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Health Conditions > Insomnia
Insomnia
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Alternative News:
-
Amber-Tinted Glasses Might Get You More Sleep - WebMD, 12/26/17 -
"adults diagnosed with insomnia got about 30 minutes
more sleep when wearing wrap-around amber lenses for two hours before bedtime
... participants also reported better-quality sleep and an overall reduction in
their insomnia symptoms" - See amber
tinted glasses at Amazon.com.
-
The effects of
chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: A clinical
trial - Complement Ther Med. 2017 Dec;35:109-114 -
"The treatment group received chamomile extract
capsules (200mg) twice a day for 28 consecutive days ... The use of
chamomile extract can significantly improve sleep quality among elderly
people. Thus, it can be used as a safe modality for promoting elderly
people's sleep" - [Nutra
USA] - See chamomile extract
at Amazon.com.
-
A preliminary examination
of gut microbiota, sleep, and cognitive flexibility in healthy older adults
- Sleep Med. 2017 Oct;38:104-107 - "Better sleep quality
was associated with better Stroop performance and higher proportions of the gut
microbial phyla Verrucomicrobia and Lentisphaerae. Stroop Word and Color-Word
performance correlated with higher proportions of Verrucomicrobia and
Lentisphaerae. Partial correlations suggested that the relationship between
Lentisphaerae and Stroop Color-Word performance was better accounted for by
sleep quality; sleep quality remained a significant predictor of Color-Word
performance, independent of the Lentisphaerae proportion, while the relationship
between Lentisphaerae and Stroop performance was non-significant.
Verrucomicrobia and sleep quality were not associated with Stroop Word
performance independent of one another" - [Nutra
USA]
-
Pilot Study of the Tart
Cherry Juice for the Treatment of Insomnia and Investigation of Mechanisms -
Am J Ther. 2017 Mar 27 - "The 8 completers with insomnia increased sleep time by
84 minutes on polysomnography (P = 0.0182) and sleep efficiency increased on the
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ... Cherry juice increased sleep time and sleep
efficiency. Cherry juice procyanidin B-2 inhibited IDO, increased tryptophan
availability, reduced inflammation, and may be partially responsible for
improvement in insomnia" - [Nutra
USA] - See cherry juice extract at Amazon.com.
-
Effect of Valerian/Hop
Mixture on Sleep-Related Behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster - Biol Pharm
Bull. 2017;40(7):1101-1110 - "Xanthohumol (Cascade:
827.49 µg/g, Hallertau: 763.60 µg/g, Saaz: 186.93 µg/g) ... This study
demonstrates that a Valerian/Cascade mixture extract improves sleep-related
behaviors, including sleeping time, by modulating GABAergic/serotonergic
signaling" - See
valerian root at Amazon.com
and xanthohumol at Amazon.com.
-
Effect of Valerian in
Preventing Neuropsychiatric Adverse Effects of Efavirenz in HIV-Positive
Patients: A Pilot Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial - Ann
Pharmacother. 2017 Jun;51(6):457-464 - "Several
neuropsychiatric adverse effects of efavirenz are known. Preventing these
adverse effects may improve patients' adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART)
... Patients received valerian (530 mg) or placebo nightly 1 hour before sleep
for 4 weeks ... In the first 4 weeks of ART including efavirenz, valerian
significantly improved sleep and anxiety in HIV-positive patients. Valerian may
be considered as a potential option in preventing neuropsychiatric adverse
effects of efavirenz in HIV-positive patients" - See
Valerian Nighttime at Amazon.com.
-
Sound
waves boost older adults' memory, deep sleep - Science Daily, 3/8/17 -
"Gentle sound stimulation -- such as the rush of a
waterfall -- synchronized to the rhythm of brain waves significantly enhanced
deep sleep in older adults and improved their ability to recall words ... Recall
ability after the sham stimulation generally improved on the morning test by a
few percent. However, the average improvement was three times larger after
pink-noise stimulation ... After the sound stimulation, the older participants'
slow waves increased during sleep" - See
Adaptive Sound Technologies Sound+Sleep SE Special Edition Sleep Sound Machine,
White Noise Machine at Amazon.com or the
Sleep Pillow Sounds app at iTunes. If you go with the app you'll
probably need an external speaker. See the
Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Next
Generation Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker at Amazon.com.
The app might sounds like the less expensive route but they soak you $20 for the
water sounds plus the price of an external speaker which is still cheaper but
probably not the same sound quality.
-
Dietary
prebiotics improve sleep, buffer impacts of stress, says study - Science
Daily, 2/25/17 - "Prebiotics are dietary fibers found
naturally in foods like chicory, artichokes, raw garlic, leeks and onions. When
beneficial bacteria digest prebiotic fiber, they not only multiply, improving
overall gut health, but they also release metabolic byproducts. Some research
suggests these byproducts can influence brain function ... the rats on the
prebiotic diet spent more time in non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, which is
restful and restorative, than those on the non-prebiotic diet ... After being
exposed to a stressor, the rats on the prebiotic diet also spent more time in
rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is believed to be critical for
promoting recovery from stress, with research showing that those who get more
REM sleep post-trauma are less likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress
disorder" - See
prebiotic supplements at Amazon.com
.
-
Zinc-rich oysters as well
as zinc yeast- and astaxanthin-enriched food improved sleep efficiency and sleep
onset in a randomized controlled trial of healthy individuals - Mol Nutr
Food Res. 2016 Dec 25 - "These subjects were divided
into 4 groups: placebo, zinc-rich food, zinc- and astaxanthin-rich food, and
placebo supplemented with zinc-enriched yeast and astaxanthin oil. Compared with
the placebo group, the zinc-rich food group efficiently decreased the time
necessary to fall asleep and improved sleep efficiency, whereas the group that
ingested zinc-enriched yeast and astaxanthin oil significantly improved the
sleep onset latency" - See Nutrex Hawaii
BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin, 120 Gel Caps supply, 4mg Astaxanthin per Serving
and
Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com
.
