This week in sleep news:
REM sleep behavior disorder associated with worse cognition in Parkinson’s disease
Data recently published in Parkinsonism & Related Disorders showed that cognitive function is reduced in groups at higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, especially those with REM-sleep behavior disorder. In the study cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in 208 participants, 25 of which had REM-sleep behavior disorder. The study found that people with increased risk scores for Parkinson’s disease show reduced cognitive function, with a particularly high rate of cognitive impairment in patients with REM-sleep behavior disorder, especially in the areas of attention and memory.
Link found between chronic pain and overactive neurons during sleep
A team of neuroscientists at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine has found a link between chronic pain and overactive pyramidal neurons (neurons that when found in the prefrontal cortex are linked to cognitive ability) during sleep periods. In their study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the group conducted experiments with injured mice experiencing chronic pain. Researchers observed that pyramidal neurons in the part of the cerebral cortex responsible for sensation processing in the skin became more active. Over the course of several weeks, the activity increased, peaking during non-REM sleep. Scientists hope to further study this link in other mammals and eventually humans.
Sleep app is improving teen mental health
Between school, jobs, and a social life, teens tend to not get the sleep they need, which then negatively impacts their mental health. A new app aimed at 12- to 16-year-olds is showing strong early results of improving sleep as well as reducing depression and anxiety. Sleep Ninja is a free app created by mental health research organization Black Dog Institute that has shown significant early results in improving teenagers’ sleep patterns. The app works by the user putting in the time they would like to be up in the morning and then working backward. Sleep Ninja gives users an alert to start their pre-bedtime rituals about an hour before bed. The goal of the app is to give teens an established sleep routine.
In sleep-centric social media...
While we all try our best to resist revenge bedtime procrastination sometimes it gets the best of us.
