This week in sleep news…
Sound machines may be too loud for children
New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are warning caregivers to pay more attention to excessive exposure to sound, including sleep and sound machines. AAP warns that excessive noise can cause irreversible damage that goes largely unrecognized. “Children have smaller ear canals than adults, which intensifies higher frequency sounds. And the concern is not only with volume, but how long and how often children are exposed to noise,” Dr. Sophie J. Balk, the past chair of the Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change, said in a statement. The association recommends that parents talk with their child’s pediatrician about the safety of using infant sleep machines or noise machines.
How sleep loss amplifies pain
Researchers have found that lack of sleep can amplify pain, a new study in Nature shows. Through experiments, the researchers found that the heightened pain sensitivity that can result from chronic sleep disruption stems from a part of the brain known as the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), which plays key roles in sensory processing, arousal, and cognition. While more research needs to be done to understand this relationship, scientists believe the endocannabinoid system (the biological system in the body that helps regulate and balance key bodily functions) may hold the key to breaking the cycle of pain and sleep loss.
What’s the most common excuse for kids not to go to bed?
New research found that on average it takes parents an hour, or three bedtime stories, to get their child to bed. Research commissioned by kids’ TV show “Hey Duggee” looked at both how long it took parents to get their child to bed as well as stalling tactics deployed by the kids. Of the 1,000 parents surveyed:
- 31% said their child will ask their caregiver a succession of questions to keep them in the room.
- 23% said their child can’t sleep until their special toy is found.
- 29% of parents reported children used feeling too hot or cold to delay bedtime.
- 25% dealt with their child saying they were scared of the dark.
- 17% had to fend off the monsters under the bed before their child would drift off.
The world is sleeping less
Using data from its fitness app, Samsung analyzed sleep over 716 million nights worldwide and found that we’re sleeping less — and less efficiently — than we were last year. The data showed that the average sleep duration fell from 7 hours and 3 minutes to 6 hours and 59 minutes globally. Likewise, sleep efficiency (how much time you actually spend asleep when you’re in bed) fell slightly from 87.86% to 87.49%. This trend was seen across all genders, age groups, and regions.
In sleep-centric social media...
Are yellow pillows sanitary to sleep on? This tweet about yellow pillows sparked a debate this week, with people from all over chiming in with their opinion. For those of you who pride yourself on your bright white pillows, consider investing in a pillow protector or reading up on how to wash your pillows.
