Sleep Affects Concussion-Testing Results, Study Finds

Athletes with the least shuteye had lower baseline scores.

Getting too little sleep the night before undergoing baseline concussion testing can skew results, a new study finds.

Baseline concussion testing depicts an athlete’s basic mental abilities, such as reaction time, working memory and attention span. Athletes who suffer a concussion retake the test, and if there is a large decrease in the score, they are typically banned from play until their score improves.

The study included more than 3,600 high school- and college-aged ...

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Poor Nutrition Can Bite Into Your Sleep

People with most varied diets are also best-rested, study finds.

What you eat can affect how well you sleep, according to a new study.

Researchers found that certain nutrients may play a role in sleep duration. And they also concluded that people who eat a wide variety of foods (an indicator of an overall healthy diet) had the healthiest sleep patterns.

“Although many of us inherently recognize that there is a relationship between what we eat and how we sleep, there have been ...

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Looking Sleepy Speaks Volumes, Study Says

Others may misjudge you because of your droopy eyelids, hangdog expression

Every face tells a story, and when you’ve had too little sleep the world sees it in technicolor, a new study suggests. What’s more, those red, puffy eyes and sagging eyelids likely influence what people think of you, the researchers say.

So, the next time you’re tempted to pull an all-nighter, consider that “other people might treat you differently because of the way you look when you haven’t slept,” said lead ...

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Live Longer With Enough Sleep

In our culture, we tend to value the ability to function on few hours of sleep. But not getting enough sleep can lead to health problems and even shorten your life.

There are an endless number of pursuits that make us want to push our bedtime later and later, from work to Facebook to our favorite TV shows. Making a habit of skimping on sleep can have a huge impact on health and even lead to a shorter life.

Studies have consistently ...

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Light Sleepers Vs. Heavy Sleepers

What makes someone a light sleeper, and how you can enjoy a deeper, heavier sleep? You’ll rest easy after learning these simple tips.

For some people, the slightest noise awakens them at night. For others, the wailing siren of a passing fire truck doesn’t disturb their slumber. Just why, though, remains a bit of a mystery.

Although many people are self-proclaimed light sleepers or heavy sleepers, researchers have found that little is actually known about why people react differently to noises and ...

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FDA: Lower Ambien’s Dose to Prevent Drowsy Driving

Blood levels from nighttime dose remain too high the next morning, agency says.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it is asking manufacturers of sleep medications containing zolpidem — including Ambien — to lower the recommended doses and to provide more safety information to patients.

These sleep medications include Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar and Zolpimist, as well as generic versions of Ambien and Ambien CR.

Officials are concerned that blood levels of zolpidem are high enough the morning after taking ...

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Consider a Nap for Better Workday Focus

Some American workplaces are embracing the concept of an afternoon siesta, but plan carefully to wake well rested and feel more productive.

Ready for a midday snooze? Don’t feel guilty about it. Napping may just be the answer to a more productive workday.

More companies in the United States are starting to offer on-the-job sleep options for employees, ranging from special napping rooms to expensive sleep pods. Progressive, well-known companies like Google, Zappos, and Ben & Jerry’s are “nap friendly.” Yet can ...

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Cause, Treatment Found for Excessive Sleepiness

Primary hypersomnia is defined by excessive daytime sleepiness in the absence of known causes of sleepiness.

An abnormal protein in cerebrospinal fluid appears to cause hypersomnia, a form of excessive daytime sleepiness, and an off-the-shelf drug effectively treated it, researchers said.

Extracted from patients with primary hypersomnia, the elusive substance, which was not fully isolated in the study, enhanced the sensitivity of subtype A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, reported David Rye, MD, PhD, of Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues.

Moreover, seven patients ...

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Burn Belly Fat for a Better Night’s Sleep

Weight loss, particularly abdominal fat loss, improves sleep quality in people who are overweight or obese, new research finds.

Losing weight — through diet alone or diet and exercise combined — might be the ticket to sounder sleep in people who are overweight or obese, researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine report at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Los Angeles.

A loss of belly fat in particular was associated with better sleep quality in the study’s 77 participants, ...

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A Poor Night’s Sleep May Be In Your Genes

A gene that regulates sleep and circadian rhythm may also be linked to aging, according to a new study, which may explain the increased risk for diseases that accompany poor sleep habits.

A lack of sleep can contribute to a host of negative health effects, and researchers say they now understand why. Working in mice, researchers found that a gene called SIRT1, which regulates circadian rhythm and sleep, is also linked to aging, according to a study published today in the ...

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