Sleep Research: What Was the Top Finding of 2010? Pick Your Favorite!

Happy new year! As 2011 is here, I wanted to look back and think about all of the amazing stories, research and clinical cases that changed the face of sleep medicine in 2010. The amount of sleep research going on today is one of the very reasons that I got into this field -- the changes are constant and exciting! While the slideshow below does not encompass everything, these are what I considered some of the top findings in sleep medicine in 2010, and I have included a practical sleep suggestion to help you use this research in your everyday life.

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Set Your Adolescent's Bedtime Before 10 P.M. To Protect Them From Depression

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Earlier bedtimes may have a "protective effect" for adolescents against depression and suicidal thoughts. In the January 2010 issue of the journal Sleep, researchers found that when parents set their kids' bedtimes to 10 p.m. or earlier, adolescents were 24 percent less likely to suffer from depression and 20 percent less likely to think about committing suicide. Earlier bedtimes seemed to allow for more total sleep time in these kids. Conversely, kids who report sleeping five or fewer hours were 71 percent more likely to suffer from depression and 48 percent more likely to think about suicide.

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Weight Loss Success: Caroline Jhingory Challenged Herself With Exercise And Lost 150 Pounds

Fast Eaters May Have Higher Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Chronic Pain Affects 47 Percent Of U.S. Adults, Survey Finds

Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Lower Alzheimer's Risk, Study Suggests

Earlier bedtimes may have a "protective effect" for adolescents against depression and suicidal thoughts. In the January 2010 issue of the journal Sleep, researchers found that when parents set their kids' bedtimes to 10 p.m. or earlier, adolescents were 24 percent less likely to suffer from depression and 20 percent less likely to think about committing suicide. Earlier bedtimes seemed to allow for more total sleep time in these kids. Conversely, kids who report sleeping five or fewer hours were 71 percent more likely to suffer from depression and 48 percent more likely to think about suicide.

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So there you have it, 22 sleep suggestions, maybe even resolutions, based on some of the most fascinating sleep research of 2010. I know that I learned a lot last year about sleep, and I hope you did, as well. Here's looking forward to a healthy, happy and well-rested 2011.

Sweet dreams,

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com
Twitter: @thesleepdoctor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesleepdoctor

 

 

 

Follow Dr. Michael J. Breus on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thesleepdoctor

Comments

[Ramkshrestha]

07:06 AM on 01/10/2011

Ok, let's try. Happy New Year 2011 and Happy New Decade to all: http://ramkshrestha.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/happy-new-decade-and-happy-new-year-2011-in-11-languages/

[french queen13]

07:18 PM on 01/09/2011

Good grief. Quite a few of these were "duh" research. Don't drive while drowsy? Get more sleep? Make your kid get more sleep? Well, who'da thunk?

(And how, outside countries that allow siesta time, is anyone at work supposed to be able to take an hour and a half to nap?)

I'd love to know how one gets grants to "research" the bleeding obvious.

[YeWight]

04:22 PM on 01/09/2011

Skipping lunch is debatable. Brain is very sensitive if deprived of it's main three food which are - sugar, water and oxygen. Skipping lunch may cause decrease in cognitive and motor skills and for some people may be more counterproductive than a slight case of postprandial drowsiness. It is more important what you have for lunch rather than the choice of having it vs. skipping it.

[ToniEmerson]

04:07 PM on 01/09/2011

How about decreasing the overall amount of stress in our lives, and in the words of the wonderful National Geographic photographer DeWitt Jones, "Celebrate what is right with the world!"

[LynnyC]

02:44 PM on 01/09/2011

about the children needing to go to sleep before ten, is unrealistic for the straight A students. Everyone in my honors classes in 8th grade were getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night, and when we all together told our honor teachers that the homework overload caused us to stay up late to finish, they gave us more homework and told us not to complain, because it's a life lesson about work responsibility.

Either you have a depressed A student or a happy C student. You can't have both.

[red wolfe]

09:58 AM on 01/10/2011

We do love and respect our children. Don't we?
We need to stop making our kids extensions of our own egos.

[tiredofyou2]

09:02 PM on 01/10/2011

I want to write something about the 'B Ethic." This means having the curiosity and conscientiousness that we normally associate with the A student but the wisdom to put well-being first (which you associate with the C student.) Bs are best. They won't put you at the front of the pack in this increasingly predatory culture, but you might find good company anyway. Let's hear it for the Noble B.

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

12:55 PM on 01/09/2011

I had sleep apnea and used a CPAP for almost a year and a half. The problem was that there were times I would wake up from ripping the mask off my face because I felt like I was suffocating. My pulmonologist said that the CPAP works for about 50% of people who use it. After a while of this, I spoke with my pulmonologist who determined that I was a candidate for surgery. I had my adenoids removed and had my nasal passageway (on the left side) expanded. It was outpatient surgery, but recovery was incredibly difficult and painful and lasted about two weeks. I couldn't eat anything but eggs and pudding. When I tried to eat Jello, it was painfully impossible.

Now, I sleep soundly, something that hadn't really been happening for a long time. I'm much more rested, making me more productive and mentally alert. I would suggest surgery to anyone who has problems with using CPAP.

[Duane7]

12:44 PM on 01/09/2011

Don't eat lunch? How about eat less? Or try several small meals. I wonder who did the research on this one. Several years ago they found midday exhaustion is due to dehydration not from food. It sounds like the researchers went with the old myth and didn't look at other options.