Cut and paste from my 11/9/16 newsletter:
-
Clinical Study Shows AstaReal(R) Astaxanthin Effective in Reducing both Mental
and Physical Fatigue - yonhapnews.co.kr, 11/7/16 - "AstaReal®
astaxanthin significantly reduced perceived
symptoms of mental and physical fatigue compared
to the placebo. These included improvements in clarity of thinking,
concentration, motivation, and mood. Irritation and feeling of body heaviness
were reduced. In the calculation test, an increase in errors observed in the
placebo during the second half of the test was almost eliminated in the
astaxanthin group. Supplementation with astaxanthin also significantly reduced
salivary cortisol, a biomarker for stress"
- [Nutra
USA] - See astaxanthin at Amazon.com.
-
Protein, salt drive post-meal sleepiness - Science Daily, 11/22/16 -
"new research with fruit flies suggests higher protein
and salt content in our food, as well as the volume consumed, can lead to longer
naps ... "In Drosophila, there is a well-documented interaction between sleep
and metabolism, whereby flies suppress sleep or increase their activity when
starved ... after eating a meal, the animals sleep more before returning to a
normal state of wakefulness ... only protein and salt were effectors of
post-meal sleep, suggesting that this form of sleep can indeed be regulated by
specific food types" - Note: I figured that on my own a long time ago.
A lot of people have been telling me I have it backwards by eating before
bedtime but it gives me a sounder sleep and I'm the one with the 40 inch chest
and 30 inch waist and they're not.
-
Not sleeping so well? Eating fiber might help - CNET, 1/16/16 -
"a new study published in the January issue of the
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine zeroes in the specific impact of fiber on
sleep, saying it leads to deeper, more restorative rest. The study also suggests
more saturated fats and sugar consumed throughout the day have the opposite
effect ... The study out of Columbia University associates a higher fiber intake
with more time spent in a dreamless deep stage of sleep known as slow-wave sleep
... Fill your day with whole grains, fruits and vegetables and steer clear of
too much sugar and saturated fats"
-
Intensive training affects the sleep, performance and mood of athletes, but more
carbs may help - Science Daily, 12/11/15 - "the
extra time under the covers didn't result in any more actual sleep. "Sleep
efficiency was significantly reduced during the intensified training period,"
the researchers observed, with the number of times the athletes woke throughout
the night significantly increased. In addition, the cyclists reported changes in
their moods as the study went on, including higher tension, anger, fatigue,
confusion, depression and increased feelings and symptoms of stress ... he team
concluded that a high carbohydrate regime reduced some, but not all, of the
effects of hard training. The moderate-carb athletes recorded more sleep time,
but this may demonstrate higher levels of fatigue and a greater need for
recovery when following that diet"
-
Long
sleep and high blood copper levels go hand in hand - Science Daily, 9/14/15
- "Based on this study, however, it is impossible to say
whether sleeping long results in high serum copper concentrations or vice versa"
- See
Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com
.
-
The effect
of melatonin on sleep and quality of life in patients with advanced breast
cancer - Support Care Cancer. 2015 Aug 11 -
"Thirty-two patients with metastatic breast cancer, receiving hormonal or
trastuzumab therapy, took 5 mg of melatonin at bedtime for 2 months ... Bedtime
melatonin was associated with a significant improvement in a marker of objective
sleep quality, sleep fragmentation and quantity, subjective sleep, fatigue
severity, global quality of life, and social and cognitive functioning scales.
Morning clock gene expression was increased following bedtime melatonin intake"
- See
melatonin at Amazon.com
.
I like the peppermint flavored by Source Naturals.
-
iPads, tablets, smartphones disrupt good sleep, study finds - The Washington
Post, 12/22/14 - "During a two-week inpatient experiment
involving a dozen adults, some participants were asked to read on an iPad for
four hours each night before bedtime, for five consecutive nights. Others read
printed books in dim light. After a week, the groups switched ... participants
using iPads displayed reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone that typically
increases in the evening and helps induce sleepiness. They took longer to fall
asleep, and spent less time in restorative REM, or rapid-eye movement, sleep ...
the iPad readers reported being sleepier and less alert the following morning,
even after eight hours of sleep. They also displayed delayed circadian rhythms
... although the study used only iPads, the effect isn't unique to that device.
Other products produce similar blue-light emissions, including tablets,
e-readers, smartphones, laptops and LED monitors" - See
melatonin at Amazon.com
.
-
New Study Shows Melatonin Makes Old Bones Stronger - Dr. Michael Murray,
6/3/14 - "One of the underlying causes of low melatonin
levels as a person ages may be low vitamin B12 levels. Vitamin B12 is a
necessary cofactor in the manufacture of melatonin ... Methylcobalamin is the
body’s active form of vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin has been shown to help some
people suffering from what is referred to as sleep-wake disorder ... In people
with sleep wake disorders, taking methylcobalamin (3 mg daily first thing in the
morning) has often led to improved sleep quality, increased daytime alertness
and concentration, and improved mood. Much of the benefit appears to be a result
of methylcobalamin influencing melatonin secretion" - See
vitamin B12 at Amazon.com
.
