As always, here are our favorite sleep related links of the week:

Research performed at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam has shown that sleep therapy helps to restore brain function in insomnia patients.

The Sleep Doctor advises that you should turn off the news within four hours of bedtime so that any resulting anxiety (from hearing frightening or depressing stories, which is highly likely) doesn’t interfere with your sleep.  He also asks “how sleep smart are you?” as part of a National Sleep Foundation to educate Americans about the value of sleep.

Pick the Brain provides four ways to get great sleep (we’d add a fifth - listen to Speed Sleep! to their list, of course): sleep in complete darkness, avoid stimulants, have an optimal sleeping environment, and get daily sunlight exposure and exercise.

The Gainesville Sun offers more information on creating an optimal sleep environment, including how often you should replace your mattress and other bedding.

The Dayton Courier reports on the many health hazards of consistent sleep deprivation.

Have a great weekend everyone, and get some sleep!

You already know that is extremely dangerous and unwise to drive in hazardous conditions or to drive drunk, however, did you also know that is just as risky to drive while sleep-deprived?  The 2008 Sleep in America Poll found that sixty-four percent of drivers who work thirty hours per week or more have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy in the past year, and thirty-six percent have actually fallen asleep at the wheel.  Clearly sleep problems are taking their toll on America’s safety as well as health.

Drowsiness affects vision, slows your reaction time, decreases awareness, and increases your likelihood of crashing - just like alcohol.  Young people, men, shift workers, and commercial drivers were found to be especially at risk for sleep-related accidents, as well as people who suffer from sleep disorders - especially those whose sleeping problems are going untreated.

Of course, the very best way to avoid sleepiness at the wheel is to get at least seven hours of sleep a night; however, it is also important to pay attention to key signs of fatigue.  For instance, slowed reaction times, trouble focusing and keeping your eyes open or keeping your head up, repeated yawning, drifting from your lane, missing important signs or your exit, or feeling the need to roll down the window or turn up the radio to stay alert.  If you experience any of these symptoms, it is time to find a place to sleep and call it a night.

As always, here are the Speed Sleep team’s favorite sleep-related links of the week:

Reuters Health reports that sleep quality may drop with age, but the harmful effects might be diminished.

The Insomnia Blog covers how sleep deprived teens may be setting themselves up for heart disease later in life.

Medical News Today discusses the core functions of sleep.

Learn about the link between circadian rhythms and your metabolism with this sleep study conducted at the University of California in Irvine.

Health Central is featuring an article about how cognitive-behavior therapy curbs in insomnia in dialysis patients.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Like most people, you have probably experienced the unpleasant feeling that occurs when your alarm goes off and you’re still exhausted.  You think “man, I need to get to bed earlier” or “I need to get more sleep”.  However, unless you are sleeping six hours or less a night, you are incorrect: you don’t need more sleep, you need better sleep.

Of course, we think listening to Speed Sleep is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your sleep, but there are many other things you can do to enhance your nightly rest.  For instance, exercising (the Speed Sleep Health and Fitness tracks will help you with that), forming consistent sleep habits and bedtime routines, and even keeping yourself hydrated can all improve the quality of your sleep.

Individuals who make regular exercise a priority tend to fall asleep more quickly easily - and this makes sense, after all, because when you exert yourself physically your body starts craving restorative sleep.  It only goes to follow that if you work out on a regular basis your sleep patterns tend to regulate themselves as well.  On a related note, eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated also tend to help you sleep better, in addition to avoiding alcohol and caffeine right before bedtime.  What’s more, consistent exercise and a more nutritious diet will enhance your physique as well - a nice side benefit of improving your sleep, don’t you think?

It is not at all surprising to us that a recent sleep study found that altering your bedtime habits can improve your sleep and fix minor sleeping problems.  Research performed by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care found that small changes can make a big difference in the quality of your sleep. 

The study also confirmed some less obvious results - mainly, that sleep medications are a short term solution to a long term problem; furthermore, fewer people are taking prescription sleep drugs these days, focusing instead on herbal sleep aids (perhaps they should try an audio sleep aid like Speed Sleep as well!).

The study also pointed out that one of five people in industrialized nations have difficulty sleeping at some point in their lives - clearly, researching and developing ways to improve sleep and combat sleep problems is an important issue worldwide.  Fortunately, scientists and research teams around the globe also seem to be waking up to the fact that sleeping pills are just a quick fix, and that subtle changes to one’s sleep habits like going to bed a little earlier and avoiding alcohol right before bedtime are really the only effective lifelong solutions.