Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/sleep/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 14 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107349.php A new, first in class sleep medication is launched, offering hope for thousands of sufferers of insomnia in Europe. Circadin(R), sustained-release melatonin, provides natural sleep by increasing the body's own level of this naturally occurring hormone throughout the night. (1) Melatonin is the hormone responsible for regulating the circadian rhythm (or sleep cycle) and enabling restorative sleep. Thu, 08 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106803.php A new study suggests that American adults who usually sleep fewer than 6 hours a night are more likely to have poor health habits than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours. The findings also suggest a similar poor pattern of health behaviours for those who usually sleep 9 hours or more. However, the authors were keen to stress that the finding do not prove that too much or too little sleep causes poor health behaviours, or the other way around. Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106589.php A UQ researcher has created a new way to measure breathing patterns in sleeping infants which may also work for adults. The researcher, PhD student Philip Terrill, has created a mathematical formula that measures varying breathing patterns which indicate different sleep states such as active or quiet sleep. Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106129.php A study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first attempt to quantify the strength of the cross-sectional relationships between duration of sleep and obesity in both children and adults. Cross-sectional studies from around the world show a consistent increased risk of obesity among short sleepers in children and adults, the study found.Francesco P. Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106127.php Deficiencies in nighttime sleep are associated with daytime napping in older adults, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.Suzanne E. Goldman, PhD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues measured the nighttime and daytime sleep of 235 individuals (average age: 80. Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106124.php A study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first known to report that short and long sleepers are more likely to have metabolic syndrome, or a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.The study, authored by Martica H. Hall, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues, focused on 1,214 adults between 30-54 years of age. Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106123.php A study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP finds that sleep disturbances among Alzheimer patients vary significantly from those of their family caregivers, and that, surprisingly, poor sleep in either the patient or caregiver is not necessarily linked to disturbed sleep in the other.Susan M. Fri, 02 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106121.php The phase of clock gene expression in leukocytes, assessed in the absence of the masking effects of light-dark and sleep-wake cycles, correlates with habitual sleep timing, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.The study, authored by Simon N. Archer, PhD, of the University of Surrey in Guildford, England, and colleagues, focused on 24 healthy subjects in a home environment and clinical research center setting. Fri, 02 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106066.php Bill Marshal, owner of a general contracting business in Half Moon Bay, had snored for years. He knew that he woke up often in the night, but it took an observant friend and a trip to the Sleep Medicine Center at Stanford Hospital & Clinics for Marshal to understand that in his case, the snoring wasn't normal. "My friend was visiting; we were in the family room watching a football game I guess, and I dozed off and stopped breathing for a while," Marshal said. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105743.php Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced positive results from a Phase 1 clinical trial of AZ-007 (Staccato(R) zaleplon). AZ-007 is an inhalation product candidate being developed for the treatment of insomnia patients who have difficulty falling asleep, including patients who awake in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back asleep. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105506.php A Johns Hopkins University biologist, in research with implications for people suffering from seasonal affective disorder and insomnia, has determined that the eye uses light to reset the biological clock through a mechanism separate from the ability to see. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105140.php A team of anesthesiologist researchers has developed a quick, cheap and highly accurate scoring system to identify surgical patients who may have the potentially life-threatening condition of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).The STOP questionnaire is a self-administered screening tool consisting of four simple yes/no questions that was created by anesthesiologist Francis Chung, M.D., and her team from the University of Toronto. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105085.php Supported by celebrities such as Jo Brand, Janet Ellis, Polly Toynbee, Beverley Turner and Dr Miriam Stoppard, and marking today's Parliamentary event[1], fpa is officially launching its campaign to protect the current 24-week time limit for abortion. The time limit is currently under attack by anti-abortion groups and MPs who want to deny women access to the procedure. Hosted on fpa's website (www.fpa.org. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104867.php Mental Health Awareness Month, observed throughout May in the United States, increases awareness about mental illness such as depression. Mental illness is a significant health concern and, if left untreated, can have serious consequences. Depression is the most common mental illness, and recent studies have demonstrated the link between depression and poor sleep. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104647.php Improvements in the quality of life are seen in patients with sleepapnea or other types of nasal blockages who have nasal surgery toremove obstructions from the airway, according to an article releasedon April 21, 2008 in the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head& Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) involves period of sleep in which thepatient does not breathe. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104736.php A new study has shown that pramipexole (Mirapexin®/Sifrol®) can significantly reduce sleep disturbance, often the most troublesome symptom experienced by people with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).1 The important finding, presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Chicago, U.S.A. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104529.php Common hassles at work are more likely than long hours, night shifts or job insecurity to follow workers home and interfere with their sleep.That's the conclusion of a University of Michigan study presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America.The study analyzes two nationally representative surveys of approximately 2,300 U.S. adults that monitored the same workers for up to a decade. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104680.php Children with migraine are more likely to have sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea and lack of sleep, than children without migraine, according to research on the effects of headaches on children's sleep patterns that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12 - 19, 2008. Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104391.php Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered sleep patterns in a type of anesthesia that are the closest ever to a natural, non-groggy snooze. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104265.php Sleep disruption is the most common and severe symptom reported by middle-aged women when their periods change and they start moving into the menopause,according to a study in the April issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing. Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, USA, spoke to 110 women entering the menopause - when periods can become lighter or heavier and occur at longer or shorter intervals. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104259.php Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) controls a husband's sleep-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms, his treatment adherence is strongly related to his wife sharing the bed, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM). Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104258.php A single subjective (SS) question may be an effective screening tool for excessive daytime sleepiness, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).Sarah Nath Zallek, MD, of the Illinois Neurological Institute Sleep Center in Peoria, Ill. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104257.php In Australian children who snore, obesity, not age, is a significant, but only weak, predictor of upper airway obstruction during sleep, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM). Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104256.php A study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM) finds no significant difference in sleep parameters associated with the first-night effect in patients undergoing sleep studies in a hotel and a hospital-based sleep laboratory.Kimberly N. Hutchison, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104255.php There is a high frequency of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in hospitalized patients referred for polysomnography (PSG), also known as an overnight sleep test, especially in patients with underlying cardiopulmonary disease, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).The study, authored by Kim Goring, MD, of Johns Hopkins University and Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.