Night owl sleep habits can make you put on weight

A study shows that night owl sleep habits can cause a person to put on weight.

A new study done at the UC Berkeley’s Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Research Clinic, says going to bed late at night can lead to weight gain, according to an article onnews.berkeley.edu.

The study found a link between sleep and Body mass index (BMI), and the results are showing that teens and also adults that get to bed late during the week are probably going to put on more weight than those who have an earlier bedtime each night.

The researchers looked at the numbers from over 3,300 participants, youth and adult, and they discovered a gain of 2.1 pounds on the BMI for each hour of sleep lost over a five -year period.

Surprisingly, they found that the gain in BMI held true despite the participants regimen of exercise, TV or computer screen time or even the number of hours they slept overall.

BMI is calculated using the body’s height and weight and is a useful metric for measuring weight gain and obesity.  A healthy BMI is said to be between 18.5 and 24.9.  A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight and 30.0 or greater is classified as obese.

The data the researchers used came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.  That study has been recording the behaviors of teens from the United States since 1994.  In the new study, they compared the BMI and the bedtimes for teens at the onset of puberty, during their college-age years and as young adults.

Lauren Asarnow, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in UC Berkeley’s Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Research Clinic said “These results highlight adolescent bedtimes, not just total sleep time, as a potential target for weight management during the transition to adulthood.”

She also added that young people that go to sleep earlier each night “set their weight on a healthier course as they emerge into adulthood.”

Earlier surveys and studies have revealed that teens do not get the recommended amount of sleep each night, and many teens report having difficulty staying alert and awake in school.

Later in life, the natural circadian rhythm shifts toward a later sleep cycle.  The circadian rhythm is the natural body clock that regulates your metabolic and physiological functions.

Other studies have suggested a link between late night owls and mental health.  It appears that people that are going to bed later have an increased risk of developing depression and other mental health related issues.

The hope is that the findings of the study will encourage young adults to be more conscious of the effect of late-night bedtimes, despite the pressure they will feel to be a part of their social group, particularly in a college-type setting.

Even if they are aware of the benefits of earlier sleep times, it will be difficult to maintain that type schedule while being a student.

Habits are hard to break as well.  If teens are used to going to bed a 10 to 11 PM during high school years, they will have a hard time changing their cycle once they are out on their own.  Parents who see the results of the study may want to monitor their children more closely and develop an earlier bedtime ritual at an early age to make it easier later on in life.

No teen wants to gain weight, especially around their peers in a university setting, and it is hoped that these findings will encourage teens and young adults to take their sleeping habits more seroiously.

The co-authors of the study include Allison Harvey at UC-Berkeley and Elanor McGlinchey at Columbia University, along with Ms. Asarnow, who is a researcher on UC-Berkeley’s Teen Sleep Study.

The Teen Sleep Study seeks to assist teens to reset the circadian rhythms of young people that are having trouble sleeping and waking up on time.

The results of the study were published in the October edition of the journal Sleep.

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Children need to ease into school sleep schedules

This article explains that children need to be eased back into their school sleeping schedules after summer and that the transition cannot happen overnight.

Parents shouldn't wait until the last minute to help children get back into their normal sleep schedules for school, an expert says.

"Getting back on a normal sleep schedule doesn't just happen overnight," Peter Bidey, instructor of family medicine at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, said in a college news release.

"A gradual transition back to regular sleep habits is essential. A drastic change in sleep habits can be a shock to your child's system," he explained.

During summer vacation, children tend to stay up later and sleep in longer. Letting them continue that pattern until school starts can lead to trouble that first morning they have to wake up early for class, Bidey pointed out.

Getting children back into a sleep schedule for school "should start at least a week before school begins," Bidey said. "Parents can begin waking their children up earlier each day with an alarm clock, and sending their child to bed a bit earlier each night."

One way to make mornings before school less hectic is to be well-organized, he suggested.

"Parents can pack lunches and lay out school clothes the night before. That will help them stay calm in the mornings, which will in turn keep children calm," Bidey said.

Research shows that adequate sleep benefits children's mental health and school performance, he noted.

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Common issues that hurt your sleep

This article discusses common issues that hurt people's sleep, and tells you what to do about them.

You might remember a time when you could drift off to sleep in an instant and remain in a state of blissful slumber well past lunchtime the next day. Now your sleep is more likely to be lighter and more fitful, and when you wake up in the morning you don't always feel refreshed.

