Higher up and happier at work sleep better

Researchers from the University of Surrey have been looking into the links between people's working lives and the quality of their sleep. They used data from the Understanding Society survey of 40,000 households carried out by the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex. The survey found that people who were unemployed were over 40% more likely to report sleep difficulties. A third of the people who were least satisfied with their jobs reported poor sleep quality compared to only 18% of the most satisfied. Overall the best sleep was reported by people with higher levels of education and by married people and those in routine occupations reported less sleep than those in professional ones. Women were more likely than men to report poor-quality sleep.

Brief intervention offers hope to insomnia sufferers

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have been looking into the effectiveness of a very brief therapy for adults with insomnia. They studied 79 older adults, with an average age of 72. Half received printed educational material aobut sleep and half received a brief behavioural treatment made up of one 45-60 minute face-to-face session, on 30-minute follow-up session and two 20-minute phone calls - a therapy much briefer than the usual six or eight-hour long appointments with a clinical psychologist. The behavioural instruction told the participants to stay in bed if they didn't feel sleepy and to have regular bed and waking-up times and also told them about the biology of sleep and body clocks. Two thirds of the people in the brief-treatment group improved after four weeks compared to only one in four in the other group. By the end of the trial 55% of the participants in the treatment group no longer had insomnia compared to only 13% in the other group, improvements which were sustained for at least six months.

The best way of learning something? Sleep on it.

Getting information into one's long-term memory has been compared to pouring water into a bottle with a narrow neck; it holds a lot but it is difficult to get it in in the first place. A new study by researchers at York University and Harvard Medical School suggests that one of the best ways of doing this could be to sleep on it. The researchers got two groups of volunteers to learn new words. One group learnt them in the evening and were tested in the evening. The group who slept on things, as it were, remembered more words and could recognise them faster. By studying these participants' brain waves the researchers found that it was deep sleep - rather than rapid-eye-movement (REM) or light sleep - that did most to consolidate memory. Sleep spindles, which are sharp bursts of activity reflecting information transfer between the neorcortex on the surface of the brain and the hippocampus deep within it, were particularly associated with memory consolidation.

The science of sleep and genes

Some people seem to manage quite happily on four hours of sleep a night while others turn into zombies. A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggests that this may, in part at least, be down to our genes. They studied 129 healthy adults, 37 of whom, although unaffected, carried a gene called DQB1*0602 which is associatd with narcolepsy. The participants' sleep was restricted to four hours a night and they were given various tests of memory and attention. The people with the narcolepsy gene were sleepier and more fatigued while both fully rested and sleep deprived and they woke up more during the night; they also spent less time in deep sleep. However, there was no difference in their performance on the memory and attention tasks and in their ability to resist sleep during the daytime.

Anxiety and insomnia drugs linked to increased risk of death

Taking drugs to fight anxiety or insomnia could significantly increase people's risk of death. Researchers from the Universite Laval in Quebec analysed 12 years of data on over 14,000 Canadians from the National Population Health Survey. They found that respondents who said they had used drugs to treat insomnia or anxiety at least once in the month before the survey had a mortality rate about 50% higher than those who did not use them. After allowing for alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical health, exercise and depression the researchers concluded that the drugs were associated with a 36% increase in the risk of death. The increased risk of death could be due to a number of causes including: the drugs' effect on reaction times, alertness and concentration leading to more falls and accidents; their effect on people's breathing particularly during sleep and a possible increased risk of suicide after taking the drugs.

You can find out more about this research by clicking on the title of this post.

Sleepless teenagers store up mental-health problems

On average - and what a blissful prospect this sounds - young people between the ages of 17 and 24 sleep between eight and nine hours a night. However, as more youngsters stay awake using the internet, playing computer games and fiddling with gadgets they are getting less sleep - something which could have profound implications for their mental health. Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney looked at the sleeping habits of nearly 20,000 people aged between 17 and 24. They found that over half of those who got fewer than six hours sleep had high levels of psychological distress - more than double the rate of people who got eight or nine hours of sleep.

You can find out more about this research by clicking on the link in the title of this post.

Can't sleep? Blame your spindles

Some people seem to be able to sleep through an earthquake while others wake up when someone treads on a squeaky floorboard. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have been looking into this phenomenon and measuring people's brain waves to see if they hold the clue to it. When we are asleep sensory information passes through a part of the brain called the thalamus before passing on to the cortex which deals with thinking. Previous research has shown that brief rapid pulses of brain waves called spindles keep sensory information from passing through the thalamus and disturbing the cortex. In their study the researchers measured the brain waves of 12 people who spent three nights in the lab. The first night was quiet but on the next two nights the participants were exposed to increasing amounts of noise until their brain waves showed they were awake. The study found that those participants with the highest rates of spindle activity on the quiet night stayed asleep through higher levels of noise than the other participants.

You can find out more about this research by clicking on the title of this post.

