"Light is one of the biggest reasons sleep changes between the seasons." —Rebecca Robbins, PhD, sleep doctorDo you feel more sleepy in the winter? Less in the summer? Before electric lights our sleep cycles matched the cycle of the sun and even the moon. For farmers and outside workers this can work. But, in 2022, it's not always helpful for office … [Read more...]

Is there a connection between chronic pain and sleep? YES. "Recent experimental studies suggest that sleep disturbance may impair key processes that contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain, including endogenous pain inhibition and joint pain." In plain English it means that the cells and pathways responsible for managing our … [Read more...]

#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...]