It’s that time of year again… CBS’s hit reality competition show Survivor is back for its 47th season. The first episode of the new season premiered on September 18th, so you might already be wondering just what it’s like for people who are competing on Survivor. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Survivor, the premise is pretty simple: anywhere from 16 to 20 contestants are stranded on a remote island and they must compete in physical, mental, and social challenges to have a shot at winning a $1 million prize. However, contestants have to complete these challenges while living in the jungle. That means for about one whole month, players are eating and sleeping outdoors. 

Former Survivor contestants have given interviews over the years about what it’s really like to compete on the reality show, including what Survivor’s sleeping setups are like for contestants. Spoiler alert: it’s not great. 

So, if you’re curious about what the sleeping conditions on Survivor are like according to former players, keep reading. 

So…Do Survivor Contestants Really Sleep Outside? 

The short answer is, yes, as far as we know. The contestants really do sleep outside while they are actively competing on the show. However, given the amount of first-hand accounts about what sleeping while playing Survivor is like, it’s pretty safe to assume that people are really sleeping outside during their stint on the game. (1)

We do know where players wind up sleeping after they are voted off of the show. As soon as you’re voted off of Survivor you go to a resort local to wherever the show is filming called Ponderosa. According to People Magazine’s interview with host of the show, Jeff Probst, Ponderosa is a pretty significant change of pace from the conditions players experience while actively competing on Survivor. Jeff revealed that at Ponderosa contestants can “eat whatever they want, whenever they want. They can shower, sleep as late as they want, watch movies, read books.” Which is pretty much everything that they cannot do while competing on the show. (2)

What’s It Like To Sleep On Survivor? 

According to most player interviews, Survivor doesn’t lend to the greatest sleeping experience. Davie Rickenbacker, who played on Survivor: David vs. Goliath, or season 37 of the show, told  Business Insider that it was hard to get a solid night of rest since contestants have to make their own shelters, and it’s pretty difficult to make a quality shelter that can accommodate everyone in your tribe. (1)

In a separate interview with Business Insider, Rickenbacker shared that sleeping does get easier once more people begin to be voted off of the show, since you have a bit more room to sleep. However, Rickenbacker said that he wound up finding a tiki prop that could double as a more comfortable sleeping surface, and that helped him get a bit of better rest. But, the rest of his tribe wanted in on his sleeping hack. (3)

Additionally, Elaine Stott who competed on Survivor: Island of the Idols, or season 39 told Business Insider that “The sleeping arrangements are a lot harder than what you would imagine,” and Stott went on to say pretty frankly that, “it’s miserable.” (1)

How Does The Lack Of Sleep Affect People On Survivor? 

Karishma Patel, who also competed on Survivor: Island of the Idols (season 39) told Business Insider about the mental toll that the lack of sleep took on her while she was playing Survivor. She said “You are so tired after tribal and all you’re supposed to be doing is talking to rehash what just happened, and all my a– ever wanted to do is just go to sleep,” adding that “I would be so exhausted.” (3) 

Jess Chong, who competed on season 46, revealed to Self that she was so sleep deprived that she sprayed herself in the face with bug spray (contestants are allowed bug spray for health and safety purposes).  (4)

‘Love is Blind’ Contestants Claim the Show Led to Sleep Deprivation

Love is Blind was an instant hit when it first premiered in February 2020, a social experiment to understand if you can find love without physically seeing the other person. Unfortunately, the road …

Read More

Here’s Why Jimmy Fallon Is the Latest Celebrity to Take Up Mouth Taping, Despite Experts’ Warnings

Mouth taping has not stopped taking the world by storm. While this trend first found its way into the zeitgeist on social media, with influencers showing themselves mouth taping and singing its praises.  …

Read More

How Much Sleep Did the ‘Love Island’ Contestants Get? They’re Speaking Up on TikTok

Summer’s hit reality show, Love Island, just wrapped up and the stars of the show are finally getting real about what it’s really like to sleep in the villa. Even though the show …

Read More

10 Celebrity Sleep Tips and Tricks For a Better, More Restorative Night’s Sleep

Sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being, and not getting enough can affect everything from our blood pressure, to our immune responses, to our cognitive performance and mood. And when sleep is …

Read More

The post Here’s What It’s Really Like to Sleep On ”Survivor,” According to Former Contestants appeared first on Sleepopolis.

More than 137,000 beds have been recalled by the CPSC as of September 19, 2024, amidst reports that they can break or collapse during use, causing injury. (1) The Lucid Platform Beds with tufted headboards in twin, full, queen, king, and Cal-king are part of the recall in the United States. Additionally, 890 of the beds were sold in Canada. The recall shares reports of 245 beds breaking, sagging or collapsing while in use. A total of 18 injuries, including contusions and bruises, have been reported in the United States and 11 injuries have been reported in Canada.