Sleep, brainpower and health

A lack of sleep can seriously affect people's performance but just one good night's sleep can more or less restore you to normal. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania studied 159 healthy adults who had an average age of 30. The participants were divided into groups and were allowed different amounts of sleep. Every two hours, while they were awake, they completed a 30-minute computerized test. Those whose sleep had been restricted were found to have a shorter attention span, be less alert and have slower reactions. However, people's performance went back to normal after just one full night's worth of sleep. Another study of more than 30,000 adults in the same journal - Sleep - found that the optimum amount of sleep for good health is seven hours a night. People who had less than five hours a night had double the risk of cardiovascular disease while those getting more than nine hours also had a higher risk.

You can find out more about this study by clicking on the link in the title of this post.

Want to make teenagers happy? Let them have a lie-in

Giving teenagers a bit more of a lie-in on a school morning could have significant benefits for their mood and health. Researchers from the Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence studied 201 children in Years 9 to 12 who all went to a private high school in Rhode Island. Over the course of the study the start of the school day was put back from eight until half past eight. After putting the start of the school day back the pupils said that they slept much better and were more motivated. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue and depressed mood were all reduced and class attendance improved. The percentage of students getting less than 7 hours sleep fell by 79.4% and those reporting at least 8 hours of sleep rose from 16.4% to 54.7%. Despite having reservations to start with both the students and the teachers voted overwhelmingly to continue with the later start. It is now thought that although teenagers sleep cycle changes so that they get up later and go to bed later they still need the same amount of sleep as children - about 9 1/4 hours a night.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100705190532.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Insomnia and cognition

Researchers at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences have been looking into the effects of long-term insomnia on people's cognition. They compared a group of older adults with insomnia to a group of unaffected participants. The participants took four tests. In test one they had to press a button when they saw a star on the screen. In test two they had to press a button when they saw a 'p' on screen but not when they saw a 'd.' In test three they had to come up with as many words in a certain category, e.g. animals, as possible and in test four they had to come up with as many words beginning with a certain letter as possible. Surprisingly although the insomniacs performed worse in test two they performed better in tests one, three and four. The participants' brain activity was monitored while they carried out the tests and the insomniacs showed less activity in the regions needed to carry them out. Their superior performance was put down to them being in a state of extra vigilance, increased adrenalin and more stress known as hyperarousal. The participants with insomnia also had less grey matter in their orbitofrontal cortex. After six weeks of sleep therapy the insomniacs did less well in task one, better in task two and showed the same performance in tasks three and four. Their levels of brain activity while they carried out the tasks showed signs of improving but it could be that the state of hyperarousal experienced by the insomniacs leads to some of the physical and mental health problems associated with the condition.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615151713.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Study finds sixth-formers not quite bright young things

You might think that sixth formers would be bursting with youthful energy and full of the joys of Spring but a study by researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey suggests that they are more likely to be drowsy and depressed. The study involved 262 high-school students with an average age of 17.7 years. Over half of them (52%) had excessive daytime sleepiness and these students were three times as likely to have strong depression symptoms. 30% of the students had strong depression symptoms while 32% had some symptoms of depression. The students reported getting an average of 6.1 hours sleep on a school night and 8.2 hours on a weekend night; well short of the recommended nine hours.

You can read more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100609083221.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Early to bed, early to rise ...

Children who have enough sleep and go to bed at regular times do better at school. Researchers from SRI International, an independent American research institute studied 8,000 four-year-old children. They asked their parents about their children's bed times when they were nine months old and four years old and carried out developmental assessments when they were four. Having a regular bedtime was the most constant predictor of positive developmental outcomes. Scores for receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, literacy and numeracy were all higher in children who had rules about their bed times. It is recommended that children this age get 11 hours sleep a night.

You can read more about this research at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/7807049/Children-with-regular-sleep-patterns-smarter-at-school.html

Britain - the land that sleep forgot

Britain's sleep deprivation crisis is getting worse with serious effects for the economy and the workplace. Researchers surveyed the sleep patterns of 6,000 adults on behalf of the hotel chain Travelodge. They found that 28% of workers said they had taken a day off work following a bad night's sleep - equivalent to 8 million sick days a year and something estimated to cost employers £1bn. More than half of the sample (56%) said that they had felt like they had a bad hangover when they had not had enough sleep and 45% said it had taken a couple of days to recover. A third said they had found it difficult to concentrate driving to and from work after a bad night's sleep while 70% admitted that they were a horrible person to work with when they had not had enough sleep. A quarter of adults claimed to take a catnap at work with 16% dozing at their desk and 10% retreating to the toilet for forty winks. The top three causes of sleep deprivation were money worries (38%), work-related stress (25%) and noisy family members or neighbours (23%).