A lack of good-quality sleep could be a natural consequence of changing sleep-wake patterns after menopause. It's also likely that the issue is physical--and fixable. Many conditions can disrupt your rest, and they can be treated. It's important to address these issues. Lack of sleep does more than make you drowsy. Chronic insomnia has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and depression.

Go through this list to see whether you might have one of these sleep-stealing conditions. Also check your medicine cabinet. Some medications, including corticosteroids, beta blockers, cold and flu remedies, and certain antidepressants also can interfere with sleep.

1. Sleep apnea

The conventional image of sleep apnea is of the overweight man who snores, but women of any size can also develop these repeated pauses in breathing while they sleep.

"A woman who has a narrow jaw or a change in muscle tone can get apnea," says Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman, clinical instructor in obstetrics and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and author of "Successful Sleep Strategies for Women and Menopause Matters: Your Guide to a Long and Healthy Life." Either of these anatomical issues can block oxygen from reaching your lungs (and subsequently the rest of your body) while you sleep. Snoring might not be your main symptom if you do have sleep apnea, but you will notice that you're especially sleepy during the day.

Solution: See a specialist for a sleep study. You may be able to relieve apnea with a few lifestyle adjustments, such as sleeping on your side or losing weight. Your doctor might also suggest an oral appliance or a CPAP machine that blows air into your airways to keep them open at night.

2. Diet

What you eat can affect your sleep. Spicy foods can contribute to painful heartburn. Big meals leave you uncomfortably full, and over time can contribute to obesity--a well-known risk factor for sleep apnea. Too much caffeine could keep you wide awake, even if you finish your coffee in the morning.

"It takes six hours to clear half of the caffeine from your body. If you have enough caffeine, it's still in your body at 4 in the morning," says Dr. Edelman. And though a glass of wine or two with dinner will make you feel relaxed or even sleepy, it won't help you sleep. "You can fall asleep, but once you're asleep you can't sleep deeply," she says.

Solution: Eat dinner at least a couple of hours before bedtime, and keep the meal light. Avoid spicy, fatty foods, as well as alcohol and caffeine. Also, don't drink too many fluids before bed. Having to constantly get up to go to the bathroom can disrupt your sleep, too.

3. Lack of exercise

Sleep and exercise complement each other. Working out regularly can help you sleep better, and conversely, you're more likely to exercise if you get a good night's rest.

Solution: Exercise every day if you can, ideally in the morning. Doing a high-energy aerobic routine too close to bedtime can have the opposite of the intended effect, making you too energized to sleep. A gentle yoga stretch before bed probably won't hurt, though. It might even help you relax.

4. Pain

Arthritis aches or any other kinds of pain don't make for restful slumber. Conversely, a lack of sleep can increase your pain. Researchers believe that a lack of sleep may activate inflammatory pathways that exacerbate arthritis pain. Poor sleep can also make you more sensitive to the feeling of pain.

Solution: In addition to the pain remedies your doctor recommends, try using a heating pad or taking a warm bath before bed to soothe achy joints or muscles. Lying against a body pillow can put you in a more comfortable position while you sleep.

5. Restless legs syndrome

Women are twice as likely as men to have restless legs syndrome (RLS)--a condition that causes a creepy, crawly feeling and uncontrollable movements in the legs at night. It's often linked to hormonal changes early in life and during pregnancy, but RLS can continue as you get older. RLS isn't just miserably uncomfortable--researchers at Harvard have linked this condition to an increased risk for heart disease and depression in women.

Solution: Try simple interventions first. Exercise every day, take a hot bath before bed, massage your legs, and cut back on things that can make you jittery--like caffeine and tobacco. If these measures don't work, your doctor may recommend one of several medicines that reduce RLS symptoms--including ropinirole (Requip), pramipexole (Mirapex), rotigotine (Neupro), or gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant).

6. Depression

"Depression is a common compromiser of sleep, and it's much more common in women than in men," Dr. Edelman says. Women who are depressed may sleep more than usual, but their sleep isn't restful. Some of the antidepressants meant to counteract depression, particularly SSRIs, can also interfere with sleep.

Solution: See your primary care doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist for help, which may include medications, talk therapy, or both. If your antidepressant seems to be keeping you awake, ask your doctor to switch you to another drug.

7. Stress

It's impossible to sleep when the weight of the day is pressing on you. Finding a sense of calm before bed isn't easy, especially when you can't unplug from the demands of your day.

