#sleep For those of us in "our fifth decade" and older - age related sleep disruptions are a thing. Normal aging comes with reduced ability to initiate and maintain sleep. It's actually why older adults tend to "nap" more during the day. "The frequency of naps also increases in later life: 10% of adults ages 55–64, and 25% ages 75–84, report the … [Read more...]

#sleep Wait, we need sleep to forget? Yes. Interesting research on how melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) cells sent inhibitory messages, via long stringy axons, to the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center. It's like our brains method to forget or get rid of unimportant messages. As most of us know though - song lyrics learned in our teenage … [Read more...]

Our overall health is affected by our quality of sleep. Studies show that persistent lack of quality sleep can increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and even certain types of cancer. The need for sleep crosses all age groups. Even teenagers need at least 7 hours of quality sleep. "In one of … [Read more...]

How long does it take you to get to REM sleep? Do you know what REM sleep is? Maybe it's time to find your REM sleep in under 90 mins. Better sleep might equal less chance of dementia. This 12 year study found that as the amount of REM sleep decreased, the risk of dementia increased. "In our study, the association between lower REM sleep and … [Read more...]

There is incredible, ongoing research about why we dream and how it "reorders " our minds. Why is dreaming a part of our sleep and what role does it play in our wellness? "In their study, the researchers found that vivid, bizarre and emotionally intense dreams (the dreams that people usually remember) are linked to parts of the amygdala and … [Read more...]