"Sleep Across Time And Age" - Annual Scientific Meeting, Australasian Sleep Association Perth, 5-7th October, 2006 Saturday's Highlights

Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Article Date: 09 Oct 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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Sleeping in on weekends causes Monday blues (102)
Leon Lack, Flinders University

Researchers at Flinders University in South Australia set out to test the effects of weekend sleep ins on people's circadian (24-hour) rhythms and subsequent nocturnal sleep and daytime sleepiness. Their study has found that, although sleeping in late on weekends can help catch up on sleep lost during the week, it also causes circadian rhythm delay and sleepiness and fatigue on Monday and Tuesday of the following week.

Is one type of exercise better than another to improve sleep in the elderly? (96)
Dr Andrew Davies, University of Tasmania

A study by researchers at the University of Tasmania is investigating whether different training regimes are more effective than others in improving sleep in the elderly. A comparison of flexibility and resistance exercises was undertaken. Participants reported sleep quality and daytime functioning improved slightly more with resistance training than flexibility training.

New classroom tool developed to teach children about sleep (25)
Kurt Lushington, University of South Australia

A new educational aid has been developed to teach children and adults about the amount of sleep different aged children need. This is in response to a decline in sleep length in children over the past decade and a general lack of awareness in the community about just how much sleep children need. The sleep slide-rule concept is currently under trial.

Management of heart failure with sleep disordered breathing
Matthew Naughton, Alfred Hospital and Monash University

This new field of sleep medicine will be discussed in light of recently published scientific manuscripts and abstracts outlining the impact of pharmacological, positive airway pressure, supplemental oxygen and pacemakers upon the hybrid disorder known as "heart failure with sleep disordered breathing".

Sleep Deprivation and Legal Alcohol Combination Proves Dangerous (96)
Andrew Vaulkin, Adelaide Institute of Sleep Health

When low levels of alcohol are combined with sleep fatigue a persons driving skills are greatly compromised. Using driving simulators the study found that when a sleep fatigued person has a couple of alcoholic drinks (staying within the legal range for drink driving) there is a measurable effect on their ability to steer a car, which may increase the likelihood of an accident occurring and increase the likelihood of an accident occurring.

Australasian Sleep Association Conference
http://www.sleep.org.au

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