Solution: Establish wind-down time. Do a quiet, relaxing activity before bed that doesn't involve a screen. Talk to a friend or family member, sew, or read a real book--not one on a backlit tablet device.

"Just allow yourself to have quiet time," Dr. Edelman adds. And don't sleep with your smartphone on your bedside table.

8. Poor sleep habits

Sometimes insomnia stems from long-ingrained behaviors, like staying up too late or engaging in stimulating activities before bed.

Solution: Follow a few basic sleep hygiene strategies. Go to bed and wake up at the same times each day. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and comfortable. Use your bed for sleep and sex only. If you can't fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and leave the bedroom. Read or do another quiet activity for 15 to 20 minutes until you get sleepy.

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Ways to treat insomnia

This article discusses insomnia and how to treat it.

Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough for an individual to feel refreshed the next morning, even if one has had enough opportunity to sleep. Sleep is the natural state of unconsciousness that enables one’s body to rest. During such state, the body goes through various sleep stages in a cycle like drowsiness, light sleep, deep sleep and dreaming.  insomnia or in other word sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder which exhibits an inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep as long as desired.

Definition of normal sleep remains difficult since people differ on the basis of age, diet, environments and lifestyles – factors that play a role in determining the amount of sleep one need. Notably, insomnia is not the only sleep disorder although it is the most common sleep complaints; hence it at times becomes a symptom of another problem which differs from one person to another. insomnia can be classified as transient, acute or chronic.

Treatment of insomnia requires its cause for instance, if it is caused by an underlying medical condition or not.insomnia can be treated by the following means:

Ensuring good sleep hygiene

A general practitioner may assist you in knowing what to do in order to get sleep – also known as good sleep hygiene. Tips for good sleep hygiene include establishing set times for going to bed and waking up, making sure you relax before going to bed, ensuring a comfortable sleeping environment, avoiding a daytime nap, avoiding late night caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, avoiding exercise four hours to bedtime, avoiding eating a heavy meal late in the night, avoiding glancing at the clock all through the night and using the bedroom only when you want to sleep and sex.

If your insomnia lasts more than four weeks, your general practitioner may either recommend cognitive and behavioral treatments or short course of sleeping tablets for immediate relief.

Cognitive and behavioral treatments

This is aimed at changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that may be contributing to insomnia. This includes stimulus control therapy which helps remove factors that condition one’s mind to resist sleep, sleep restriction therapy – increasing the time one spends in bed by improving sleep, relaxation training to help you calm your mind and body through muscle relaxation, imagery and meditation, paradoxical intention which refers to letting go of any worry that keeps you awake and biofeedback – a method that allows the observation of biological signs like muscle tension and heart rate and shows you how to adjust them. CBT-I is at times performed by a specially trained general practitioner or a clinical psychologist.

Sleeping tablets

Sleeping tablets are drugs that promote sleep. They are usually used when you have a severe insomnia, to relieve short term insomnia and in case the above mentioned behavioral treatments prove ineffective. Doctors are mostly reluctant to administer sleeping tablets as they don’t treat the cause of insomnia and have side effects such as a feeling of hungover and daytime drowsiness. Examples of sleeping tablets are discussed below.

Benzodiazepines are tranquillizers that can lessen anxiety and encourage coolness, relaxation and sleep. This medicine should only be given to a person with severe insomnia or if it causes acute suffering as it makes that person sleepy and can also lead to dependency.

Z medicines are current kinds of medicines that work in a comparable way to benzodiazepines. Z medicines include zaleplon, zolpidem and zopiclone.

Zaleplon should be used in people with insomnia who have problem falling asleep and in lowest possible dose as it has side effects such as memory problems, painful periods in women, sleepiness, apathy, balance and coordination problems, concentration problems, changed sense of smell, dizziness and hallucinations.

Zolpidem is for unbearable insomnia causing severe stress. Its side effects are diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, tiredness and sleep difficulty like sleep walking and stomach pains.

Zopiclone is for short-term treatment including waking up during the night, difficulty falling asleep causing severe distress. It should be used in its lowest possible dose as side effects include dry mouth, metallic taste in the mouth, sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and headaches.

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Daily routines can help you sleep

A study that looked at adult sleeping habits found that those who shad a daily routine had a better quality of sleep and awoke less times during the night.

Going to work the same time each day could be good for your sleep -- really.

A new study, first reported by Reuters, shows that keeping a consistent daily schedule -- where you eat, start working and go outside around the same time each day -- is associated with better sleep.