-
Higher
levels of omega-3 in diet are associated with better sleep, study shows -
Science Daily, 3/6/14 - "Of the children rated as having
poor sleep, the researchers fitted wrist sensors to 43 of them to monitor their
movements in bed over five nights. This exploratory pilot study showed that the
children on a course of daily supplements of omega-3 had nearly one hour (58
minutes) more sleep and seven fewer waking episodes per night compared with the
children taking the corn or soybean placebo ... higher blood levels of the
long-chain omega-3 DHA (the main omega-3 fatty acid found in the brain) are
significantly associated with better sleep, including less bedtime resistance,
parasomnias and total sleep disturbance. It adds that higher ratios of DHA in
relation to the long-chain omega-6 fatty acid AA (arachidonic acid) are also
associated with fewer sleep problems" - See
docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com
.
-
Dietary
amino acids improve sleep problems in mice with traumatic brain injury -
Science Daily, 12/11/13 - "the scientists gave the
injured mice a dietary therapy of branched chain amino acids -- which humans get
most often through foods high in protein, including red meat, poultry and eggs.
Branched chain amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters, the
chemicals released by neurons in the brain. Like the oil in a car engine,
branched chain amino acids keep neurons running smoothly and boost neuron
excitability. The branched chain amino acids restored the orexin neurons in the
injured mice to a normal activity level, and improved wakefulness ... If a
dietary supplement can improve sleeping and waking patterns as well as cognitive
problems, it could help brain-injured patients regain crucial functions ...
human patients with a variety of disorders have been treated with branched chain
amino acid therapy for up to two years without adverse effects" - See
BCAA products at Amazon.com
.
-
The
relationship between metformin therapy and sleep quantity and quality in
patients with Type 2 diabetes referred for potential sleep disorders -
Diabet Med. 2013 Nov 16 - "Given that sleep disorders
are known to be related to insulin resistance, and metformin has favourable
effects on insulin resistance and on ventilatory drive, we sought to determine
whether metformin therapy was related to sleep variables in a group of patients
with Type 2 diabetes ... Total sleep time and sleep efficiency were higher in
metformin-treated patients than in patients not treated with metformin [total
sleep time: 6 h 39 min vs. 6 h 3 min, respectively (P = 0.002); sleep
efficiency: 77.9 +/- 12.3 vs. 71.5 +/- 17.2%, respectively" - See
metformin at The Antiaging Store.
-
Melatonin
Prolonged Release : In the Treatment of Insomnia in Patients Aged ≥55 years
- Drugs Aging. 2012 Oct 9 - "Melatonin prolonged release
(PR) 2 mg is approved for the treatment of primary insomnia characterized by
poor sleep quality in patients aged ≥55 years in the EU and elsewhere ...
Administration of melatonin PR 2 mg 1-2 h before bedtime mimics the natural
secretion pattern of melatonin, thereby leading to improvements in the circadian
regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. In older adults, melatonin PR 2 mg had no
effect on psychomotor functions, memory recall or driving skills during the
night or the next morning relative to placebo, and was associated with
significantly less impairment on many of these tasks relative to zolpidem 10 mg
alone or in combination with melatonin PR 2 mg. In 3-week and 6-month,
randomized, double-blind clinical trials in patients with primary insomnia aged
≥55 years, melatonin PR 2 mg 1-2 h before bedtime was associated with
significant improvements relative to placebo in many sleep and daytime
parameters, including sleep quality and latency, morning alertness and
health-related quality of life. Melatonin PR 2 mg was very well tolerated in
clinical trials in older patients, with a tolerability profile that was similar
to that of placebo. Short- or longer-term treatment with melatonin PR 2 mg was
not associated with dependence, tolerance, rebound insomnia or withdrawal
symptoms" - See Source
Naturals, Melatonin, Peppermint Flavored Sublingual, 2.5 mg, 240 Tablets.
-
Light
from self-luminous tablet computers can affect evening melatonin, delaying sleep
- Science Daily, 8/27/12 - "To produce white light,
these electronic devices must emit light at short wavelengths, which makes them
potential sources for suppressing or delaying the onset of melatonin in the
evening, reducing sleep duration and disrupting sleep. This is particularly
worrisome in populations such as young adults and adolescents, who already tend
to be night owls ... Melatonin suppression after a one-hour exposure to the
tablet was not significantly affected. However, after a two-hour exposure there
was significant suppression" - See
melatonin at Amazon.com
.
-
Valerian may ease menopausal sleep woes - msnbc.com, 8/30/11 -
"For the new study, researchers in Iran randomly
assigned 100 postmenopausal women with insomnia to take either two valerian
capsules or inactive placebo capsules every day for a month ... Overall, the
study found, 30 percent of the women assigned to valerian reported an
improvement in their sleep quality -- which includes factors like how long it
takes to fall asleep at night and how often a person wakes up overnight ... In
contrast, only four percent of women taking the placebo reported better sleep
... Women in this study reported no side effects ... Women in the current study
took two valerian capsules a day, each containing 530 milligrams of valerian
root extract. Both the valerian and placebo capsules they used were made
specifically for the study ... A recent report by ConsumerLab.com, an
independent testing company, found that of nine valerian supplements sold in the
U.S., five had lower amounts of the herb than indicated on the packaging. That
included one product with no valerian in it at all" - See
valerian root at Amazon.com
.
