New Atlas

Science Audio available

Oxford study finds screen time doesn't disrupt children's sleep

Rich Haridy November 7, 2018

Perhaps one of the biggest dilemmas faced by parents in the 21st century is how much screen time their child should be allowed. A new study from the University of Oxford may set some parent’s minds at ease, finding screen time has little to no effect on the duration of a child’s sleep.

Children

Sleepytroll automatically rocks the cradle

Ben Coxworth November 7, 2018

For parents who don't wish to repeatedly rock their fussing infant back to sleep, there's already a sensor-equipped baby bed that does the job for them. Sleepytroll, however, takes a different approach – it gets attached to existing strollers or beds, rocking them when it detects a waking baby.

Because it can be used outdoors on strollers, Sleepytroll is water-resistant

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Not sleeping enough? You may be dehydrated

Rich Haridy November 6, 2018

A study has revealed a new reason why getting less than eight hours of sleep a night could be damaging to our health. The research found adults who only got around six hours of sleep per night were more likely to be dehydrated, and the cause could be a particular hydration-regulating hormone.

New research suggests sleeping six hours a night may lower the release of a hormone that ...

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Too much sleep is just as bad for your brain as too little, concludes world’s largest sleep study

Rich Haridy October 10, 2018

The first results from the world’s largest sleep study conclude that between seven and eight hours of sleep is the ideal range for optimal cognitive performance. The study also revealed that too much sleep correlated with similar cognitive deficits associated with too little sleep.

Between seven and eight hours of sleep is the ideal duration for optimal cognitive performance according ...

Science

How a day-time nap helps you process unconscious information

Rich Haridy October 7, 2018

New research has found short naps can help a person process information they were not even consciously aware of perceiving. The study adds weight to prior work finding sleep improves a person’s problem solving abilities, suggesting a nap helps one process unconscious information.

A new study suggests naps can help us process information we may not consciously perceive

Science

Simple blood test could detect drowsy drivers

Ben Coxworth September 24, 2018

It's no secret that not getting enough sleep can cause a person to be a drowsy, dangerous driver. What's difficult, however, is being able to objectively determine whether or not a driver IS sleep-deprived. Soon, a blood test could provide the answer.

The test measures changes in the expression levels of 68 genes

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

The molecular changes caused by sleep loss, and how that leads to weight gain

Rich Haridy August 23, 2018

A number of observational studies have suggested that sleep loss or disrupted circadian rhythms are associated with obesity, diabetes and other dysfunctional metabolic conditions. A study is now offering evidence that helps explain how tissue-level molecular changes are brought on by sleep loss.

A new study has for the first time has revealed tissue-specific changes that can occur in ...

Health & Wellbeing

Researchers discover novel brain mechanism connecting depression with bad sleep

Rich Haridy July 25, 2018

Major depression and sleep problems are fundamentally interlinked. A new study from a team of international researchers has now found a unique neurological mechanism that underlies this association offering new insights into how we can understand and hopefully treat major depression.

Increased activity between three different brain regions is suspected as the neural mechanism behind bad sleep ...

Biology

Activating "grandmother neurons" could reset body clock

Michael Irving July 13, 2018

Researchers at Washington University in St Louis have isolated a small cluster of “grandmother” neurons that tell the rest of the brain when to go to bed, and found that stimulating those could help combat jet lag.

Researchers have found that activating "grandmother" neurons can help reset the body's natural clock

Wearables

Noise-masking Bose Sleepbuds now available to the restless public

Michael Irving June 20, 2018

If you missed out on a pair of Bose’s noise-masking Sleepbuds during the Indiegogo campaign last November, the company has now made them available to the public. They're designed to sit comfortably in your ears all night, masking traffic noise or snoring partners with relaxing natural sounds.

The noise-masking Bose Sleepbuds are now available to the public