A timekeeper for siesta
External stimuli can rearrange the hierarchy of neuronal networks and influence behavior. This was demonstrated by scientists using the circadian clock of the fruit fly as an example.
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Scientists find timekeepers of gut's immune system
Shift work and jet lag disrupt not just sleep cycles, but feeding and digestive cycles as well. Such disruptions have been linked to risk of obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, infection, and other conditions. Now, researchers have identified an immune cell that helps set the daily rhythms of the gut. The findings open the door to new treatments for digestive ailments targeting such cells.
Read moreManipulating specific brain waves in sleep shifts balance between learning or forgetting a new skill
Distinct patterns of electrical activity in the sleeping brain may influence whether we remember or forget what we learned the previous day, according to a new study. The scientists were able to influence how well rats learned a new skill by tweaking these brainwaves while animals slept, suggesting potential future applications in boosting human memory or forgetting traumatic experiences, the researchers say.
Read morePoor mental and physical health in pregnancy linked to infant sleep problems
Severe and persistent infant sleep problems in the first year are linked to poor maternal mental and physical health during pregnancy, a new study has found.
Read moreSwimming toward an 'internet of health'?
In recent years, the seemingly inevitable 'internet of things' has attracted considerable attention: the idea that in the future, everything in the physical world — machines, objects, people — will be connected to the internet. Drawing on lessons learned from studies on a variety of marine animals outfitted with sensors, researchers in a new perspective article describe how an 'internet of health' could revolutionize human medicine.
Read moreSleeping less than 6 hours and heart disease, stroke — deadly combo
Middle-aged adults with high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke could be at increased risk for cancer and early death when sleeping less than 6 hours per day.
Read moreSleeping pills reduce suicidal thoughts in patients with severe insomnia
Insomnia is a driver of suicide, and particularly people with severe insomnia may safely benefit from taking a sedative to help address their sleep problems as it reduces their suicidal thoughts, investigators report.
Read moreSleep varies by age, geographical location and gender
In an exceptionally extensive worldwide study on sleep, nearly a quarter of a million nights of sleep were measured among sleepers ranging between 16 and 30 years of age.
Read moreTeens sleep 43 more minutes per night after combo of two treatments
Teenagers got 43 more minutes of sleep a night after a four-week intervention that reset their body clocks and helped them go to bed earlier, a study has shown.
Read moreBiological clock influences immune response efficiency
The biological clock influences immune response efficacy. Indeed, CD8 T cells, which are essential to fight infections and cancers, function very differently according to the time of day.
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