Although this was clearly more than just narcolepsy, it was possible that the constellation of symptoms was due to a small genetic alteration that included both a narcolepsy-causing gene and a mitochondrial gene located close by on the same chromosome.

As a self-confessed nocturnal who can blame it on genetics, I proudly declare my solace from the quiet of the night. I love hearing the whir of the refrigerator in the kitchen and the hoot of the barn owl in our fields.

Understanding more about how sleep affects genetic function holds great promise in illuminating these pathways and could open important new avenues for both treatment and prevention of illness and disease.

A new study finds that if employees don't get enough sleep, they are less productive. NBC's 'The Today Show' tackled this issue Saturday morning, ...

Sleep deprivation can raise anxiety levels and other recent research.

Lo and behold, the night after that yoga session with Elena Brower, I learned firsthand yet another benefit of yoga: a good night's sleep.

Are you a lark, someone who likes being up and active in the early morning? Or are you a night owl, someone who tends to wake later and perhaps gains energy and focus as the day progresses, someone who likes to work (and play) in the evening hours?

It's all too common for people to shrug off their episodes of insomnia, to do their best to function and cope. This kind of "power through" strategy is rampant in our busy world, but there's no real escape from the consequences that insomnia can bring.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School investigated how a daily yoga practice might affect sleep for people with insomnia and found broad improvements to measurements of sleep quality and quantity.

The study by Krystal and Edinger overcame the shortcomings of previous studies by examining a large number of people (128), a large variety of different firmness of mattresses (seven), and a large number of nights on each mattress (four weeks).

I was really pleased to read this study. Its findings confirm what I have repeatedly seen in my own practice (and family): kids are very adaptable, especially when it comes to how and where (and with whom) they fall and stay asleep.

A group of studies, all conducted independently, have reached a similar sobering conclusion: Sleep problems -- including several common sleep difficulties faced by millions of people on a regular basis -- may, over time, lead to cognitive impairment and even dementia.

While our understanding of sleep science continues to grow, there continues to be a strong consensus on the need for a good night's rest.

As much as we may appreciate our bedrooms as a retreat and a haven, the poll shows we're still not actually getting enough sleep there.

Today kicks off National Sleep Awareness Week, the annual campaign by the National Sleep Foundation that runs from March 5 to 11 to remind people abou...

These are what I considered some of the top stories in sleep medicine in 2010, and I have included a practical sleep suggestion to help you use this research in your everyday life.

As if we really needed anything else affecting a teen's mood and sleep, recent research shows that Internet use and texting can have a serious, detrimental effect on both sleep and mood.

Getting the right amount of all of the sleep stages is critical to overall health, wellness and feeling energized the next day.