Insomnia Research News

1. Don't hit snooze on new research about waking up each morning

   Sleep experts recommend against snoozing after a wake-up alarm, but a study shows the practice is common, with more than 50% of sleep sessions logged ending in a snooze alarm and users spending 11 minutes on average snoozing.

2. Too much sleep can hurt cognitive performance, especially for those with depression

   Sleeping nine hours or more per night is associated with worse cognitive performance, and it is even more the case for those with depression.

3. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

   Even a few nights with insufficient sleep promote molecular mechanisms linked to a greater risk of heart problems. This has been shown in a new study in which the researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects biomarkers (in this case proteins) associated with cardiovascular disease.

4. Sleep apnea during REM sleep linked to memory-related brain changes

   Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, is linked to degeneration of brain regions associated with memory through damage to the brain's small blood vessels, according to a new study. The study found the brain changes were strongly associated with the severity of drops in oxygen levels during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The study does not prove that sleep apnea causes this degeneration; it only shows an association.

5. What's a healthy amount of sleep? It differs from one country to another

   Your optimal amount of sleep may depend on where you live, new research has found. An analysis of sleep data and health outcomes for nearly 5,000 people in 20 countries revealed that the hours of sleep required for good health varies significantly across different cultures, challenging the common belief that everyone needs the same amount. The study was the first to investigate whether people from countries with shorter sleep durations suffer from worse health, and it found no evidence that this is so.

6. Move more, think sharper

   A brisk walk, a splash of water aerobics, or even a light jog around the block -- if your heart rate goes up then so too will your brain health according to new research.

7. Young adults and rise in dry eye disease

   Researchers have called for more advice to be given to young people about preventing dry eye disease, after a study found that 90% of participants had at least one sign of the condition in their eyes.

8. Adolescents who sleep longer perform better at cognitive tasks

   Adolescents who sleep for longer -- and from an earlier bedtime -- than their peers tend to have improved brain function and perform better at cognitive tests, researchers have shown. But the study of adolescents in the US also showed that even those with better sleeping habits were not reaching the amount of sleep recommended for their age group.