The Insomnia Blog - Sleep Doctor Michael Breus, PhD

The British Are Sleepless, Too

Americans aren’t the only ones complaining of poor sleep, no sleep, and abysmal bed partners. News just hit that the majority of Britons are losing ground on the war against insomnia, too. When more than 3,000 adults were quizzed about their sleeping habits in a survey commissioned by the shopping channel QVC, the results were, well, eye-opening. 

“Active Sleep” Is Not an Oxymoron

I still get amused by people who think sleep is a state of nothingness. Or that it’s a time when the body takes a much needed time-out. On some level, it’s true that sleep is a break from busy wakefulness for the body’s renewal processes, but there’s a lot going on up in the brain to make sleep far from a state of inactivity.

And there’s also a reason why youngsters sleep so much that has everything to do with development and high activity. In a recent study presented by the University of Pennsylvania, researchers reported on the value of sleep during early life when the brain is rapidly maturing and highly changeable:

Fit And Sleepless Can Equal Heart Attack

You can be an avid marathon runner, health food nut, gym rat, non-smoker, non-drinker, and even a relatively stress-free lean person but still suffer the consequences of getting less-than-adequate sleep in the form of a heart attack at a young age.

Just ask Ranjan Das’s family, who are still scratching their heads as to why he suffered a massive heart attack at the age of 42. He was a young and popular CEO in India and famously freakish about fitness. He seemed to do everything right but sleep—getting only 4 to 5 hours a night when he really needed more.

CBT Good for Sleep and Pain

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) just got another star for treating insomnia, especially for people who suffer from chronic neck or back pain.

The study, published online by the journal Sleep Medicine, indicates that CBT can help patients who already are taking medications for pain and might be reluctant or unable to take additional drugs to treat their sleep problems.

I’ve long believed in the power of CBT. Exactly what is it? The gist:

One Stop Shopping to Boost Your Memory: Take a Nap

It’s no surprise to me that another study confirms what I’ve long known to be true:  naps are magic bullets to dramatically boost and restore brain power.

Naps are exercise for the brain.

Here are the highlights from UC Berkeley’s recent findings:

Hope for SIDS Kids and Their Parents

Recently, a little bit of good news finally surfaced in the hunt for what causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): abnormal serotonin levels in the baby’s brain. 

This mysterious condition has long been a big black hole in scientific circles. Though rare, it’s one of the most common causes of death in babies between 1 and 12 months of age. Now, a group of Boston doctors has found a potential link between kids at risk for SIDS and low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which controls breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure during sleep. And too little serotonin could prevent a baby lying on its stomach from waking up to turn its head and breathe fresh air.

So what can you do if you worry about SIDS?

Hope for Children with Insomnia

Is there anything worse than a child who can’t get to sleep? Okay, maybe a relentlessly crying kid whose having a temper tantrum in public. But for parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who can’t fall asleep easily, there could be a new solution: melatonin.

A new study published recently analyzed reams of data on the efficacy and safety of melatonin for treating insomnia in children with ADHD and the authors indicate it can be a safe and helpful way to improve the falling-asleep process for these young insomniacs. Here is what they found:

• Melatonin is a hormone your body produces to help it regulate your sleep-wake cycles; it usually starts pumping out of your pineal gland after it has become dark outside and your body prepares for bedtime. When melatonin levels in the blood rise, you begin to feel less alert and sleep becomes more inviting.
• Children with ADHD usually have trouble falling asleep, which can have tremendous consequences to both their health and family life. Less sleep means a less-than-optimal refreshment of the brain and body during the night.
• Giving 3 to 6 mg of melatonin within a few hours of bedtime has been shown to help kids with ADHD overcome some of their insomnia and improve their sleep. “Kids” in most cases reviewed in the study meant 6 to 14 years of age.

But hold on: There were several things about this study that would make me not just jump on the bandwagon to try Melatonin in kids:

• Melatonin is a hormone, most kids produce plenty of Melatonin, it just might not be at the time of day when parents want them to go to sleep.
• We have no idea what Melatonin will do to kids over the long term.
• A dosage of 3-6mg is between 3 and 6 times the dose that is needed in adults - could this be an over dosage?

While this research is very important in our understanding of ADHD and sleep, I would not consider placing a child on Melatonin without working with both a sleep specialist and the child’s pediatrician. There’s a lot to be said for instilling good sleep hygiene habits in your kids early on. They should be adhering to a pretty strict routine every night that has them:

• Performing the same bedtime routine every night (winding down, getting ready for bed, brushing teeth, being read to or reading on their own, etc.).
• Going to bed at the same time 7 days a week.
• Avoiding stimulants within (at least!) an hour of bedtime. This includes electronics and digital media like the television, computer, and cell phone.

If your kids don’t currently keep a regular bedtime routine, start there. The best prescription for a good night’s sleep could be in your children’s habits—regardless of any other condition like ADHD. Besides, who wants their children to have trouble sleeping before they even reach the throes of those oft sleep-deprived teen years? They need all the sleep they can get.

Sweet Dreams,  

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

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