The platform beds were imported from Malaysia by CVB Inc. out of Utah. They were sold online at various stores, including Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, JCPenney, Menards, Macy’s, Overstock, QVC, Sears, Target, Belk, Wayfair, Lowes, and Walmart between September 2019 and April 2024. They were also available in stores nationwide, with the average cost of the bed ranging from $150 to $250.

Consumers are asked to stop using the beds and contact Lucid for a free replacement. To be eligible for the bed frame replacement, consumers need to write the word “recalled” with a permanent marker on the support rails of the bed, and send a photo of the bed and support rails to recall@lucidmattress.com. Consumers can also contact Lucid toll-free at 888-910-0235 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Monday through Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST with any questions. An online recall form is also available to complete the replacement process.

Previously, Lucid and CVB Inc. faced a recall in 2019 for 86,000 of its Lucid Folding Mattress Sofas, which were a fire hazard after they failed to meet the mandatory flammability standards for mattresses. Lucid’s recall joins other bed and bed accessory-related devices, such as 1.5 million recalled bed rails in June, and Avocado’s recall of 55,000 mattress pads after concerns they were a fire hazard in August. Consumers should remain aware and follow recent recalls, especially involving bed-related products by following the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s timely reports, and Sleepopolis’ database on recalled sleep products. Then, you’ll be able to rest easy.

The post More Than 137,000 Beds Have Been Recalled, Due to Breaking and Collapsing: Here’s What to Know appeared first on Sleepopolis.

This week wraps up the annual American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM’s) Student Sleep Health Week. This year, much of the conversation revolved around their recent survey of over 2,000 adults, digging into the most pressing issues regarding students, sleep, and health across the country. (1) They had a simple, yet complicated question — “Which of the following are negatively impacted when your child does not get enough sleep?

Their responses included:

• Mood: 58 percent
• Attitude: 49 percent
• Behavior: 49 percent
• Physical Energy: 44 percent
• Academic Performance: 30 percent

Dr. Rakesh Bhattacherjee, section chief of pediatric sleep medicine at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and AASM spokesperson, shares that this adds to continued concerns about kids’ sleep and their physical and mental health. (2)

“According to the CDC, between 25-50 percent of children aged 4 months to 14 years do not get enough sleep. This issue is even more pronounced in middle and high school students, where 57.8 percent and 72.7 percent, respectively, experience insufficient sleep,” he says. “The causes of inadequate sleep are multifactorial, ranging from poor sleep hygiene to broader public health factors such as early school start times. In addition to the widespread issue of insufficient sleep, an estimated 10-30 percent of children may have undiagnosed sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea, which require medical attention.”

He says given what we already know about the well-documented impact on health, mental health, and academics, “these statistics are alarming.” He also shares that as we take steps forward to improve this issue for kids, there are ways that it’s also worsening.

“Public health initiatives have acknowledged the importance of addressing school start times as a key intervention to improve sleep in middle and high school students. In 2019, California took a significant step by passing legislation to delay school start times, potentially allowing students more sleep. While this policy has not been adopted nationwide, it represents an important initial effort in promoting better sleep health among children,” he says.

Namely, sleep hygiene continues to be “inadequately addressed,” he shares. Children are putting themselves to bed using screens, exposing them to blue light, disrupting their melatonin production, and therefore delaying their circadian rhythms. This routine makes it hard to fall asleep. He adds that the widespread use of melatonin — around 20 percent in preteens in the past 30 days — is further evidence they are struggling to fall asleep. (3)

“Social media usage is also linked to mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, which can further disrupt sleep. Compounding the problem, many children and adolescents consume caffeine, exacerbating their sleep difficulties,” he says.

The new research from student week echoes previous studies, such as the significant role of screen time before bed. A shocking 89 percent of people share they use screens for most or all nights before bed.  

When he was part of discussions about delaying school time in San Diego, he remembers students expressing feeling tired and sleepy due to early wake ups and not getting enough sleep. He’s encouraged by students’ interest in sleep health, though.

Students, parents, and the general public who want to support better sleep and therefore better help for kids, can take the following actions:  

• Become more educated about the social, academic, and financial pressures facing teens to be more aware of the widespread issue.
• Advocate for your local, state, and federal governments to be a part of pushing back school start times to accommodate students’ natural sleep rhythms
• Students can work to have better sleep hygiene, eliminating screens and caffeine a few hours before bed, and engaging in calming activities, in addition to a consistent bedtime
• Reach out to healthcare providers about your concerns, and be persistent about finding a provider who listens intently and can help

Bhattacherjee adds, “Given that sleep is a fundamental part of life, it is especially important for students to receive comprehensive, accurate information about their sleep health. This knowledge is crucial in addressing the widespread issue of insufficient sleep, which continues to affect the majority of students.”

The post ”These Statistics Are Alarming:” Expert’s Warning About Gen Alpha’s Sleep Struggles appeared first on Sleepopolis.

November 3, 2024, marks the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and back to Standard Time (ST) for this year. And while most people take the “fallback” in stride, thinking that means an extra hour of sleep, that may not be quite the case. The truth is, even if its effects only last for a day or two, the end of Daylight Saving Time can mess with your circadian rhythm, and ultimately, your forty winks.  