The study, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Series B, is based on data recorded over 14 days in diaries by 50 younger and 50 older adults. The adults recorded their daily activities, including when they went outside, started work and ate dinner each day, as well as measures of sleep (including how long they slept at night, sleep quality, how many times they woke up at night, what time they went to bed and what time they woke up).

Researchers found that on a whole, variability of timing of activities affected sleep more than the actual timing of the activities. (Though older adults did experience some sleep benefits from schedule variability; this association was not seen in younger adults.)

"For example, people reported better sleep quality and fewer awakenings at night when they were consistent in the time they first went outside," study researcher Natalie Dautovich, of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, told Reuters.

Having regularity in your schedule may not only be a good thing for sleep. Past studies have also shown that younger kids with regular bedtimes are better behaved than those who go to sleep at inconsistent times. And a study from Brigham Young University showed that having consistent sleep and wake times is associated with lower body fat levels among young women.

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Sleeping more on the weekends can make you more tired

This article claims that sleeping more on the weekends and catching up on sleep can make a person more tired.

A few extra hours of sleep in the weekend to make up for lost sleep during the work week isn’t going to help you reverse the effects of sleep deprivation, suggests an international study released this week.

Sleep experts in the UAE estimate that 20-30 per cent of the working population in the country complains of poor sleep quality.

The consequences of sleep deprivation are manifold.

Medical opinion states sleep deprivation could lead to impaired cognitive function, irritability, decreased libido, poor judgement, weight gain, fatigue, high blood pressure (hypertension), weakened immune system, and general low quality of life.

The international study on the “Effects of Recovery Sleep After One Workweek of Mild Sleep Restriction…” is published by American Physiological Society.

The study posits that recouping lost sleep of the work-week or “recovery sleep” does little to help the damage already caused by a sleep-restricted working days.

The US-based researchers led by Alexandros N. Vgontzas studied 30 volunteers on a 13-day schedule whose performance on the attention test didn’t improve after recovery sleep. Further their ability to pay attention deteriorated significantly after sleep restriction and did not improve after recovery.

Norma Cairns, Counselling Psychologist at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology in Dubai told Gulf News, “Sleeping is a restorative process. It is recommended that we get seven to eight hours sleep per night in order to function well. Skipping out on a few hours each night during the work-week in the hope that it can be ‘made up for’ by sleeping longer at the weekend can be unhealthy in the longer term.”

She explained that the term “functioning well” means a person has good concentration, feels alert, enthusiastic, balanced and focused. She said balanced life style is a significant key to psychological well-being. A balanced life can be achieved by having a healthy routine in terms of sleep, nutrition and exercise alongside work.

She warned against oversleeping during the weekend as it can leave a person feeling more tired.

Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Emmad Kowatli, an American-board certified specialist in pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, and director of the Sleep Centre at the American Hospital, Dubai said, “poor sleep is linked to medical conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, sexual dysfunction, and heart failure and heart disease.”

“It is also associated with certain cancers, diabetes and high cholesterol. Any sleep disorder negatively impacts natural sleep cycle, affecting daily functioning. Activities like driving and overall performance is affected. Sleep deprivation causes drowsiness that can slow reaction time and is linked to motor vehicle crashes,” Dr Kowatli added.

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International poll shows differences in different country's sleep

An interesting poll by the National Sleep Foundation shows the differences in sleep in different countries around the world.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) released its first international poll today, the 2013 International Bedroom Poll, comparing sleep times, attitudes, habits and bedtime routines of those in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan between the ages of 25 and 55 years old.

Japan and the United States report the least amount of sleep. Japanese and Americans report sleeping about 30 to 40 minutes less on workdays than those in the other countries surveyed, averaging 6 hours and 22 minutes and 6 hours and 31 minutes of sleep, respectively. Two-thirds of Japanese (66%) say they sleep less than 7 hours on work nights, compared to 53% of Americans, 39% in the United Kingdom, 36% of Germans, 30% of Canadians and 29% of Mexicans. One in five from the United States (21%), Japan (19%) and the United Kingdom (18%) report sleeping less than six hours a night during the work week, about twice the rate of the other countries (11% Mexico, 10% Germany, 7% Canada,)

Perhaps to compensate for less sleep, about one-half (51%) of both Japanese and Americans have taken at least one nap in the past two weeks. Every country reported sleeping in on weekends, with an average of an extra 45 minutes of sleep on days they do not work.

