Sleep Inertia Ever wake up feeling that you’re not waking up? That parts of your brain do not want to and cannot rise from slumber, that alertness is far away? Welcome to the problem of sleep inertia. Sleep inertia can and often occurs when people wake up not feeling fully rested. In theory, if we’re […]
Getting the perfect nap Part I (5/13/11)
The Purpose of Your Nap Naps are back in the news. Air traffic controllers, pilots, truck drivers, and your average citizen are falling asleep in droves – with sometimes fatal results. For a chronically sleep deprived population, can naps restore and rebuild? Yes. Naps can return function to many sleepy people. But rest’s capacity to […]
Do we fall sleep one neuron at a time? (5/11/11)
Sleep Is Local Think globally, act locally. That old political mantra also is true of the brain – including sleep. The American model of sleep is relatively simple – light switch on, light switch off. We go out “like a light,” or as others put it, “lie down and die.” Then the light switch goes […]
Depression and insomnia – what causes what? (4/18/11)
Is Depression Making Me Sleepless, Or Is Insomnia Making Me Depressed? Depression and insomnia are common and possess common symptoms. Some estimate that 30% of Americans will eventually experience clinical depression, and perhaps 40% of adults complain that many or most nights they don’t get enough sleep, wake too often, or feel unrested on awakening. […]
Let your pilot sleep (4/4/11)
Trouble in the Air Holes blow through the tops of airplanes. Cracks appear in the fuselages. Air traffic controllers nod off while the planes are flying – at the main airport for Congress. It’s not been a good time for air travel. And there’s more trouble – pilots involuntarily are falling asleep in the air. […]