New Atlas

Medical Audio available

Harvard scientists uncover how poor sleep leads to cardiovascular disease

Michael Irving March 19, 2019

The main risk factors for heart disease are lifestyle choices like a bad diet, smoking, lack of exercise – and poor sleep. That last point has gone relatively unstudied, but new research out of Harvard has found the chemical chain reaction that links disrupted sleep and cardiovascular disease.

Harvard researchers have uncovered the chemical chain reaction that links a lack of sleep to cardiovascular ...

Science

Revolutions: The science of sleep

Rich Haridy March 10, 2019

Revolutions is a series that brings together a hand-picked selection of recent articles canvassing cutting-edge insights into major scientific advances. This rundown brings you up to date with the ground-breaking new discoveries made in the science of sleep.

Using zebrafish as a model scientists have discovered repairing DNA damage in neurons may be one ...

Science Audio available

Novel mechanism explains how sleep repairs damaged DNA in the brain

Rich Haridy March 5, 2019

A team from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has uncovered a previously unknown function of sleep that may explain why the behavior is so fundamental to all complex organisms with a brain.

Science Audio available

New evidence bolsters link between sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease

Rich Haridy March 3, 2019

A new study reveals a connection between sleep apnea and increased levels of a toxic brain protein commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease, bolstering the growing body of evidence linking sleep problems with the onset of neurodegenerative conditions.

A new study has found subjects suffering from sleep apnea display higher levels of tau in ...

Science Audio available

Deep sleep may be crucial in clearing toxic Alzheimer’s proteins from the brain

Rich Haridy February 28, 2019

For the first time scientists have demonstrated how the brain washes away toxic proteins during a specific phase of deep sleep. The study builds on a growing body of evidence suggesting chronic sleep disruption could play a role in the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

For the first time scientists have shown a particular deep sleep phase is fundamental to activating ...

Science

Two massive genetic studies home in on the origins of insomnia

Rich Haridy February 25, 2019

Two massive new studies have homed in on the genetic foundations of insomnia. The rigorous analyses reveal novel links between insomnia and certain brain regions, while paving the way for personalized treatments.

The research examined over a million people finding hundreds of genes that could be associated with ...

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Sleep study finds pros and cons to afternoon nap for teenage brain health

Rich Haridy February 24, 2019

New research has revealed that a short night sleep with an afternoon nap is better for a teenager's mood and cognition than a longer, continuous night’s sleep. On the other hand, the split sleep students reported higher glucose levels, a marker that points to increased diabetes risk.

The study found 5 hours sleep plus a 90 minute afternoon nap was better for a ...

Automotive

Ford's "Lane-Keeping Bed" keeps sleep partners in their own lane

Aaron Turpen February 13, 2019

Based on the automaker's lane-keeping assist systems for cars, Ford's Lane-Keeping Bed was engineered to keep partners together in bed, with everyone sharing. We can't vouch for its comfort as a mattress, but it apparently does keep bed hogs in their place.

The Lane-Keeping Bed utilizes technologies derived from Ford's lane-keeping assist systems on automobiles

Science Audio available

Brain imaging reveals how sleep deprivation makes pain feel worse

Rich Haridy January 28, 2019

A new study has homed in on the relationship between sleep and pain using brain imaging to identify the differences in neural activity while processing pain. The results revealed sleep deprivation seems to block the parts of the brain that release natural analgesics in relation to pain sensitivity.

Sleep deprivation seems to block the parts of the brain that release natural analgesics in relation ...

Medical Audio available

More evidence lack of sleep drives Alzheimer's progression

Rich Haridy January 24, 2019

A new study has revealed further evidence into how sleep deprivation can drive the spread of toxic Alzheimer’s-inducing proteins throughout the brain. The study bolsters the growing hypothesis suggesting sleep disruption plays a major role in the progression of neurodegenerative disease.

A new study solidifies the link between sleep disruption and an increase in the toxic proteins ...