Sleep Deprivation 101: What You Should Know

In my previous blogs I have written about the importance of good sleep, but I don’t think we ever really explained the significance of sleep deprivation and the effects on society and the individual. I thought that it would be a good idea to go over some significant facts and figures to convince you of the importance of getting a good restful sleep and of the need to address sleep problems with your doctor.What is sleep deprivation?It is... More at...

We started our discussion about restless legs syndrome (RLS) in my recent blog, so let’s continue where we left off.   Mild symptoms of RLS occur in 5-15% of the general population, which makes it the second or third most common sleep disorder.  Of these cases, only about 2-3% are considered clinically severe enough to require treatment.  It appears to occur more commonly in females and can even affect children.  Due... More at...

We finished the last blog in mid-thought.  We were talking about REM sleep and the idea of brain plasticity- the rewiring of our brains that take place when we learn new information.   A recent study in rats showed that 4 days of REM sleep deprivation decreased the amount of new cells in the part of the brain that is associated with long-term memory, in other words they did not make those new circuits.   Another study with... More at...

In my last blog we were reviewing the fundamental question of why we sleep.  We left off trying to sort out the level of activity of the brain and body during different stages of sleep (i.e. Non-REM and REM).    During non-REM the body and brain are at their most relaxed state.  Ironically, most people think of REM as deep sleep, but actually during REM the level of brain activity resembles the awake state.  Our most... More at...

A new study appearing in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that older women who reported taking daily naps had a significantly greater risk of dying. The results of the study are in contrast to a number of prior studies which have indicated that daily napping improves health. Four communities consisting of 8,101 Caucasian women aged 69 and older were studied over a 7-year period. More at...