If the nation’s pediatricians panicked already exhausted and stressed out parents with their recent advisory about keeping babies in the same room at night, there’s some sensible counsel from New York Times columnists. Moms and dads need to strike a thoughtful balance between their nighttime needs and those of their infants, Aaron E. Carroll, a….
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3 hospitals strive for a caregiving rarity: allowing patients a good night’s sleep
It long has been a nightmare for patients. It also likely affects patients’ health, and how happy the public is with hospital care. So why do hospitals make it so difficult for the already sick to get a good night’s rest? Some hospitals in Connecticut, however, are blazing a trail for quiet, lights out, coordinated….
Continue ReadingLive long and prosper? It’s untrue for rural poor, especially white women
While the rich tend to live longer and generally prosper in their better health, the poor─and especially now less affluent whites and white women─ don’t fare nearly so well, new research says. And geography may be helpful to some of the poor in surprising ways. Major newspapers have been full of reports on death rates,….
Continue ReadingThe Connection Between Sleep and Heart Health
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Sleep is not an indulgence; the right amount is critical for your health. Yet another study confirms this truth by showing a link between insufficient sleep and a higher risk of heart disease. NPR analyzed research published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology indicating….
Continue ReadingSleep Less, Eat More
Being tired and grumpy the next day seems punishment enough for a lousy night’s sleep, but recent research indicates that chronic sleep disruption might have another unpleasant effect: It makes you overeat. The paper, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, analyzed how a crummy night’s sleep affected eating habits and other behaviors among both….
Continue ReadingFDA Cuts Lunesta Dose in Half
According to its manufacturer, 31 million prescriptions have been written for the sleep drug Lunesta, but its standard dose is dangerous, and the FDA is recommending that it be cut in half. Known generically as eszopiclone, the drug’s levels in some people may remain high enough the morning after they use it to impair alertness…..
Continue ReadingWhy You Should Avoid Sleeping Pills, and What to Do Instead
Everyone knows popping a pill to make you sleep is probably not a good idea for the long term, and for most people isn’t good even for an occasional bout of insomnia. Sleep-inducing medicine is powerful, dangerous and can be habit forming. And, according to The Conversation, a website devoted to the popular discussion of….
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