This week in sleep news…
Driving habits that could signal sleep apnea
What do driving with the window open, sipping coffee behind the wheel, blasting the car radio, and fidgeting in the driver's seat all have in common? According to new research, they all may be signs that you may be getting poor sleep due to sleep apnea. Researchers compared 119 people with sleep apnea with 105 people without the sleep disorder. All the participants answered questions about their sleepiness in general, as well as driving-related questions, such as sleepiness while driving, strategies they use to stay alert, and their history of driving accidents.
They found that nearly a third of sleep apnea patients frequently used more than three of the above coping strategies, while none of the people with healthy sleep used more than three. Furthermore, sleep apnea patients who used more than three strategies felt sleepier in general and more sleepy while driving. Those who used more than three strategies were also 23% more likely to have experienced a crash than those who deployed fewer strategies.
Sleep restriction reduces awareness of errors
A study published this week in Psychophysiology found that sleep loss can affect awareness of behavioral errors. The small study of 14 healthy people found that sleep restriction affected not only awareness of behavioral errors, but also time taken to notice those errors. The researchers posited that this could be a factor contributing to increased injuries and accidents in circumstances where there is recurrent sleep loss.
An actress shares the value of “Just One More Sleep”
Ever been so excited you can hardly sleep? Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis captures the sensation in a new children’s book, Just One More Sleep, out this week. The cute, vibrantly illustrated story explains the value of patience, especially when it comes to holidays and birthdays.
Instagram’s new nighttime nudges feature
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, announced it will begin implementing nighttime nudges to urge teens to stop scrolling Instagram late at night. These nudges will appear when teen users spend more than 10 minutes on Instagram late at night. This is among several new pushes by the company to help control teens’ social media use.
In social media news…
Whether you’re participating in dry January, sober curious, or looking for a fun drink to sip on at night, give this viral tart cherry juice mocktail a try.