"As the first international public opinion poll on sleep, the National Sleep Foundation 2013 Bedroom Poll makes an important contribution to the field," commented Namni Goel, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and a member of the NSF 2013 International Bedroom Poll expert panel. "Although we know that everyone sleeps, the rather remarkable cultural differences within this universal experience have not been adequately explored. It is NSF's hope that this initial poll will inspire more research on this critical yet understudied topic."

Less than one half of people in most countries are sleeping well every night

Less than one- half of people in Mexico (48%), the United States (44%), Canada (43%), the United Kingdom (42%) and Germany (40%), and slightly more than one-half in Japan (54%) say they get a good night's sleep every night or almost every night on work nights or week nights.

One-fourth of those in the United Kingdom (27%), the United States (25%) and Canada (23%) say they rarely or never get a good night's sleep during the work week. Notably, one in ten in the United Kingdom (11%) say they never get a good night's sleep on work nights, twice the percentage of the other countries surveyed.

Despite slightly higher reported sleep satisfaction, almost one-third of Japanese (31%, about twice the rate of all other countries surveyed,) say they rarely or never woke up when they needed to during the work week, suggesting more sleep is desired.

"It is important to look at cultural differences in sleep, and not always to assume a U.S. focus," says Jan Born, PhD, Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Tübingen, Germany and a member of the NSF 2013 International Bedroom Poll expert panel. "Sleep is deeply inter-connected with health and performance, but it is often overlooked by researchers. This poll shows intriguing cultural variations on how we tackle this nightly, biological ritual.

"What makes a great bedroom? The answer may surprise you

Roughly nine out of ten in Mexico (92%), Germany (90%) and the United Kingdom (86%) and threefourths in the United States (78%), and Canada (78%) agree they feel more relaxed if their bedroom has a fresh, pleasant scent. Moreover, the majority of nationalities surveyed (65%-79%) agree they take steps to make sure their bedrooms smell the way they want.

"Studies have shown that scent plays a powerful role in relaxation and memory-building," says David Cloud, National Sleep Foundation CEO. "Having a pleasant scent and a relaxing bedroom routine can contribute to a good night's sleep. No matter what your nationality, you will spend about a third of your life in bed. Fresh air and a pleasant scent are great ways to improve your sleep experience."

More than one-half of Mexicans meditate or pray before bed; one-third of people in the United Kingdom sleep naked

The poll found some intriguing cultural differences in the bedtime rituals and habits of the six countries. For example, more than one-half of Mexicans (62%) and nearly half of Americans (47%) meditate or prayin the hour before sleep.

Four in ten (43%) of those in the United Kingdom drink a soothing beverage such as tea before bed and almost one-third (30%) of the country reported sleeping naked.

Perhaps the most common bedtime experience is television. At least two-thirds (66%-80%) of people in all countries surveyed watch TV in the hour before bed.

"This groundbreaking poll suggests that chronic sleep deprivation is a significant global health problem," says Russell Rosenberg, PhD, Director of Research and Investigator at NeuroTrials Research, NSF Immediate Past Chairman and member of the NSF 2013 International Bedroom Poll expert panel. "The National Sleep Foundation International Bedroom Poll compels us to conduct more research and devise unique solutions to get everyone to take sleep seriously. Relax, turn off the mobile phone and TV, and create a more pleasant bed time routine. Setting the stage for good sleep can change your life."

National Sleep Foundation Healthy Sleep Advice

To improve your sleep, try the following sleep tips:

• Exercise regularly. Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.
• Go to sleep and wake at the same time every day, and avoid spending more time in bed than needed.
• Use your bedroom only for sleep to strengthen the association between your bed and sleep. It may help to remove work materials, computers and televisions from your bedroom.Save your worries for the daytime. If concerns come to mind, write them in a "worry book" so you can address those issues the next day.
• If you cannot sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired.
• If you are experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, or "stop breathing" episodes in your sleep, contact your health care professional for a sleep apnea screening.

Further information:http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/RPT495a.pdf

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Child's academic success affected by eating and sleeping habits

This article offers diet and sleep tips for children to ensure academic success.

Adults often hear what they should be doing to improve their health. But many of these known wellness behaviors are important for kids, too, and two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) experts say school success depends on making the right choices.

Health habits, such as eating and sleep patterns, are linked to academic success, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Your brain can't work if you're not consuming enough calories, and in general that's not a problem," explained Krista Casazza, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences. "But when kids go to school without eating breakfast, their cognitive function can be affected."

Casazza suggests kids start the day with fruits, proteins and whole grains. Avoid sugary cereals because they cause a sugar high, then a crash.

