Last night, CBS ran a segment on 60 Minutes called The Science of Sleep.
They covered some of topics that we have previously blogged about such as: Lack of sleep and risk of cardiovascular disease, Sleep contributing to better memory , and more. Pretty interesting segment – worth a watch!

According to this article in Scientific American, by not getting enough sleep, a child’s risk of being overweight doubles and chances of later depression and anxiety increase. In two separate studies, young children who slept too little, were twice as likely to be overweight by age 3 and reported more anxiety, depressions and aggressive behavior as adults.

According to this article in Bangkok Post, just a few minutes of sleep can improve your memory and mental performance. Dr. Olaf Lahl at the University of Dusseldorf (Germany) conducted an experiment in which volunteers were asked to remember a list of 30 words. Then, the volunteers played solitaire for one hour. During the one hour period, some of the volunteers were allowed to take a 6 minute nap, while others were asked to stay awake. The experiment found that subjects who took a brief nap displayed “superior recall” when compared to subjects that stayed awake.

Science Daily has a short but interesting article on the 2008 Presidential candidates and their sleep schedules. Candidates, with their insanely busy travel and appearance schedules, are not getting enough sleep. From the full article, “Sleep deprivation can have a severe impact on a candidate’s mood and performance, increasing the likelihood of a memory lapse, a risky decision, a critical mistake, an improper comment or an angry outburst.”

Source:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2008, February 4). Election 2008: Sleep Deprivation A Tough Opponent For Presidential Candidates. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2008/02/080201155650.htm

According to a recent study of 35 men and 36 women between 18 and 45 found that cell phones may interfere with our sleep. According to a BBC article about the study, one group of participants in the study was exposed to radiation similar to that emitted by mobile phones; the control group was not emitted to the same radiation. Participants that were exposed to the radiation were not able to reach the deep stages of sleep as quickly as the control group.

We just got wind of an interesting product aimed at those who have trouble falling asleep, it’s called Quick2Sleep. Each dose looks like a breath mint strip (the kind that dissolve on your tongue), and they claim that you will fall asleep within 15 minutes of taking one. Quick2Sleep sounds too good to be true, but we haven’t tried it yet, so we won’t pass judgment. According to the Quick2Sleep website,

Quick 2 Sleep™ is 100% natural, nonprescription and non-habit forming.  You get your full 8 hours of sleep to awake rested and enjoy your day!  Nature’s Quick 2 Sleep™ is the most effective, convenient, and fastest acting insomnia remedy available.

Nature’s Quick 2 Sleep™ is an edible strip. That means no more swallowing tablets or pills! It contains all natural ingredients, which are absorbed instantly in your mouth.  Nature’s Quick 2 Sleep™ helps you to get to sleep in 15 minutes or less to ensure that you get a full nights’ sleep. 

 If you have tried Quick2Sleep, we would be very interested in hearing about your experience, so please leave a comment below.