This week in sleep news…
Healthy plant-based diets can lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea
Following a healthy plant-based diet right in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy plant-based fats may reduce the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study published this week in ERS Open Research. The study examined the results of 14,210 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a survey program led by the National Center for Health Statistics, assessing the health and behavior of people in the United States. The study found that people with the healthiest diet of plant-based foods had a 19% lower chance of OSA. Those whose diets were plant-based but unhealthy had a 22% higher risk. Those who followed a largely plant-based diet were at lower risk; overall, the dietary changes affected women more than men.
Sleep can benefit complex memory
A study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveals that sleep plays a crucial role in consolidating complex, multidimensional memories. Many studies have underscored the value of sleep for simple memory associations, but this study — featuring 14 participants — reflects that sleep contributes to how we recall the interconnectedness and different elements of intricate events.
Participants were given memorization tasks surrounding hypothetical events. Their recall was tracked after quality sleep and a sleepless night. Results showed that sleep significantly enhanced their ability to consolidate even weak associations between event elements, suggesting the benefit of sleep for building links in memory networks.
In fun sleep news…
Reality TV star and bed queen Paige DeSorbo has disproven the notion that beds should only be used for sleeping. In an interview with InStyle magazine, she shares, “We’re actually doing a collaboration with Mattress Firm, which couldn’t be a better partnership. We got to lie in bed while recording, which I desperately needed.” We look forward to that pillow talk, Paige!
