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Original Article | 30-Apr-2021 By Nikki Hancocks
Six weeks of saffron supplementation led to improved sleep duration and quality in a recent study involving 66 volunteers, suggesting it could be a natural and safe replacement for sleeping pills.
April 21, 2021 | Original Article: MindBodyGreen
It’s no secret that sleep is essential for a number of our body’s functions—from cellular repair to muscle growth and, of course, brain health. And one study published in the journal Nature Communications just put forward some new evidence on the link between sleep duration and dementia risk in middle-aged adults. Here’s what it found.
This research analyzed existing data from a long-term study on nearly 8,000 British people since 1985, conducted by University College London. As part of the research project, participants reported how long they slept multiple times over 25 years. Some of them also wore sleep-tracking devices to make sure they were giving accurate numbers on their sleep duration.
A team of researchers then looked for any correlation between poor sleep and a greater risk for dementia down the line.
Researchers have long suspected that there is a link between sleep and dementia risk, but they’ve been unsure where that link begins. That is, we don’t know if a lack of sleep can predispose people to dementia or if dementia throws off people’s sleep.
The important thing about this study is that it started following the sleep patterns of people who were in their 50s, presumably before dementia had set in.
Sure enough, a correlation was found—though the study authors are careful to note their research still can’t prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship between sleep and dementia.
That said, within the group of almost 8,000 participants, researchers found that middle-aged adults who consistently clocked low sleep durations were 30% more likely to develop dementia—regardless of sociodemographic, behavioral, cardiometabolic, and mental health factors.
The study authors considered seven hours to be a normal sleep duration, compared to six hours or less, which was considered short.
While the jury is still out on whether this connection is a direct cause-and-effect, it’s certainly a good reason to consider getting at least seven hours of sleep per night, particularly if you’re in your 50s or 60s and/or have a history of dementia in your family.
The study authors note that more research is needed to better understand the relationship between sleep and dementia risk, but given how important sleep is for so many bodily functions, there’s really no reason not to aim for a full night of quality sleep, every night.
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Getting more sleep improves every aspect of our lives – it makes us less prone to injury when we exercise, boosts our productivity and enhances our ability to lose weight. Yet so many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee thinks you can. Often referred to as the doctor of the future, Rangan is changing the way that we look at illness and how medicine will be practiced in years to come. He highlighted his methods in the groundbreaking BBC TV show, Doctor In The House, gaining him much acclaim from patients, his contemporaries and the media.
His own journey of learning was accelerated when family members fell ill and now Rangan is helping people to take control of their health by addressing the root causes of their illnesses, something which is often not achieved in 21st century health care, evidenced by a steady increase in the rates of chronic disease.
Follow his blog for more information at: https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep-the-very-best-tips-on-sleep/
Original Article: Sleep Review | Posted by Sree Roy | Mar 20, 2021 | Demographics
For half of Americans, stress over the past year is negatively impacting the quality of their sleep, according to the results of a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults commissioned by ResMed. What’s more, many are ignoring sleep challenges that could point to a larger underlying health concern.
ResMed published the survey in conjunction with National Sleep Awareness Week (March 14-20) and World Sleep Day (March 19), and as part of Sleep for a Better Tomorrow, an education and outreach initiative to build awareness of the critical role good sleep plays in physical and mental health—and how to get our best sleep.
“COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of our lives, including our sleep health, leading many people to struggle to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night,” says Carlos M. Nunez, MD, chief medical officer for ResMed, in a release.
Beyond the pervasive effects of stress, the survey found the impacts on sleep vary across gender and working arrangements.
[RELATED: How Abnormal Sleep Architecture Can Be a Predictor of Stress Vulnerability]
The survey revealed that more than one in two Americans say they snore, or a bed partner has told them they snore. But 78% of those who snore aren’t concerned it could be related to an underlying health condition, despite snoring being a top symptom of sleep apnea. Additionally, nearly half of survey respondents said their doctor had not asked them about their sleep quality, reinforcing the importance of consumers being aware of the potential health impacts of poor sleep and acting on key sleep apnea symptoms such as snoring.
“While data show that stress and worry are key factors impacting many people’s sleep, now is an opportunity for everyone to take measure of all of the factors that could be impacting the quality of their sleep, which could include sleep disorders that can have negative long-term impacts to overall health,” Nunez says.
“Sleep apnea can impact all types of people from all walks of life, and while some people are more prone to have sleep apnea, it does not discriminate. If you snore, have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, or feel tired each day despite getting enough hours of sleep, ask your doctor if sleep apnea—which is 100% treatable at home—could be the cause.”
The survey was conducted in February 2021 among 1,000 individuals 18 and older in the United States. The survey was fielded using Qualtrics Insights Platform, and the panel was sourced from Lucid.
