressure, though it’s not yet clear what mechanisms underlie the development of this conditions. Researchers
When a couple stops sleeping in the same bed or bedroom in an effort to better sleep quality and quantity, such as when a member of the couple has a sleep disorder or works a night shift. The term gained
The Snooze Button—That’s the name of the podcast, the working title of the book and various other projects connected to the book. The man behind the button is Neil Hedley. Hedley explains, “I’m the host, producer, webmaster, social media guy,