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7768447/Britons-have-lost-almost-an-hours-sleep-a-night-during-the-recession-claims-study.html

Sleep, drugs and social networks

Previous research has pointed to a link between poor sleep in children and an increased risk of drug use. Now new research from the University of California, San Diego has confirmed this and also suggests that bad sleep can spread throughout social networks. The study covered 8,349 children between year 7 and year 12 and found that children who slept less than seven hours a night were 19% more likely to take drugs. By mapping the social networks of the children the researchers found that the friends of children who slept badly were 29% more likely to sleep badly themselves. This influence carried on through up to four degrees of separation although it diminished as the connections between people got more remote. Lack of sleep is also linked to behavioural, cognitive and emotional problems and the study recommended that children got an average of between 8 1/2 and 9 1/4 hours sleep a night.

You can find out more about this research at

http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/04/26/sleep-deprivation-makes-teenagers-and-their-friends-more-likely-to-do-drugs/13177.html

Sleep disorders take greater toll in non-White groups

Sleep disorders could take a greater toll on people's quality of life and health among Black and Hispanic people than in White people. Researchers from Arizona State University used data from the Sleep Heart Health Study covering a total of 5,237 people. Sleep disturbances were common with 46% of people having at least mild sleep apnea, 34% reporting frequent snoring, 30% having insomnia symptoms and 25% reporting excessive daytime sleepiness. The physical health of African Americans with sleep problems was significantly worse than in Caucasians. Both Hispanic and African-Americans with sleep problems had significantly worse mental health than Caucasians.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100415080841.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Not-so-young and want a good night's sleep? Stick to a routine.

Sticking to a set routine could be the key to getting a good night's sleep for older adults. A team of researchers led by Anna Zisberg from the University of Haifa in Israel studied 96 Russian-speaking older adults living in retirement communities. The participants were asked about their daily routines and their sleep patterns. Those participants who stuck most closely to their daily routine fell asleep more quickly and had a better quality of sleep. Washing, dressing and eating at regular times were particularly associated with getting a good night's sleep.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100401085336.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Sleep problems and substance abuse

Sleep problems in early childhood could be linked to substance abuse in adolescence. Researchers from Idaho State University studied 386 chidren, gathering information on sleep problems and substance abuse from when they were three to when they were twenty. They found that having trouble sleeping in early childhood - between three and five - predicted a higher probability of having trouble sleeping between 11 and 17, which, in turn, predicted drug problems in young adulthood (18-21). Overtiredness in early childhood predicted problems inhibiting impulsive behaviour in adolescence which was also linked to using more illegal drugs. Overtiredness in childhood also predicted the presence of binge drinking, blackouts and drink driving in young adulthood. It is known that the prevalence of sleep problems in childhood is increasing and in 2006 more than half of secondary-school students in the U.S. reported feeling tired and sleepy with more than 30% saying they had problems sleeping.

You can find out more about this issue at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405174940.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Sleep, spliffs and social networks

Recent studies have found that obesity, smoking and altruism can all spread through social networks, affecting not just our friends but their friends too. Now researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Harvard University have found that poor sleep and drug use can also spread through social networks. They studied 8,349 adolescents between year 7 and year 12 and found clusters of poor sleep and cannabis (marijuana) use that extended up to four degrees of separation within social networks. The researchers also found that it was the poor sleep that led on to cannabis use not vice versa.

You can find out more about this research at

http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03/22/sleep-loss-tied-to-drug-use-in-teen-social-networks/12286.html

Borderline personality disorder and sleep problems in prison

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by impulsiveness, unstable moods, relationship difficulties and low self-esteem. People with BPD are more likely to take drugs, behave antisocially and self-harm and are at much greater risk of getting into trouble with the law. Scientists think that only 1-2% of the population as a whole have BPD but this rises to 23-30% of people in prison. People with BPD who are in prison often have sleep problems but it is unclear whether it is the BPD itself of the depression that often goes with it that causes these. Researchers from George Mason University in Virginia studied 513 prisoners and found that symptoms of BPD were significantly associated with sleep problems even after allowing for the effects of depression. Drug use did not affect the link between BPD and depression. Depression was also associated with sleep disorders but again this link was independent of whether people were taking drugs or not.

Harty, Laura ... [et al] - Are inmates' subjective sleep problems associated with borderline personality, psychopathy, and antisocial personality independent of depression and substance dependence? Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology February 2010, 21(1), 23-38

Early birds really do catch the worms

Early risers are more likely to grab life by the scruff of the neck than night owls. Christoph Randler from the University of Leipzig studied 367 students and found that early risers were more likely to identify long-range goals and feel responsibility for their own life. The link was weak but still statistically significant. It's not sure whether early risers really have a different personality or whether it's just easier for them to get things done in a society geared to working 9 to 5. Previous studies have shown that night owls tend to be more extrovert, pessimistic and creative while morning people are more consicentious and that genetic differences are quite important in deciding who ends up as a lark or an owl.

You can find out more about this study at

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/01/early-risers-are-more-proactive-than.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BpsResearchDigest+%28BPS+Research+Digest%29&utm_content=Google+Reader