"A balanced breakfast will fuel the body for a long period and help sustain their attention level through lunch, when they need to eat well again," Casazza said. "This will hold them until dinner, and they won't snack ravenously after school."

If the kids do need to eat something prior to dinner, consider these options: • Offer healthy choices like yogurt, fruits and veggies. • If they want "kid stuff," baked chips can be an option, in moderation. • Drink water. Soda lacks nutritional value.

Once homework and dinner are done, sleep needs to be the priority.

"Children need a good night's sleep for their overall school performance," said Kristin Avis, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine.

"Lack of sleep can lead to problems with attention and memory in the classroom, affect impulse control and mood regulation lead to anxiety and even depression," Avis said.

Avis said kids ages 6-12 should get nine hours sleep nightly as should adolescents ages 13-18 -- but typically they average little more than seven hours per night.

"Often parents think one night of sleep loss won't matter, but that's all it takes to affect them the next day," Avis explained. "If they are chronically deprived, it can snowball and make matters worse."

Catching up on lost sleep on the weekend can make matters worse.

"If kids sleep in Saturday, they have a hard time going to bed Saturday night; so they sleep in Sunday and have a hard time going to bed Sunday night," Avis said. "Monday morning they are tired, and it's hard to wake up for school. They struggle to get back on a good sleep schedule."

Avis recommends a consistent bedtime seven days a week.

"It keeps their clock set so they can go to bed at a certain time, sleep well through night and wake up well rested the next morning," Avis said.

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Factors affecting a baby's naps and sleep at night

Genetics play a role in if a baby sleeps through the night, but sleep habits determine how well a baby naps during the day.

Genes play the biggest role in getting toddlers to sleep through the night, but environmental factors are more important for daytime naps, a twin study showed.

Genetic influences explained about half the variability in nighttime sleep duration from ages 6 months through 2 years, Jacques Montplaisir, MD, PhD, of Sacré-Coeur Hospital in Montreal, and colleagues reported in the June issue of Pediatrics.

There was a window of greater influence from surroundings and family habits at 18 months, which accounted for 48% of variability at that time. Environmental factors also accounted for up to almost 80% of variation in how long toddlers napped during the day by age 2.

Age 18 months may be a good opportunity to intervene for kids who don't sleep through the night, suggested Shalini Paruthi, MD, a pediatric sleep specialist at Saint Louis University in St. Louis.

"You really want to make sure your environment is as good as it can be," she told MedPage Today, which might include "keeping a dark and quiet room for them to sleep in and making sure they have their own sleep space so they're not bumping into a sibling on the mattress or on the bed."

"That doesn't mean every child in the same family is going to have the same sleep patterns," Paruthi noted, cautioning against overinterpretation.

The study also shouldn't be generalized to older children, she added.

Environment seems the biggest contributor to how long adults sleep at night, with a prior adult twin study suggesting less than 45% heritability.

Teens and pre-teens seem to follow adults in that pattern. However, young children haven't been followed longitudinally in the same way through the period when sleep is shifting toward a mature circadian rhythm.

Montplaisir's study included 995 sets of twins (405 identical) in the population-based Quebec Newborn Twin Study, which included pairs born without major medical conditions in the greater Montreal area from November 1995 through July 1998.

Mothers reported on their twins' sleep at 6, 18, 30, and 48 months of age, with a 2-week period between assessment for the two children to minimize homogenization of answers.

Genetics explained 47% of variability in how long kids slept without waking up their parents at 6 months of age, 58% at 30 months, and 54% at 48 months.

Sleep appeared to be more fragmented than parents were aware of, though, because video recordings in a subgroup showed that even "good sleepers" woke up three times a night on average.

With regard to daytime naps, environmental influences shared by the twins appeared to explain more of the variance in sleep duration as they got older.

These factors accounted for 33% of nap duration at 18 months of age, 48% at 30 months, and 79% at 2 years.

Nap duration seemed moderately stable through age 2 and declined gradually over time, with only 4% having a faster than normal trajectory in that regard.

Only 4% had stopped taking naps by age 2.

Little variation in either daytime or nighttime sleep appeared linked to environmental factors unique to one twin, not shared with the other.

However, the researchers cautioned that the heritability estimate may have been inflated by using a single "informant" for the twin pairs.

Another limitation was use of ordinal categories for daytime and nighttime sleep duration, so the study needs replication with quantitative measures, such as actigraphy or polysomnography, they noted.

