In my last blog we discussed at length the different stages of sleep, namely non-REM and REM, the biological need for sleep to stay alive, and started discussing what some researchers believe may be the function of some portions of non-REM sleep. We reviewed how there is some evidence linking declarative memory (memory of facts and figures) to slow wave sleep and procedural memory (the ability to perform tasks like riding a bike or playing... Complete news at...
The estimated one-third of adults who suffer from insomnia could soon find effective treatment without ever leaving their homes. Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have developed a unique Internet-based intervention, based on well-established face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, that has shown remarkable results in improving patients' sleep. In the pilot study, Lee M. Ritterband, Ph.D. Complete news at...
A paper that appears in the June 2009 issue of Anesthesiology details how AMPAKINE CX717, a Phase II compound created by Irvine, California-based neuroscience company Cortex Pharmaceuticals, demonstrated the rescue of fentanyl-induced respiratory depression and sleep apnea in rats. In this same study, CX717 demonstrated equal efficacy with the opioid antagonist Naloxone, a drug used to counter the effects of opioids on suppression of breathing. Complete news at...
New research, conducted by Charles Wingo and his colleagues, at the University of Florida, Gainsville, suggests a link between the circadian rhythm and control of sodium (salt) levels in mice. The hormone aldosterone regulates levels of sodium in the blood and thereby helps control blood pressure. Complete news at...
Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) announced that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval of NUVIGIL(R) (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV] for the indication of improved wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with jet lag disorder resulting from eastbound travel. Complete news at...
Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or the complaint of unrestorative/unrefreshing sleep. Most people experience short-term insomnia from time to time, but when insomnia lasts for more than several weeks, it is considered chronic and should be evaluated by a physician. Insomnia used to be classified by sleep specialists as either primary or secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia was insomnia that was due to an... Complete news at...
Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its supplemental Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Temazepam Capsules USP, 22.5 mg. This strength is in addition to Mylan's currently marketed 15 mg and 30 mg strengths of the product. Temazepam Capsules are the generic version of Mallinckrodt's Restoril®, a sleep aid, which had total U.S. Complete news at...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
All Sleep is Not Created Equal
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... Read more ...
It has long been believed that ADHD and sleep disorders were somehow connected. WHAT IS ADHD? ADHD (Attention-Deficit hyperactivity Disorder) Eileen Bailey, Health Central's ADHD expert, tells us: "ADHD is a medical diagnosis. There is, however, no definitive medical test to prove or disprove whether ADHD is present." Eileen also says that there are several other medical conditions that share symptoms with ADHD, among them sleep... Read more ...
In my last blog we began a discussion of seasonal affective disorder or SAD. We will pick up where we left off. There is actually some debate in the psychiatric community whether or not SAD is actually a separate diagnosis, apart from general depression. Those who claim it is not suggest that it is no more than a seasonal coincidence that occurs in someone with recurring episodes of depression. As support to this idea... Read more ...
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... Read more ...
I'm not saying that the right bed and mattress bed will cure your insomnia or sleep apnea or sleep paralysis, but a bed or mattress that's uncomfortable or unsuited to your needs will add to sleep problems. What's your bed like? Is it starting to look a bit the worse for wear? Does it sag in the middle? Can you feel the shape of the springs when you lie down? I've even heard of people who were trying to sleep on a mattress so old that... Read more ...
You’ve all seen the ads. You might have even heard about the charges of “disease mongering” that have been bandied about, specifically about this disorder. We are going to start covering the topic of restless legs syndrome (RLS). (By the way, disease mongering is when someone with a financial interest in a disease, like a pharmaceutical company with an effective medicine, publicizes a disorder with the sole... Read more ...
You are what you eat I can hear you saying, "Okay... now I have to watch what I eat and when I eat it... but now you are going to limit my fluids?" No! However, there are certain factors that should be kept in mind when drinking any type of fluids. One troublesome item is caffeine. Caffeine interferes with sleep with most people. Caffeine can also become an addiction... so watching our intake should be... Read more ...
It has long been believed that ADHD and sleep disorders were somehow connected. WHAT IS ADHD? ADHD (Attention-Deficit hyperactivity Disorder) Eileen Bailey, Health Central's ADHD expert, tells us: "ADHD is a medical diagnosis. There is, however, no definitive medical test to prove or disprove whether ADHD is present." Eileen also says that there are several other medical conditions that share symptoms with ADHD, among them sleep... Read more ...
In my last blog we began a discussion of seasonal affective disorder or SAD. We will pick up where we left off. There is actually some debate in the psychiatric community whether or not SAD is actually a separate diagnosis, apart from general depression. Those who claim it is not suggest that it is no more than a seasonal coincidence that occurs in someone with recurring episodes of depression. As support to this idea... Read more ...
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... Read more ...
I'm not saying that the right bed and mattress bed will cure your insomnia or sleep apnea or sleep paralysis, but a bed or mattress that's uncomfortable or unsuited to your needs will add to sleep problems. What's your bed like? Is it starting to look a bit the worse for wear? Does it sag in the middle? Can you feel the shape of the springs when you lie down? I've even heard of people who were trying to sleep on a mattress so old that... Read more ...
You’ve all seen the ads. You might have even heard about the charges of “disease mongering” that have been bandied about, specifically about this disorder. We are going to start covering the topic of restless legs syndrome (RLS). (By the way, disease mongering is when someone with a financial interest in a disease, like a pharmaceutical company with an effective medicine, publicizes a disorder with the sole... Read more ...
You are what you eat I can hear you saying, "Okay... now I have to watch what I eat and when I eat it... but now you are going to limit my fluids?" No! However, there are certain factors that should be kept in mind when drinking any type of fluids. One troublesome item is caffeine. Caffeine interferes with sleep with most people. Caffeine can also become an addiction... so watching our intake should be... Read more ...
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