Insomnia, Poor Sleep Quality Common for Men and Women During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, women and their male partners sometimes report insomnia or insufficient sleep, which may be tied to depression, according to a new study. Almost half of women reported that they slept more than usual during pregnancy, but did not have better quality sleep, said senior author Tiina Paunio of Helsinki University Hospital in Finland. Overall, 12 percent of women and 15 percent of men had either insomnia or too little sleep, researchers found. “The results are well in line with those obtained from previous studies for pregnant women: symptoms…

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Smartphone Use Near Bedtime May Lead to Poor Sleep

If you want to improve your sleep, better cut down on smartphone use near bedtime, suggests a new study that found longer average screen-time is associated with poor sleep quality and less sleep overall. Poor sleep is associated with health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and depression. “Exposure to smartphone screens, particularly around bedtime, may negatively impact sleep,” the study said. For the study, Matthew Christensen from the University of California – San Francisco, US, and colleagues sought to test the hypothesis that increased screen-time may be associated with poor…

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Men’s long working hours, short sleep may harm health in old age

Men’s long working hours, short sleep may harm health in old age (Getty Images) Working long hours and skimping on sleep in midlife may lead to poorer physical health in old age, according to a study from Finland. A quarter-century study of Finnish businessmen found those who worked more than 50 hours a week and slept less than 47 hours weekly when they were middle aged were in worse physical health as old men than peers who had healthier work and sleep habits when they were in their prime. “The…

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Lack of Sleep May Make You Eat More Calories

Sleep deprivation may make you munch on more calories the following day, potentially leading to weight gain and obesity, a new study has found. The study found that sleep-deprived people consumed an average of 385 kilo calories per day extra, which is equivalent to the calories of about four and a half slices of bread. The study, led by researchers at King’s College London, combined the results of 11 studies with a total of 172 participants. The analysis included studies that compared a partial sleep restriction intervention with an unrestricted…

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Increased Smartphone Use May Affect Sleep, Health of Kids

Does your child indulge in playing games or watching videos on a smartphone or tablet even during bedtime? Beware, he/she may be over double the risk of having inadequate sleep, which may lead to various health issues, a study has found. Sleep is an often undervalued but important part of children’s development, with a regular lack of sleep causing adverse physical and mental health consequences, including poor diet, sedative behaviour, obesity, reduced immunity, stunted growth and mental health issues, said the researchers from Cardiff University in Britain. Currently 72 per…

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Screen Time, Phone use Linked to Less Sleep for Teens

Digital distractions, and a more classical one, talking on the phone, are linked to shorter sleeping time and greater daytime sleepiness for teens, Canadian researchers say. “Today’s adolescents sleep much less than previous generations, their sleep quality is poorer, and they report more daytime sleepiness, all of which have health and social consequences,” said Jennifer O’Loughlin, an author of the paper in the journal Sleep Health and researcher at the University of Montreal. At the same time, electronic media are becoming a larger part of teen’s lives and are often…

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