Original Article Posted by Sleep Review Staff | Mar 23, 2021 | Insomnia, Sleep & the Body
Insomnia, disrupted sleep, and daily burnout are linked to a heightened risk of not only becoming infected with coronavirus, but also having more severe disease and a longer recovery period, suggests an international study of healthcare workers, published in the online journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.
Every 1-hour increase in the amount of time spent asleep at night was associated with 12% lower odds of becoming infected with COVID-19, the findings indicate.
Disrupted/insufficient sleep and work burnout have been linked to a heightened risk of viral and bacterial infections, but it’s not clear if these are also risk factors for COVID-19, say the researchers.
To explore this further, they drew on the responses to an online survey for healthcare workers repeatedly exposed to patients with COVID-19 infection, such as those working in emergency or intensive care, and so at heightened risk of becoming infected themselves.
The survey ran from 17 July to 25 September 2020, and was open to healthcare workers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the USA.
Respondents provided personal details on lifestyle, health, and use of prescription meds and dietary supplements plus information on the amount of sleep they got at night and in daytime naps over the preceding year; any sleep problems; burnout from work; and workplace exposure to COVID-19 infection.
Some 2884 healthcare workers responded, 568 of whom had COVID-19, ascertained either by self-reported diagnostic symptoms and/or a positive swab test result.
Infection severity was defined as: very mild – no or hardly any symptoms; mild – fever with or without cough, requiring no treatment; moderate – fever, respiratory symptoms and/or pneumonia; severe – breathing difficulties and low oxygen saturation; and critical – respiratory failure requiring mechanical assistance and intensive care.
The amount of reported nightly sleep averaged under 7 hours, but more than 6. After accounting for potentially influential factors, every extra hour of sleep at night was associated with 12% lower odds of COVID-19 infection.
But an extra hour acquired in daytime napping was associated with 6% higher odds, although this association varied by country.
Around 1 in 4 (137;24%) of those with COVID-19 reported difficulties sleeping at night compared with around 1 in 5 (21%;495) of those without the infection.
And 1 in 20 (5%;28) of those with COVID-19 said they had 3 or more sleep problems, including difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or needing to use sleeping pills on 3 or more nights of the week, compared with 65 (3%) of those without the infection.
Compared with those who had no sleep problems, those with three had 88% greater odds of COVID-19 infection.
Proportionally more of those with COVID-19 reported daily burnout than did those without the infection: 31 (5.5%) compared with 71 (3%).
Compared with those who didn’t report any burnout, those for whom this was a daily occurrence were more than twice as likely to have COVID-19. Similarly, these respondents were also around 3 times as likely to say that their infection was severe and that they needed a longer recovery period.
These findings held true, irrespective of the frequency of COVID-19 workplace exposure.
This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause. And the researchers acknowledge several limitations to their study.
These include subjective assessment of exposure levels, sleep issues, and infection severity, all of which may have been incorrectly remembered. And the sample included only cases of very mild to moderately severe COVID-19.
By way of an explanation for their findings, the researchers note: “The mechanism underlying these associations remains unclear, but it has been hypothesized that lack of sleep and sleep disorders may adversely influence the immune system by increasing proinflammatory cytokines and histamines.”
And they point to studies linking burnout to a heightened risk of colds and flu as well as long term conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disease and death from all causes.
“These studies have suggested that burnout may directly or indirectly predict illnesses by occupational stress impairing the immune system and changing cortisol levels,” they write.
And they conclude:”We found that lack of sleep at night, severe sleep problems and high level of burnout may be risk factors for COVID-19 in frontline [healthcare workers]. Our results highlight the importance of healthcare professionals’ well-being during the pandemic.”
Are you getting enough sleep? If not, you could be impacting the health of your eyes. At Sleep Apnea Dentists of New England, we realize that today’s fast-paced world typically results in insufficient sleep. Trying to squeeze in a good night’s rest can be difficult with everything that needs to be completed in the course of one day. Dark circles are a dead give away that you are not getting enough sleep, but your overall eye health is being affected more than you know.
Studies have proven that the average person requires 6-8 hours of sleep per night in order to replenish. If you are getting less than six hours of sleep, your eyes do not get the restoration they need. Some of the following warning signs are indication that your eyes are not getting enough rest:
Try to make a routine plan for preparing for bed at night. If falling asleep is a daunting task, here are some suggestions:
Your eyes are not the only muscle that suffers from insufficient sleep. There are several additional health risks associated with poor sleep. Visit our website for a more extensive list of health risks associated with poor sleep.
Meanwhile, it is important to remember that your eyes are working all day long. Sleep is the only time they have to restore and regenerate. Therefore, it is extremely important to make sure they get their rest so you may continue to enjoy healthy vision.
Want to learn more about better nights for better days? Contact Sleep Apnea Dentists of New England today!