-
Effect of
valerian on sleep quality in postmenopausal women: a randomized
placebo-controlled clinical trial - Menopause. 2011 Jul 14 -
"About 50% of postmenopausal women experience sleep
disturbances such as insomnia ... A randomized, triple-blind, controlled trial
design was used for this study. Participants consisted of 100 postmenopausal
women aged 50 to 60 years who were experiencing insomnia. A demographic data
form and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to collect data. The women
were randomly divided into two groups. Each group received either 530 mg of
concentrated valerian extract or a placebo twice a day for 4 weeks. Descriptive
and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data ... A statistically
significant change was reported in the quality of sleep of the intervention
group in comparison with the placebo group (P < 0.001). Also, 30% of the
participants in the intervention group and 4% in the placebo group showed an
improvement in the quality of sleep" - Note: My sleep combo is two Nature's
Way, Valerian Nighttime, Odor Free, 100 Tablets, one Jarrow
Formulas, Theanine 200, 200 mg, 60 Capsules
and three Source Naturals,
Melatonin, Peppermint Flavored Sublingual, 1 mg, 300 Tablets.
-
Passion flower may boost sleep quality: Study - Nutra USA, 2/17/11 -
"sleep quality showed a significantly better rating
for the passion flower compared to the placebo, with an increase of over
five percent in sleep quality reported" - [Abstract]
- See
Passion flower products at iHerb. Also see
valerian,
lemon balm, theanine and
melatonin.
-
A Double-blind,
Placebo-controlled Investigation of the Effects of Passiflora incarnata
(Passionflower) Herbal Tea on Subjective Sleep Quality - Phytother Res.
2011 Feb 3 - "Passiflora incarnata is a traditional
herbal sedative, anxiolytic and a popular sleep aid used for the treatment
of sleep disturbance ... Forty-one participants (18-35 years) were exposed
to each treatment for a week, whereby they consumed a cup of the tea and
filled out a sleep diary for 7 days, and completed Spielberger's state-trait
anxiety inventory on the seventh morning. Ten participants also underwent
overnight PSG on the last night of each treatment period. Of six sleep-diary
measures analysed, sleep quality showed a significantly better rating for
passionflower compared with placebo (t(40) = 2.70, p < 0.01). These initial
findings suggest that the consumption of a low dose of Passiflora incarnata,
in the form of tea, yields short-term subjective sleep benefits for healthy
adults with mild fluctuations in sleep quality" - See
Passion flower products at iHerb. Also see
valerian,
lemon balm, theanine and
melatonin.
-
Isoflavones May Reduce Insomnia Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women -
Medscape, 2/9/11 - "For the isoflavone group vs the
placebo group, sleep efficiency measured by polysomnography increased
significantly (from 77.9% to 83.9% vs from 77.6% to 81.2%). In addition,
frequency of insomnia was reduced more readily in the isoflavone group. At
the beginning of the study, 94.7% of women in the placebo group had moderate
or intense insomnia compared with 63.2% at the end of the study; whereas in
the isoflavone group these percentages were 89.5% and 36.9%, respectively
... Isoflavones were also effective in reducing the number of hot flashes in
postmenopausal women with insomnia compared with the placebo group (P =
.001). This trend became apparent after 2 months of treatment, but the
results became significant only after the fourth month of treatment. The
intensity of hot flashes was significantly lower in the isoflavone group
than in the placebo group at both evaluation points (months 2 and 4 of
treatment; 1.6 vs 5.8 and 0.5 vs 3.8; P < .001)" - See
soy isoflavones at Amazon.com
.
-
Progesterone Prevents Sleep Disturbances and Modulates GH, TSH, and
Melatonin Secretion in Postmenopausal Women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab.
2011 Feb 2 - "Progesterone had no effect on
undisturbed sleep but restored normal sleep when sleep was disturbed (while
currently available hypnotics tend to inhibit deep sleep), acting as a
"physiologic" regulator rather than as a hypnotic drug. Use of progesterone
might provide novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of sleep
disturbances, in particular in aging where sleep is fragmented and of lower
quality" - See
progesterone products at iHerb.
-
Room
light before bedtime may impact sleep quality, blood pressure and diabetes
risk
- Science Daily, 1/13/11 - "exposure to electrical
light between dusk and bedtime strongly suppresses melatonin levels and may
impact physiologic processes regulated by melatonin signaling, such as
sleepiness, thermoregulation, blood pressure and glucose homeostasis ...
researchers evaluated 116 healthy volunteers aged 18-30 years who were
exposed to room light or dim light in the eight hours preceding bedtime for
five consecutive days. An intravenous catheter was inserted into the
forearms of study participants for continuous collection of blood plasma
every 30-60 minutes for melatonin measurements. Results showed exposure to
room light before bedtime shortened melatonin duration by about 90 minutes
when compared to dim light exposure. Furthermore, exposure to room light
during the usual hours of sleep suppressed melatonin by greater than 50
percent" - See
melatonin at Amazon.com
.
-
Aerobic exercise relieves insomnia - Science Daily, 9/15/10 -
"Exercise improved the participants' self-reported
sleep quality, elevating them from a diagnosis of poor sleeper to good
sleeper. They also reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality and
less daytime sleepiness"
-
Isoflavones
decrease insomnia in postmenopause - Menopause. 2010 Aug 19 -
"Polysomnography revealed a significant increase in
sleep efficiency in the isoflavone group (from 77.9% to 83.9%) when compared
with the placebo group (from 77.6% to 81.2%). Isoflavones induced a decrease
in the intensity and number of hot flashes and the frequency of insomnia:
among the women in the placebo group, 94.7% had moderate or intense insomnia
at the beginning of the study, compared with 63.2% at the end, whereas in
the isoflavone group, these percentages were 89.5% and 36.9%, respectively"
- See
soy isoflavones at Amazon.com
.
