Sleep in General

At the 70th annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, William C. Orr, PhD and fellow colleagues presented findings of a study that may affect individuals who have unexplained sleeping difficulties. The study shows that gastroesophageal reflux (GER) may silently plague sleep – an individual’s reflux may not be severe enough to trigger heartburn symptoms, yet it may cause frequent awakenings during sleep. The study of 81 patients with sleep complaints at least three nights a week indicated that 26% of participants had

NSF’s Sleep in America polls have certainly found one thing about Americans: we are a nation of snorers! In our 2005 poll, nearly six of ten respondents (59%) report that according to their own experience or what others have told them, they snore! 17% of them say they snore so loudly it can be heard in other rooms. Were it not for its major effect on bed partners, most snorers might blissfully ignore it and symptoms such as frequent awakenings, sleepiness during the day and even high blood pressure. But our poll found that sleep problems of one person are associated with

A recent study conducted by researchers at Bradley Hospital and Brown Medical School using actigraphy and sleep diaries finds that children under five years of age may suffer from sleep debt as much as older children and adults. The study conducted in the homes of 165 Rhode Island boys and girls between ages 1 and 5 for seven nights of sleep showed that on average children slept 8.7 hours a night and less than 9.5 in a 24-hour period when naps were included. Yet few nap: according to parent diaries, 82 percent no longer nap some or all days after 18