Troubled sleep is often seen as a personal problem, a failure individuals need to fix. However, literature and art can help us question the cultural and systemic issues keeping us up at night.
For over 20 years, I have researched and treated children sleep problems. The research suggests changing sleep patterns over the summer break does not have to be a problem.
Too much light and noise at night in cities makes us sleep less and, as a consequence, worsens our health. Here are some of the measures that local authorities should take to remedy this problem.
The hunt for sleep has become a global industry, with apps, drugs, self-help remedies. In a new book, author Marie Darrieussecq contemplates the curse of insomnia.
While a cup of joe or a brief nap during an all-nighter might help you feel a little more alert, it won’t offset cognitive impairments from sleep deprivation when you’re performing complex tasks.
Mary Breheny, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Rosie Gibson, Massey University
Self-help articles and books usually point to the things we can do personally to get a good night’s sleep. But the wider social and economic causes of insomnia deserve more attention.
Ancient humans chose to sleep less, which had evolutionary benefits. For modern humans, sleeping less is futile and detrimental, but fitness may be a powerful ally in today’s epidemic of sleep loss.
David Howell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
While high-profile concussions in the NFL have brought renewed attention to the gravity of head injuries, they can also occur on the playground or during junior varsity practices – with lasting effects.
Telling new parents to do mindfulness tasks with their five minutes of free time might not be realistic – but adding mindfulness to tasks you’re already doing is just a good use of time.
Supporting mothers’ and infants’ sleep can decrease the stressors of motherhood, improve maternal mood and mental health and promote better infant development.
New research shows overworked, sleep-deprived health-care professionals are less empathetic to their patient’s needs compared to when they are well-rested.
Kids may not be able to communicate when they’re sleepy, or perhaps can’t even identify this. Then there’s always the fear of missing out on things going on in the waking world.