Sleep is the state of natural rest observed in humans and is characterized by a reduction in voluntary body movement, temporary blindness, decreased reaction to external stimuli, loss of consciousness, an increased rate of anabolism (the synthesis of cell structures), and a decreased rate of catabolism (the breakdown of cell structures). In humans, regular sleep is necessary for survival.
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increases as women go through menopause, revealed by researchers. – Sleep difficulties, especially problems staying asleep, are relatively prevalent concerns among women going through the menopausal transition, revealed by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Neuroscience researchers at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore have shown for the first time what happens to the visual perceptions of healthy but sleep-deprived volunteers who fight to stay awake, like people who try to drive through the night. – Researchers have found that a sleep-deprived brain can normally process simple visuals, like flashing checkerboards. But the ?higher visual areas’ ? those that are responsible for making sense of what we see ? didn’t function well.
About 10 percent of American adults report not getting enough rest or sleep every day in the past month, according to a new four-state study. – About 10 percent of adults report not getting enough rest or sleep every day in the past month, according to a new four-state study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Scientists studied the effect of using a mobile phone before going to bed and found that those who were exposed to phone radiation took longer to reach the deep sleep. – Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches and confusion, according to a new study funded by handset manufacturers. The study was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal: Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) Online.
Sleep’s main function is to keep our brains and all its synapses lean and efficient. Brain is more strong during waking hours, weaken during sleep. – Most people know it from experience: After so many hours of being awake, your brain feels unable to absorb any more, and several hours of sleep will refresh it. Now new research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health clarifies this phenomenon, supporting the idea that sleep plays a critical role in the brain’s ability to change in response to its environment. This ability, called plasticity, is at the heart of learning.
Children?s sleep duration differs according to the time of day, week, and year, and can influence their weight, behavior, revealed in a study published in the January 1 issue of the journal SLEEP. – The duration of a child’s sleep can vary, depending on the time of day, week and year. Further, children who don’t get enough nightly sleep are more likely to be overweight and have behavioral problems.
Sleep disordered breathing affects obese and overweight children. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can pose serious health threats.
– As the obesity epidemic grows in the U.S., doctors are discovering more and more far reaching health concerns for overweight children. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which can include various sleep behaviors ranging in severity from snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), disproportionately affects children who are overweight and African- American, according to a new study published in the December 2007 edition of Otolaryngology ? Head and Neck Surgery.
