This week in sleep news…
More than two-thirds of Americans report loss of sleep over job worries
Economic stress is the latest thing keeping Americans up. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recently polled about 2,000 U.S. adults and found that 75% were kept up with thoughts about whether the United States would enter a recession, and 69% of them reported lost sleep due to concerns about job security. Extended sleep disturbances can lead to decreased productivity and impaired decision-making abilities. AASM recommends combating anxious thoughts by keeping a regular schedule, creating a calming sleep space, following a relaxing nightly routine, reducing social media use, and journaling before bed.
Study finds we can respond to verbal stimuli while sleeping
It turns out that while we’re sleeping we’re not totally unaware of the environment around us. A new study published in Nature Neuroscience found that while we sleep, we are capable of hearing and understanding words. While conducting this study, researchers saw that ordinary sleepers (those without a diagnosed sleep disorder) could pick up verbal information transmitted by a human voice and respond to it by tightening their facial muscles. They noted the response sporadically across almost all stages of sleep.
Further research is needed to determine whether the frequency of these responses is correlated with sleep quality and whether they could be used to improve certain sleep disorders or facilitate learning.
Nighttime use of cannabinol reduces sleep disturbances
A new clinical trial has found that taking phytocannabinoid cannabinol (CBN) leads to fewer sleep disturbances. Researchers looked at the use of CBN in comparison to a placebo 90 minutes before bed over the course of seven days. The researchers reported in their study that participants who took CBN saw a reduced number of awakenings and disturbances. However, future studies need to be done to further explore the potential side effects of CBN for sleep.
In more fun sleep news …
When do you know when the right time to transition your toddler from their crib to a big kid bed? If you’re like Jenna Bush Hager, you may still be waiting for the right time. Hager shared on Today with Hoda & Jenna that her four-year-old son still sleeps in his crib. And not because she’s not ready to move him into one. Hager said her son likes his crib. “I said, ‘Do you want to, maybe let’s try to talk about moving you next week to your bed,’ and he said, ‘not this Christmas but next Christmas,’” she shared on the daytime show. Are you in the same boat? We have some great tips on when and how to transition your child to a big kid bed that might help you make the move before next Christmas.
