How much sleep is enough? How much is too much? Questions like this have dogged sleep researchers for many years. And they often befuddle the public. Several years ago I was questioned on MSNBC on “reports” that people sleeping more than 8 hours a night died at a higher rate than people sleeping less. Should the […]
Why Can’t Older Folks Sleep? (Part I)
Sleep and insomnia increase with age. Most studies find the inability to get proper rest affects the majority of folks past the age of 65 (Lots of younger people can’t sleep, either.) There are dozens of known reasons people can’t sleep. Here’s some of the most prominent. Aging Changes Sleep Take a newborn. Many neonates will […]
Apps for Insomnia – Do They Work?
There are now dozens of apps to use to help people overcome insomnia. Can they work? For some people, yes. A series of different cognitive-behavioral treatments have been tried in people who complain of poor sleep. The most recent – 303 people recruited through the Internet and provided Shut-I, one of the more popular of the […]
Does Sleeping Less Make Me Hungry?
There are lots of sleepless people out there right now. Many of us do not sleep the entire night. Innumerable reasons wake us up – everything from election nights, World Series games, working shifts and tweets from long forgotten lovers, to tobacco (smokers perpetually wake up in nicotine withdrawal) to drinking an alcohol nightcap, depression and […]
Simple Ways to Treat Insomnia
America is increasingly sleepless. It’s no surprise. Insane politics and politicians cause many sleepless nights. But insomnia can be caused by sleep apnea and shift work; hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism; depression and anxiety; alcohol and marijuana; chronic lung disease and congestive heart failure. Just as there hundreds of causes of insomnia, most people who suffer sleeplessness do […]