-
Insomnia Is Bad For The Heart; Increases Blood Pressure - Science Daily,
9/4/09 - "A new study published in the journal Sleep
has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime
blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems"
-
Does
valerian improve sleepiness and symptom severity in people with restless
legs syndrome? - Altern Ther Health Med. 2009 Mar-Apr;15(2):22-8 -
"The results of this study suggest that the use of
800 mg of valerian for 8 weeks improves symptoms of RLS and decreases
daytime sleepiness in patients that report an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
score of 10 or greater. Valerian may be an alternative treatment for the
symptom management ofRLS with positive health outcomes and improved quality
of life" - See
valerian root at Amazon.com
.
-
Efficacy of prolonged release melatonin in insomnia patients aged 55-80
years: quality of sleep and next-day alertness outcomes - Curr Med Res
Opin. 2007 Sep 14 - "PR-melatonin results in
significant and clinically meaningful improvements in sleep quality, morning
alertness, sleep onset latency and quality of life in primary insomnia
patients aged 55 years and over" - See
melatonin at Amazon.com
.
-
Carbs May Help You
Fall Asleep Faster - WebMD, 2/14/07 -
"Carbs which quickly raise blood sugar (those with a
high glycemic index) may hasten sleep, especially when eaten four hours before
bedtime ... The men fell asleep fastest after eating the jasmine rice meal four
hours before bedtime. It took them nine minutes, on average, to fall asleep that
night ... They were slowest to fall asleep after eating the long-grain rice meal
four hours before bedtime, taking nearly 18 minutes, on average, to fall asleep"
-
Seditol helps sleepless in Cincinnati - Nutra USA, 6/15/06 -
"Ninety-two percent of the subjects reported Seditol
helped them relax and 89 percent reported it helped reduce fatigue due to lack
of sleep" - See
Seditol at iHerb.
-
Stopping Jet Lag
Before It Starts - WebMD, 11/2/05 -
"The body clocks of those who took melatonin adapted
better to the new schedule. The higher dose of melatonin fared best in that
regard, but not by much. Plus, people who took the higher dose were sleepier
in the evenings after taking the pill"
-
Melatonin to Fight Insomnia: Timing Is Key - WebMD, 10/25/05 -
"melatonin was most effective in resetting the
body's internal, or circadian, clock when it was timed to the individual's
sleep patterns ... If you only want to induce sleep you can take it about
two hours before you want to go to sleep"
-
Melatonin for Jet Lag and Sleep Disorders - Clinical Psychiatry News,
10/04 -
"Those given melatonin reported improved sleep
latency and morning “restedness,” and had higher scores on the California
Verbal Learning Test" - See
iHerb
melatonin products.
- Short Insomnia
Therapy Beats Sleeping Pills - WebMD, 9/27/04
-
Sleep easy with green tea - Nutra USA, 3/16/04 -
"200mg of L-theanine or a placebo ... all subjects
reported a significant absence of feeling exhausted and a reduced need for
sleep when administered with the L-theanine, compared to the placebo"
- Morning
Exercise May Help You Sleep - WebMD, 11/4/03
- Sleep Problems,
Anxiety May Be Connected - WebMD, 9/12/03 -
"both sleep and mood
problems may result from a lack of the same brain chemical ... The brain
chemical -- gamma-aminobutryric acid, or GABA --
is involved in regulating brain activity ... Specifically, GABA deficiencies
interfere with the most important stage of sleep -- the "deep" delta sleep"
- See
iHerb
GABA products.
- Nighttime
Computer Users May Lose Sleep - WebMD, 6/20/03 -
"the bright light of a computer screen may alter the
body's biological clock and suppress the natural production of
melatonin that's critical to the normal
sleep-wake cycle" - See
iHerb
melatonin products.
-
Herbal With Valerian Helps Treat Sleep-Onset Insomnia - Clinical
Psychiatry News, 5/03 -
"Those who took the supplement experienced a
significant decrease in subjective sleep latency from baseline of 12.61
minutes, according to daily sleep diaries. Patients taking the placebo
experienced an average increase of 7.98 minutes in subjective sleep latency
... Blissful Sleep contains 160 mg of
valerian and smaller amounts of Rosa centifolia, Nardostachys jatamansi,
Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera, Piper nigrum, Alpinia galangal,
Convolvulus pluricalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra" - See
iHerb
valerian products. My favorite is
Valerian Nighttime at iHerb.
-
Melatonin Appears Safe for Child Insomniacs - Clinical Psychiatry News,
3/03 -
"Melatonin
appears to be a safe and effective treatment for children with insomnia ...
The average age of the patients was 9.6 years ... Dr. Ivanenko, who is a
child psychiatrist at the University of Louisville (Ky.), said she typically
starts children at 1-5 mg of melatonin and titrates up to as much as 8-10 mg
in adolescents" - See
iHerb
melatonin products.
Other News:
-
Blue light from electronics disturbs sleep, especially for teenagers -
The Washington Post, 9/1/14 - "the lights from their
computer screens, smartphones and tablets often stay on throughout the
night. These devices emit light of all colors, but it’s the blues in
particular that pose a danger to sleep. Blue light is especially good at
preventing the release of melatonin, a hormone associated with nighttime ...
