This week in sleep news:
Daylight saving time starts on Sunday
Hoping to catch up on sleep this weekend? You’ll need to budget a little more time. This Sunday, March 12, 2023, we “spring forward,” losing an hour to kick off daylight saving time. Read our tips on how to stay well-rested despite losing an hour. Mattress Firm has additional recommendations for springing forward like a Sleep Expert®. Sunday also marks the start of Sleep Awareness Week, so look out for tips on how to get your best rest.
Trouble falling asleep linked to increased risk of dementia
A recent study has provided further evidence connecting sleep disturbances with cognitive impairment. The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found substantial correlations between three measures of sleep disturbance and the likelihood of developing dementia over the course of 10 years. The study found that people who experience sleep-initiation insomnia (the inability to fall asleep within 30 minutes) and use sleep medication may be at a heightened risk for developing dementia, while people with sleep-maintenance insomnia (difficulty going back to sleep after waking) were less likely to develop dementia.
More states look to push back start times
Nearly half of Florida’s public high schools currently start classes daily before 7:30 a.m. But several of the state’s lawmakers now believe that if students get a better night’s sleep, they’ll do better academically, which is why they’ve set in motion a bill to require later start times for middle and high schools, starting in 2026. While there is some pushback from those who say this could impact working families, the bill has garnered ample support and is making its way through the legislature.
Mobile devices distract adolescents from negative thoughts before sleep
If you can’t get your adolescent to put their phone down at night, there may be a silver lining. While using your phone before bed is a general no-no for sleep hygiene, a new study sheds light on how using them before bed may improve some teenagers’ mental health. Of the 631 adolescents surveyed, a majority of them used technology as a distraction from negative or distressing thoughts, with 23.6% answering “yes” and 38.4% “sometimes,” according to the study published in the journal Sleep Advances. On the flip side, the study revealed a higher tendency of app use among young people with existing sleep problems compared to those not reporting a sleep problem. This has led researchers to suggest finding other solutions to help teenagers fall asleep.
In sleep-centric social media...
Try it out! Adam and Melinda advocate for separate blankets and we can't help but agree. Having your own blanket can solve a lot of bed sharing woe's.
