Researchers have identified 57 genetic variations of a gene strongly associated with declines in blood oxygen levels during sleep. Low oxygen levels during sleep are a clinical indicator of the severity of sleep apnea, a disorder that increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, and death.
Read moreNew research into the mechanics of cellular sleep and shutdown could shed light on the aging process and how to potentially intervene.
Read moreScience tells us that a lot of good things happen in our brains while we sleep — learning and memories are consolidated and waste is removed, among other things. New research shows for the first time that important immune cells called microglia — which play an important role in reorganizing the connections between nerve cells, fighting infections, and repairing damage — are also primarily active while we sleep.
Read moreAn easy-to-use electrode set can assess sleep bruxism severity as well as a conventional polysomnography, a new study shows.
Read moreVirtual-reality researchers have developed a virtual-walking system that records a person's walking and re-plays it with vision and foot vibrations. Psychological experiments showed that the sensation of walking and telepresence from the oscillating visual flow combined with foot vibrations is stronger than without vibrations. The system can reconstruct the experience of walking to people who are a distance away, or who have a disability that may impair walking in the future.
Read moreChronobiologists show how critical the sleep-wake cycle is for protein and phosphorylation dynamics in synapses to ultimately regulate its activity.
Read moreMilitary veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or concussion suffer from a thrashing form of sleep behavior at a rate that is far higher than the general population, according to a new study. Researchers next want to probe whether the sleep disorder might provide an early signal of the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Read moreWhen you're sleep deprived, you reach for doughnuts and pizza. A new study has figured out why you crave more calorie-dense, high-fat foods after a sleepless night. Blame it on your sleepy nose — or olfactory system. First, it goes into hyperdrive, sharpening the food odors for the brain. But then there is a breakdown in communication with brain areas that receive food signals. Then decisions about what to eat change.
Read moreDistinct 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 moreSevere 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.
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