place the tablet farther away from your face than usual, or watch TV
instead. Also, turning the brightness setting down on laptops, tablets and
phones should help"
-
FDA OKs New Kind of
Sleep Drug Suvorexant (Belsomra) - Medscape, 8/13/14 - "Suvorexant,
an orexin receptor antagonist, is the first drug of its kind to be approved
for patients with insomnia. It alters the signaling of orexins,
neurotransmitters responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle"
-
Marijuana use associated with impaired sleep quality - Science Daily,
6/2/14 - "any history of cannabis use was associated
with an increased likelihood of reporting difficulty falling asleep,
struggling to maintain sleep, experiencing non-restorative sleep, and
feeling daytime sleepiness. The strongest association was found in adults
who started marijuana use before age 15; they were about twice as likely to
have severe problems falling asleep (odds ratio = 2.28), experiencing
non-restorative sleep (OR = 2.25) and feeling overly sleepy during the day
(OR = 1.99) ... The most surprising finding was that there was a strong
relationship with age of first use, no matter how often people were
currently using marijuana. People who started using early were more likely
to have sleep problems as an adult"
-
Poor
sleep equal to binge drinking, marijuana use in predicting academic problems
- Science Daily, 6/2/14 - "sleep problems have about
the same impact on grade point average (GPA) as binge drinking and marijuana
use. Its negative impact on academic success is more pronounced for
freshmen. Among first-year students, poor sleep -- but not binge drinking,
marijuana use or learning disabilities diagnosis -- independently predicted
dropping or withdrawing from a course"
-
Insomniacs' Brains May Work Differently - WebMD, 2/28/14 -
"The brains of insomniacs were busier than those of
the normal sleepers ... It's like they're constantly on, constantly being
activated ... This fits in with the experiences of some insomniacs who say
they can't sleep because their brains are always revved up"
-
Half of Survivors of
Traumatic Events Experiencing Nightmares and Insomnia -
firstwordpharma.com, 6/6/13 - "Stressful events were
defined as exposure to natural disasters; involvement in an accident or
fire; experiencing combat or work in a war zone; experiencing physical or
sexual assault; witnessing physical or sexual assault; observing a threat or
injury to a family member; witnessing a death due to violence; and
witnessing a sudden, unexpected death ... 43.7% of respondents to this
survey complained of sleep disturbances"
-
Alcohol and a Good Night's Sleep Don't Mix - WebMD, 1/22/13 -
"alcohol does not improve sleep quality. According
to the findings, alcohol does allow healthy people to fall asleep quicker
and sleep more deeply for a while, but it reduces rapid eye movement (REM)
sleep ... the more you drink before bed, the more pronounced these effects.
REM sleep happens about 90 minutes after we fall asleep. It's the stage of
sleep when people dream, and it's thought to be restorative. Disruptions in
REM sleep may cause daytime drowsiness, poor concentration, and rob you of
needed ZZZs ... overall it is more disruptive to sleep, particularly in the
second half of the night"
-
Obesity, depression found to be root causes of daytime sleepiness -
Science Daily, 6/13/12 - "Three studies being
presented June 13 at sleep 2012 conclude that obesity and depression are the
two main culprits making us excessively sleepy while awake ... Insufficient
sleep and obstructive sleep apnea also play a role; both have been linked to
high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes, obesity
and accidents"
-
How Does the New Sleeping Pill, Intermezzo, Fare? - ABC News, 4/4/12 -
This is a video.
-
Lack
of sleep makes your brain hungry - Science Daily, 1/18/12 -
"a specific brain region that contributes to a
person's appetite sensation is more activated in response to food images
after one night of sleep loss than after one night of normal sleep. Poor
sleep habits can therefore affect people's risk of becoming overweight in
the long run"
-
Short
Sleep Duration and Poor Sleep Quality Increase the Risk of Diabetes in
Japanese Workers With No Family History of Diabetes - Diabetes Care.
2011 Dec 30 - "family history of diabetes (FHD) ...
Having diabetes was defined as taking medication for diabetes or a fasting
plasma glucose level of ≥126 mg/dL at follow-up (2007-2008) ... after
adjustment for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio (95% CI) for
developing diabetes was 5.37 (1.38-20.91) in those with a sleep duration of
≤5 h compared with those with a sleep duration of >7 h. Other risk factors
were awakening during the night (5.03 [1.43-17.64]), self-perceived
insufficient sleep duration (6.76 [2.09-21.87]), and unsatisfactory overall
quality of sleep (3.71 [1.37-10.07]). In subjects with an FHD, these
associations were either absent or weaker"
-
Alcohol interferes with the restorative functions of sleep - Science
Daily, 8/15/11 - "alcohol interferes with the
restorative functions of sleep ... alcohol suppresses the high-frequency
power during sleep in a dosage-dependent manner ... Although the first half
of sleep after alcohol intake looks good on the EEG, the result of the
assessment regarding the autonomic nerve system shows that drinking leads to
insomnia rather than good sleep ... More specifically, as alcohol
consumption increased, the heart rate increased and the spectral power of
HRV measured at each frequency range decreased. Also, the
low-frequency/high-frequency ratio that is considered an index of the
balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems was increased"
-
Insomnia linked to high insulin resistance in diabetics - Science Daily,
5/2/11 - "Among the diabetics, poor sleepers had 23%
higher blood glucose levels in the morning, and 48% higher blood insulin
levels. Using these numbers to estimate a person's insulin resistance, the
researchers found that poor sleepers with diabetes had 82% higher insulin
resistance than normal sleepers with diabetes"
-
Napping may help with blood pressure management - Science Daily, 2/28/11
- "those participants who slept for at least 45
minutes during the day had lower average blood pressure after psychological
stress than those who did not sleep ... The average sleep duration is now
almost 2 hours shorter per night than it was 50 years ago. And this could be
impacting our long-term health. For example, sleeping less has been linked
to an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular problems generally
... One group was allotted a 60-minute interval during the day when they had
the opportunity to sleep; the other group did not sleep during the day ...
daytime sleep seemed to have a restorative effect with students in the sleep
condition reporting lower scores of sleepiness than those who did not sleep.
