Poor Sleep Nearly Doubles a Runner’s Risk of Injury, Study Finds
Why Sleep Matters for Runners If you are a regular runner, logging miles on little sleep might be doing more harm than you think. A recent study found that runners who slept poorly were nearly twice as likely to get injured. Key Takeaways Runners with poor sleep were 1.78 times more likely to be injured. […]
Bad Sleep Linked To Alzheimer’s-Related Brain Changes
Certain stages of sleep – deep sleep and dream sleep – appear to contribute to brain health in ways that affect risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says. People who get less deep sleep or dream sleep have smaller volumes in critical brain regions, researchers reported today in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Lack of […]
Why Sleep Gets Harder With Age And How To Sleep Better
Tossing and turning more as you age? You’re not alone — and experts think they know why. Dr. Shelby Harris, a sleep psychologist in White Plains, N.Y., explained that stress, sleep structure and hormonal changes can impact sleep as people age. “As we start to move into our 60s, 70s, you have more issues with […]
Delayed Dream Sleep Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk
Delays in dreaming might be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease. People who take significantly longer to enter the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep could be experiencing an early symptom of Alzheimer’s, researchers reported Jan. 27 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. “The delay in REM sleep disrupts the brain’s ability to consolidate […]
Sleep Deprivation Lets Intrusive Memories, Bad Thoughts Into the Mind
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are plagued by unwanted and distressing memories over which they have little to no control. Doctors now think they understand why PTSD patients and others aren’t able to keep troubling memories at bay. Sleep deprivation appears to interfere with people’s ability to restrict the retrieval of memories they’d rather suppress, according […]
Getting Fitter Can Really Help Keep Dementia at Bay
People whose genes put them at high risk for dementia may be able to fight Mother Nature and win, new research out of Sweden suggests. The weapon: Working out on a regular basis to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, also known as CRF. CRF is the capacity of the body’s circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to muscles […]
Bad Sleep in Middle Age Unhealthy for Aging Brains
If you’re in your 40s or 50s and have trouble getting and staying asleep, that’s not a good sign for brain health as you age, new research suggests. “Our study, which used brain scans to determine participants’ brain age, suggests that poor sleep is linked to nearly three years of additional brain aging as early […]
Weekend Catch-Up Sleep Could Do Your Heart Good
Like to sleep in on the weekends? You’re probably doing your heart a world of good, a new study shows. Weekend “catch-up” sleep can lower a person’s risk of heart disease by up to 20%, according to findings to be presented Thursday at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual meeting in London. “Sufficient compensatory sleep is linked […]
Better Sleep Might Bring Less Loneliness
People who feel lonely and socially isolated might benefit from more sleep, especially if they’re a young adult, a new study suggests. Better sleep is associated with significantly less emotional and social loneliness, researchers report. Younger adults in particularbenefit from better sleep, but people of all ages report less loneliness after they’ve slept well, results show. […]
Does It Matter What You Eat or Drink Before Bed?
If you suddenly find yourself craving food or drink right before you head to bed, one expert suggests you steer clear of big meals and caffeine. “From a sleep standpoint, you shouldn’t eat a big meal at 8 p.m. if you plan to go to bed at 9 p.m. If you are sensitive to caffeine, […]