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Sleep Tips for Children and Teens

This article discusses good sleep habits for children and teenagers.

When it comes to good sleep habits, the old saying "early to bed, early to rise, make a person healthy,wealthy and wise," has never been truer.

 

May is designated as Better Sleep Month, a good time to review some good sleep habits for kids and teens. Mohsin Maqbool, M.D., Director of the Pediatric Neurology Sleep Center and Laboratory on staff at the DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan offers the following tips.

 

• The amount of sleep needed for optimal brain development in children varies with age. Newborns sleep up to 20 hours per day. The sleep requirement decreases in toddlers down to 12 to 14 hours of nightly sleep with naps during the day.
• A child’s bedroom should be cool, quiet and comfortable. Children who stare at clocks should have their clocks turned away from them. Bedtime should follow a predictable sequence of events, such as brushing teeth and reading a story.
• Avoid spending lots of non-sleep time in bed — spending hours lying on a bed doing other activities before bedtime keeps our brains from associating the bed with sleep time.
• Going to bed in a timely manner, assuring sufficient sleep duration, is the key to getting up on time in the morning, refreshed.
• Keep consistent bedtimes and wake times every day of the week. Late weekend nights or sleeping-in can throw off a sleep schedule for days.
• Adolescents can benefit from a daytime nap. A short nap (20 to 30 minutes) in the afternoon has shown to improve physical efficiency and cognitive performance. The key here is that the nap should not be longer than 45 minutes or else grogginess kicks in.
• Avoid high stimulation activities just before bed, such as watching television, playing videogames, communication with friends, or exercise. It is especially important to avoid these acitivites during a nighttime awakening. It is best not to have videogames, televisions, computers or phones in the child’s bedroom.
• Avoid caffeine (sodas, chocolate, tea, coffee) in the afternoons/evenings. Even if caffeine doesn’t prevent falling asleep it can still lead to shallow sleep or frequent awakenings. Caffeine should be avoided within 4 to 6 hours of bedtime.
• If a child is awake in bed tossing and turning, it is better for them to get out of bed to do a low stimulation activity, (i.e., reading) then return to bed later. This keeps the bed from becoming associated with sleeplessness. If the child is still awake after 20 to 30 minutes, spend another 20 minutes out of bed before lying down again.

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Children with ADHD and sleeping issues

This article discusses the challenges children with ADHD have with falling asleep.

One of the challenges of parenting can involve helping children maintain healthy sleep habits. Children with conditions like ADHD may need even more help with sleep.

A recent study looked at sleeping patterns among children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The researchers found that children with ADHD often have a difficult time falling asleep at night and during the day, regardless of how well they slept the night before.

It's possible that children with ADHD may need more time spent in quiet activities before bedtime to help them get to sleep.

The study, led by Sabrina Wiebe, a research assistant at the Attention, Behavior and Sleep Lab at Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal, Canada, looked for information about sleep among children with ADHD.

The researchers studied the sleep patterns of 82 children, aged 7 to 11, for six days. The 26 children with ADHD and the 56 children with typical mental development underwent a sleep study at their homes for one night.

For the other five nights, the children wore a watch-like device called an actigraph that measured their movement and provides an estimation of the amount of sleep they got.

The researchers also measured the children's daytime sleepiness with a questionnaire and by testing how long it took the children to fall asleep during a series of nap opportunities at a lab during the daytime.

The children were asked not to take medication or have products with caffeine for at least two days before the study began.

When the researchers compared the results, they found that there were no major differences between the two groups on the daytime sleepiness questionnaire or in how many children chose to nap during the day when given the opportunity.

However, there were some other differences between the two groups.

Children with ADHD who spent more time in the slow wave sleep phase also took longer to fall asleep during the day, therefore showing less sleepiness. Further, based on their actigraphs, these children also took longer to fall asleep if they spent more time awake each day.

Meanwhile, the typically developing children only took longer to fall asleep during the day if they also took longer to fall asleep at night.

"These findings suggest problems [among ADHD children] with initiating and/or maintaining sleep affect both nighttime and daytime sleep," the researchers wrote.

Basically, kids with ADHD took longer to fall asleep, regardless of whether they were well rested or if they slept restlessly the previous night.

"It is possible that children experiencing restless sleep are overtired, thereby further contributing to increased difficulties sleeping," the researchers proposed. "In children, symptoms of sleepiness include increased activity likely compensating for increased fatigue. Thus, increased activity may be difficult to shut off when given a sleep opportunity."

