Is It You Or Your Mattress?

"How'd you sleep last night?"  This phrase has become the morning mantra for people across the country. We know that sleep is as essential as food and water, and even air, but why this recurring question?In an article in the New York Times, Jon Mooallem talks about the sleep industry and Pete Bils, who works for Select Comfort. According to the article, sleep has become a big industry, from sleep clinics to drugs... Complete news at...

Today we're going to talk some more about nightmares, particularly Night Terrors and REM Behavior Disorder. Nightmares are common in patients with psychiatric disorders, but in general, nightmares can simply be caused by stressful or traumatic experiences. There is a common myth that frequent nightmares, especially in children, are a marker of psychiatric disease. This is not the case. However, frequent nightmares have been described in... Complete news at...

On November 5-11, 2007 the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is launching the first annual Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, a national campaign to educate young drivers (and everyone else on the road) about the dangers of driving while sleepy, as well as other unsafe driving practices.  I don't need to tell everyone that our society functions at a 24 hour a day, seven days a week pace. We are much busier in this day and age, and as a... Complete news at...

Researchers at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say that the roundworm C. elegans, a worm often used in laboratory research, may help us to understand why animals sleep. Although it's called "lethargus," the period of lethargic behavior in the roundworm resembles sleep. The worm is unresponsive during this phase, and if denied the phase, the roundworm seems to suffer from sleep... Complete news at...

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment for most cases of primary insomnia, and for selected cases of secondary insomnia. There are a variety of behavioral and psychological treatments that comprise CBT-I, including stimulus control therapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, paradoxical intention, sleep restriction therapy, sleep hygiene education, and cognitive therapy. Usually several of these treatments are... Complete news at...

A new study shows that smoking disrupts sleep in two ways. First, as bedtime approaches, the smoker has a final "relaxing" smoke before retiring. That smoke may seem relaxing, but nicotine (the drug found in tobacco) is actually a stimulant, and smoking that cigarette is almost as sleep disrupting as drinking a cup of coffee. But smoking disrupts sleep in yet another way. During the night, you go hours without a... Complete news at...