Although blood pressure and pulse rates rose in both groups between baseline
and the stress phase, during the recovery phase, those who had napped had
significantly lower average blood pressure readings than those who had not
slept"
-
Sleep
duration predicts cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and
meta-analysis of prospective studies - Eur Heart J. 2011 Feb 7 -
"Short duration of sleep was associated with a
greater risk of developing or dying of CHD (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.22-1.80, P <
0.0001), stroke (1.15, 1.00-1.31, P = 0.047), but not total CVD (1.03,
0.93-1.15, P = 0.52) with no evidence of publication bias (P = 0.95, P =
0.30, and P = 0.46, respectively). Long duration of sleep was also
associated with a greater risk of CHD (1.38, 1.15-1.66, P = 0.0005), stroke
(1.65, 1.45-1.87, P < 0.0001), and total CVD (1.41, 1.19-1.68, P < 0.0001)
with no evidence of publication bias (P = 0.92, P = 0.96, and P = 0.79,
respectively). Conclusion Both short and long duration of sleep are
predictors, or markers, of cardiovascular outcomes"
-
Lack
of sleep found to be a new risk factor for colon cancer - Science Daily,
2/8/11 - "individuals who averaged less than six
hours of sleep at night had an almost 50 percent increase in the risk of
colorectal adenomas compared with individuals sleeping at least seven hours
per night. Adenomas are a precursor to cancer tumors, and left untreated,
they can turn malignant"
-
Effects
of sildenafil and vardenafil treatments on sleep quality and depression in
hemodialysis patients with erectile dysfunction - Int J Impot Res. 2011
Jan 6 - "Sleep quality and depression were evaluated
via post-sleep inventory (PSI) and Beck's depression inventory (BDI),
respectively, at baseline and at the end of the treatment. Sildenafil and
vardenafil both improved PSI and BDI scores significantly compared with
pretreatment values. However, there was no difference between sildenafil and
vardenafil with respect to these parameters"
-
Loud
snoring and insomnia symptoms predict the development of the metabolic
syndrome -Science Daily, 12/1/10
-
Insomnia after myocardial infarction: Heart and brain appear to be closely
connected - Science Daily, 12/1/10
-
Poor
sleep quality increases inflammation, community study finds - Science
Daily, 11/14/10
-
Insomniacs have different brains, researcher says - Science Daily,
6/15/10
-
Middle-aged men: Could dwindling testosterone levels decrease sleep? -
Science Daily, 5/14/10 - "In young men, deep sleep
represents 10 to 20 percent of total sleep. By age 50, it decreases to five
to seven percent. For men over 60, it can disappear altogether ... Because
deep sleep requires great synchronization ... Low levels of testosterone
intensify the lack of synchronization and can explain 20 percent of men's
inability to experience deep sleep ... Sekerovic suggests dwindling
testosterone levels are what impact sleep, not vice-versa, as other studies
have suggested ... If Sekerovic is right, his findings could re-ignite the
hormone therapy debate. "The loss of deep sleep is a serious problem that
could be treated with testosterone. That would be tremendous progress,""
-
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Appears Beneficial For Long-term Treatment Of
Insomnia - Science Daily, 5/19/09
-
Chronic Insomnia With Short Sleep Duration Is Significant Risk Factor For
Hypertension - Science Daily, 4/9/09 -
"participants with insomnia and an objectively measured, severely short
sleep duration of less than five hours had a risk for hypertension that was
500 percent higher than participants without insomnia who slept more than
six hours. People with insomnia and a moderately short sleep duration of
five to six hours had a risk for hypertension that was 350 percent higher
than normal sleepers"
-
Chronic Insomnia With Short Sleep Duration Is Significant Risk Factor For
Hypertension - Science Daily, 4/1/09 - "A study
in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first to demonstrate that
chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an
independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension"
-
Societal, Economic Burden Of Insomnia Is High - Science Daily, 1/1/09
-
Worst Menopause Symptom? Lack of Sleep - WebMD, 4/22/08
-
Altered Sex Hormone Levels, Higher Body Temp Affects Sleep Quality In
Postmenopausal Women - Science Daily, 12/1/07 -
"lower estradiol (E2) and higher luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were
significantly correlated with indices of poor sleep quality, with
relationships between LH and quality of sleep being stronger than those for
E2"
-
Cholesterol-lowering Drug Linked To Sleep Disruptions - Science Daily,
11/7/07 - "The results showed that simvastain use
was associated with significantly worse sleep quality. A significantly
greater number of individuals taking simvastatin reported sleep problems
than those taking either pravastain or the placebo"
-
Cholesterol Drug May Affect Sleep - WebMD, 11/7/07
-
Sleep Drugs Found Only Mildly Effective, but Wildly Popular - New York
Times, 10/23/07
-
Chronic Insomnia May Predict Anxiety Disorders - WebMD, 7/5/07 -
"People with chronic insomnia were more likely to
have current anxiety or depression than people without insomnia"
-
Long-term Pharmacologic Management of Insomnia - Medscape, 9/7/06
-
New Sleep Medication Shows Less Potential to Foster Abuse and Dependence
- Doctor's Guide, 6/6/06
-
Sleep Drugs: None Stands Out as Best - WebMD, 12/9/05
-
Treating Nighttime Heartburn Improves Sleep and Boosts Quality Of Life -
Doctor's Guide, 9/2/05
-
Poor
Sleep Not A Normal Part Of Aging - Science Daily, 7/15/05
-
Insomnia May Precede And Prolong Major Depression - Doctor's Guide,
