Insomnia

Between 10 to 30 percent of the population will experience symptoms of insomnia at some point in our lives, but what can we actually do about it?

Signs of insomnia are trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up too early, not getting enough sleep even though you have the time and correct environment for it, and your physical and mental health being affected the next day. Lack of sleep can have consequences for your heart, such as a heart attack or ...

Scans show that brain fails to turn off ‘default’ mode, affecting daytime concentration

People with insomnia have trouble concentrating during the day because the “wandering mind” areas of their brains may not be turned off, according to a new study.

Using brain imaging technology, researchers found that people with insomnia who were performing a working memory task did not rely less on the “default mode” regions of their brain that are usually active only when the mind is wandering.

The findings might help ...

Targeting the feeling of hopelessness about sleep, caused by insomnia, can be an effective method of suicide prevention, according to a study published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine’.

Scientists have long noticed that sleeplessness and suicide are linked. Now, a new Georgia Regents University study suggests why that might be — and how treating the former can potentially prevent the latter.

Insomnia affects about 15 percent of adults, but up to 80 percent of those with depression. Depression, in turn, ...

More than 8.5 million adults reported using them, CDC researchers found

About 4 percent of American adults — more than 8.5 million people — have used a prescription sleep aid in the past month, and the use increases with age, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

In addition, more women (5 percent) than men (3.1 percent) over the age of 20 take these drugs, and those with higher education levels are more likely to use them, the researchers from the U.S. Centers for ...

Drug improves time to fall asleep and duration of sleep.

A drug that blocks the brain mechanisms that keep people awake appears to help those with primary insomnia fall asleep and stay asleep longer than placebo, researchers reported here at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

In one study of long-term effects of a year’s use of suvorexant, insomnia patients taking the drug were able to sleep about an hour longer while patients on placebo were able to sleep ...

Waking up in the middle of the night to urinate was associated with worsening of sleep problems in older adults with insomnia, according to a Stanford University study.

Insomnia may not be the only reason that you’re tired in the morning — your bladder could be part of the problem too. Older people who have to get up and go in the middle of the night face heightened insomnia symptoms, according to a Stanford University study published in the Journal of ...

The drug, called suvorexant, blocks the chemical messengers in the brain that regulate wakefulness.

A new drug called suvorexant could bring help for some with insomnia, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology.

Suvorexant is different from other drugs on the market to treat insomnia because it blocks chemical messengers in the brain that regulate wakefulness rather than directly affecting brain receptors, according to a release from the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 254 people ages 18 ...

Early study adds to evidence supporting sleep’s importance in preventing disease.

People with insomnia may have double the chances of a heart attack or stroke as opposed to those who sleep well, a study by Taiwanese researchers suggests.

The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that having trouble sleeping can make you sick.

It has long been understood that health issues and sleep are often interrelated. Many studies have suggested sleep problems can cause or contribute to such physical ...

Research was based on interviews with more than 10,000 people.

Feeling sleepy on the job and having trouble focusing? It could cost you — and the nation as a whole. A new study estimates that insomnia is responsible for 274,000 workplace accidents and errors each year, adding up to $31 billion in extra costs.

The research isn’t conclusive, and it’s possible that some factors other than sleeplessness may explain these mishaps. The findings also depend on the possibly hazy recollections of several ...

Fear may contribute to increased arousal once the lights are turned off at bedtime, study shows.

People with insomnia may not sleep well because they have an underlying fear of the dark, researchers suggested here at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

About 46 percent of subjects with insomnia reported they had a fear of the dark compared with 26 percent of good sleepers, said Taryn Moss Atlin, MS, a PhD student at Ryerson University, Toronto.

Poor sleepers also experienced ...