The researchers said their study means that children with ADHD may require quiet activities to help calm them down before bedtime. Children who continue to struggle with getting to sleep may need other interventions, they wrote.

The study was published in the February issue of the Journal of Sleep Research. The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de la recherche en santé. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

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Strange Sleeping Habits of Celebrities

This article discusses strange yet interesting sleep habits of celebrities.

Our favorite celebrities are human and require shut-eye just like the rest of us. Everyone has to lay down for a little shut eye (whether it’s in a giant egg or on latex mattress!). Many celebrities even battle familiar sleep disorders, while others are just a little kooky. Have you ever wondered what eccentric habits or issues famous people harbor regarding sleep? Keep reading to find out.

Celebrities with Eccentric Habits

Star status and plenty of money allow celebrities to adopt unique, lavish habits. Sometimes they are purely for comfort, other times for vanity and performance enhancement. While we all have our quirks, not many people could afford high altitude chambers or 15 hours of sleep!

Tom Cruise
Actor Tom Cruise reportedly sleeps in a very nerdy room, alone in a dark, soundproof “snoratorium” so his snoring doesn’t bother others in his household, according to the Daily Mail.

Lady Gaga
Infamous eccentric Lady Gaga reportedly enjoyed the “egg” from her 2011 MTV appearance so much that she renovated her apartment to include in place of a bed, says Mirror. Supposedly it serves as a peaceful meditation spot.

Eminem
Rapper Eminem takes the dark room principle to a new level by covering windows in aluminum foil to block out light. According to The Sun, it helps mitigate the effects of jet-lag when he travels. However,according to an interview with Complex, his busy schedule eventually got the best of him, resulting in a sleep med dependency.

Mariah Carey
Diva Mariah Carey sleeps surrounded by up to 20 humidifiers in an effort to prevent sore throats, tells V magazine. She also once told Interview magazine that she sleeps 15 hours a night to be able to perform at her best, but no word if that still stands with twin toddlers!

Michael Phelps
Prolific Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps revealed on “60 Minutes” that he sleeps in a high-altitude sleeping chamber designed to simulate high altitudes. This apparently makes the body work harder, and keeps him in peak performance while training – it certainly didn’t hurt.

Martha Stewart
Queen of domesticity, Martha Stewart, told People magazine that she only sleeps about four hours per night because there is not enough time in the day. Driven, self-critical personalities often loathe remaining in bed for more than a few hours, but such low amounts of sleep are typically discouraged.

Celebrities with Sleep Disorders

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that over 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder, so it is no surprise that some celebrities do as well. While they may live the good life, they aren’t immune from stress, insomnia, and genetics.

Sleep Disorder Basics

If you have sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, you’re not alone – some of the most successful people do, too, that is probably why comfortable latex mattress beds were invented in the first place.Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by extreme snoring that results from partial or complete blockage of one’s airways while sleeping, potentially leading to disrupted sleep, heart problems and more. Insomnia refers to chronic patterns of difficulty falling asleep, remaining asleep, or waking early with being able to return to sleep. Narcolepsy is defined as the uncontrollable urge to fall asleep during the day resulting from the body’s inability to regulate sleep/wake cycles.

Jennifer Aniston
A-List actress Jennifer Aniston has said she experienced somnambulance (sleepwalking) when under stress. Once, she sleepwalked out of her home, only awaking when the alarm went off.

George Clooney
Actor George Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter that he must have the television on to fall asleep, and that he wakes at least 5 times per night which point to insomnia. Supposedly, he does some if his best screenplay writing during this time though. Now who would have thought that dreams can help you get creative?

Shaquille O’neal
Basketball legend Shaq was diagnosed with sleep apnea during a sleep study by Harvard Medical School. He treats it with a CPAP device, which is a nasal mask worn during sleep.

Jimmy Kimmel
Comedian and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has narcolepsy, diagnosed in adulthood. According to aninterview with Esquire, it strikes him in the afternoons and he has fallen asleep during meetings and even while driving.

Rosie O’Donnell
Comedian and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell announced on The View that she has sleep apnea. Before receiving treatment, she would stop breathing over 200 times a night, and sometimes for up to 40 seconds!

Now that you know the sleep habits of celebrities, you can be assured you aren’t the only one who snores, keeps odd hours, or sleeps in egg beds. Sleep remains a mystery and oft cited annoyance but every human must catch Zzz’s, no matter how we choose to do it.

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