6/22/05 - "depressed patients with insomnia were
nearly 11 times more likely to still be depressed at six months than those
sleeping well, and 17 times more likely to remain ill after a year ... they
suggest that targeted treatment for insomnia will increase the likelihood
and speed of recovery from depression"
-
Good Night's Sleep Eludes Most Americans - WebMD, 3/29/05
- New Insights
on Anxiety, Sleep Disorders - WebMD, 8/18/04
- The Evaluation and
Management of the Anxious Insomniac - Medscape, 3/2/04
- Nightcaps May
Disrupt Sleep - WebMD, 8/15/03
- New Insomnia
Treatments Found Effective - WebMD, 6/10/03 -
"Two new drugs have been found effective in treating
insomnia with few or no side effects ... The first treatment, an
experimental drug called TAK-375 ... [Estorra] demonstrated sustained
therapeutic effect for the full twelve months of this study"
- New Drugs for Chronic
Insomnia - Medscape, 5/27/03 -
"Eszopiclone has beneficial effects on falling
asleep, staying asleep, and quality of sleep"
- What You Can Do
to Avoid Sleep Problems in Hard Times - WebMD, 4/3/03
-
Don't Fear Benzodiazepines for Sleep Problems - Clinical Psychiatry
News, 4/03 -
"There is not one shred of evidence that Benadryl is
an effective sleep-inducing agent ... It makes people feel sleepy, but it
has no effect on sleep. And the reason we prescribe it is because we are
afraid of using the medications that do work"
- Sleep Problems
Don't Discriminate by Age - WebMD, 3/31/03 -
"Sleep disorders were reported by: ... 82% of those
with
depression"
-
Insomnia Often Associated With Objective Daytime Changes - Doctor's
Guide, 2/14/03
-
Residual effects of middle-of-the-night administration of zaleplon and
zolpidem on driving ability, memory functions, and psychomotor performance
- J Clin Psychopharmacol 2002 Dec;22(6):576-83 - "Zaleplon
10 and 20 mg did not significantly impair driving ability 4 hours after
middle-of-the-night administration. Relative to placebo, after
zolpidem
10 mg, SDLP was significantly elevated, but the magnitude of the difference
was small and not likely to be of clinical importance. Memory and
psychomotor test performance was unaffected after both doses of zaleplon and
zolpidem 10 mg. In contrast, zolpidem 20 mg significantly increased SDLP and
speed variability. Further, zolpidem 20 mg significantly impaired
performance on all psychomotor and memory tests ... The results show that
zaleplon (10 and 20 mg) is a safe hypnotic devoid of next-morning residual
impairment when used in the middle of the night"
-
Physicians, Elderly Patients View Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use Differently
- Doctor's Guide, 6/7/02
-
"As Needed" Zolpidem and Behavioral Therapy Safely Treats Chronic Insomnia
- Doctor's Guide, 5/6/02
-
Behavior Management Programs Help Seniors With Chronic Illnesses Sleep
Better - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/02
-
Sleep experts put readers' questions, fears to rest - USA Today, 4/3/02
- Simple Steps Can
Combat Sleep Problems in Elderly - WebMD, 1/2/02
- Recent Events May
Affect Sleep, Tips to Fight Insomnia, Nightmares in Children - WebMD,
9/19/01
- Mirtazapine Regulates
Stress Hormones, Improves Sleep In Depressed Patients - Doctor's Guide,
8/8/01
- Gaboxadol Improves Sleep
in Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/01
- Sleep Disorder Diagnosis
Can Be Done Effectively at Home - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/01
- “Nightcap” Device Provides
Simple, Home-based Assessment of Insomnia - Doctor's Guide, 6/8/01
- New Guidelines Issued For
Improvement Of Insomnia Diagnosis, Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 3/6/01
- Insomnia Underdiagnosed
And Undertreated - Doctor's Guide, 2/23/01
-
Micro Form Of Progestogen Replacement May Improve Sleep Symptoms -
Doctor's Guide, 2/14/01 -
"Women who take a combined form of hormone
replacement therapy with a new kind of progestogen sleep more soundly"
- Low-Dose Sedating
Antidepressant Or Hypnotic May Improve Insomnia Management In Depressed
Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/19/00
- Sleep Disturbances Found
In Patients Taking Common Hepatitis C Treatment - Doctor's Guide,
6/19/00
- Benefits Of Zaleplon For
Primary Insomnia Maintained Over Time - Doctor's Guide, 6/19/00
-
New medications relieve insomnia without the hangover - Intelihealth,
5/31/00
- New Insomnia Drug,
NBI-34060, Shows Positive Results For Sleep Induction - Doctor's Guide,
11/30/99
- Zaleplon Safe And Well
Tolerated For Long-Term Insomnia Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/99
- New Sleeping Pill Hailed
As Businessman’s Friend - Doctor's Guide, 9/23/99
- Zaleplon Safe And
Tolerable For Long-Term Treatment Of Insomnia - Doctor's Guide, 9/21/99
- Majority Of Patients With
Insomnia Diagnosed With Mental Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 9/14/99 -
"A new study by Washington State University
researchers reveals that among patients seeking medical care for insomnia
more than half were diagnosed with a mental disorder. The most common
diagnosis was depression"
- Strategies Improve Quality
Of Life In People With Insomnia - Doctor's Guide, 9/8/99
- FDA Approves Sonata For
Treatment Of Insomnia - Doctor's Guide, 8/16/99
- Sleepless
in America - CNN, 6/1/99
- Zaleplon Effective Against
Insomnia Without Residual Effects - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/99
- Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy
And Drug Treatments Effective In Treating Late-Life Insomnia - Doctor's
Guide, 3/16/99
- Most MDs Overprescribe
Sleep Medications, Says Expert - Doctor's Guide, 10/7/97
- Importance of Proper
Diagnosis Of Chronic Insomnia Stressed - Doctor's Guide, 1/29/97
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