Here’s the sleep news for this week:
Electrical stimulation shown to be effective in treating sleep apnea
A battery-powered device often utilized during childbirth that uses electrical impulses to block pain signals was found to improve breathing in patients with obstructive sleep apnea in a clinical trial. Researchers from King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine has potential to be a therapy treatment for sleep apnea, which affects as many as 1 billion people worldwide, according to the study published in the Lancet's eClinical Medicine journal. The light and continuous electric stimulation kept patients' airways open while asleep, with the TENS group showing improvements in nocturnal breathing and a significant reduction in daytime exhaustion.
Exposure to certain fragrances during sleep boosts cognitive function
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine recently uncovered strong evidence that enriching the air with fragrances improves cognitive performance by strengthening a critical connection between neurological areas involving memory and decision-making. The study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience suggests cognitive decline and conditions such as dementia might be slowed by simply diffusing a different choice of perfumes through the bedroom before bed each night.
To determine whether cognitive decline can be saved with sensory stimulation, researchers provided half of the participants with an assortment of natural oils containing fragrances of rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender. The rest of the participants were provided with a “sham” that contained small amounts of an odorant. Both groups used the oils with a diffuser in their home for two hours every night for six months. A series of tests was then used to compare the participants’ results before and after the trial.
There was a clear 226% difference between the responses provided by those who were exposed to a variety of fragrances and individuals in the control group. A scan of their brains also revealed a significant change in the anatomy linking areas of the brain critical in memory and thinking within the test group.
New and improved sleep headphones
Are you one of the thousands who used the discontinued Bose Sleepbuds to get better sleep that are now out of luck? Not to worry, the same engineers who worked on the Sleepbuds have got your back. Ozlo Sleep is introducing Ozlo Sleepbuds later this summer, which are designed to fit comfortably in the ear while sleeping. In addition to a small profile that remains near flush with the ear opening, the headphones feature silicone tips designed to keep them in users’ ears. The team at Ozlo Sleep improved on the Bose product and added new features its predecessor lacked, including the ability to stream audio from any source to the headphones.
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