Remember that circadian rhythms are not only impacted by external and environmental factors, but they’re also strongly influenced by light. So, when the biannual transitions into and out of DST alter the timing of our exposure to natural light, it’s easy to see where the problem lies.  

According to Jay Olson, a Postdoctoral Scholar at McGill University who studies sleep and circadian rhythms, “Transitions to and from DST have effects similar to minor jet lag on a population scale. It’s like crossing one time zone, for example, flying from New York to Chicago. Most people won’t feel much (if any) jet lag.” 

Olson goes on to say that while springing forward has a more profound effect on our sleep, falling back, while its effects may be minimal, is still on the hook. “The transition from ST to DST (in the spring) usually causes the most issues: people must wake up an hour earlier, which has been associated with a range of issues from car accidents to workplace injuries,” says Olson. “In the transition from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time, people gain an hour of sleep; after the change, we’ll feel sleepy earlier (by the clock time).” 

Daylight Saving Time And Your Circadian Rhythm

The transitions into and out of DST end up changing the timing of our exposure to natural light, which contributes to “misalignment between the circadian biological clock and the light/dark cycle,” according to a position statement from The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). 

Moreover, the AASM notes (and points to research that shows) that body clocks may not fully adjust to DST even after several months. That could lead to a “permanent phase delay” and, in turn, “a perpetual discrepancy between the innate biological clock and the extrinsic environmental clock, as well as chronic sleep loss.” The statement also goes on to point out that this misalignment doesn’t just result in personal disruptions but “significant public health and safety risks.”

No doubt this is why the AASM has voiced its opposition to proposed legislation for a permanent daylight saving time. While they are all for eliminating the biannual time change, they argue the fixed time should be in Standard Time, not DST. 

They’re not alone: Sleepopolis’ director of sleep health, Dr. Shelby Harris, agrees, noting that even if we get more daylight as we fall back, that’s not how human beings are wired. “It’s meant to be darker at night and to have the light help alert us in the morning,” she adds. 

Likewise, Olson notes the real problem with switching to and from DST each year is the small but population-level circadian misalignment (improperly timed sleep and wake cycles), which has a range of negative consequences. Short-term consequences of circadian misalignment include decreased sleep efficiency, daytime sleepiness, and impaired cognitive performance. Over the long term, as in the case of shift workers, circadian misalignment can lead to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. 

Tips To Help You Prepare For The Time Change

Olson notes that the effects of turning the clocks back are typically short-lived; more often than not, “people can typically adjust to a single hour change in a day,” says Olson. “However, people who are ‘early birds’ — those who find it easy to wake up and feel most alert in the morning — may have a bit more trouble adjusting and may take an extra day,” he adds. 

If you typically falter when you fall back, the following tips may help. 

Try A Gradual Lead In 

To mitigate the effects of falling back this fall, Olson suggests staying up slightly later (by around half an hour) the night before changing the clock to help ease the transition. (And if you need help figuring out exactly what time you should be in bed by, check out our Sleepytime calculator.)

Don’t Overload Your Calendar

Knowing your sleep schedule may be a bit off, you may want to keep your calendar light and plan accordingly when it’s time to fall back. For example, Olson suggests planning events the night after the change with the knowledge that you might feel tired earlier than usual. 

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene 

When you’re having trouble sleeping, you might think about tightening up on your sleep hygiene. This means maintaining a consistent and healthy sleep and wake routine — no matter how tired you feel in the early evening and sticking to your bedtime routine. 

Give Yourself A Boost — Naturally

While it may be tempting to grab an extra cup of coffee to get over the hump, try boosting your energy levels naturally. Remember, you’ll probably feel tired earlier, so when that happens, skip the cup of joe, grab your walking shoes, and go for a brisk 30-minute walk instead.  

Take Advantage Of The Sunlight

Remember that natural light is key to keeping our circadian rhythm in balance, so try to get out during the day and enjoy the sunlight. Natural light suppresses melatonin production, so if you’re feeling sleepy during the day, a little time outdoors might keep the sandman at bay until your normal bedtime comes around. 

The Last Word From Sleepopolis 

Whether we like it or not, most of us in the U.S. have to deal with yearly time changes. While daylight saving time has its advantages, the transition back to standard time can disrupt sleep and take a toll on our health. Understanding and preparing ahead can allow individuals to minimize that disruption and adapt more smoothly to the new schedule.

The post Daylight Saving Time Is About To End: Here’s What To Expect With Your Sleep appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Traveling with babies is pretty challenging for parents. Your baby’s routine gets disrupted by the travel, you might be taking long flights or driving long distances, and you have to pack all of your baby’s essentials to bring with you on the road. On top of this, you need your baby to sleep, and sleep well while you’re traveling. 

Some parents turn to portable sound machines, fancy portable sleep arrangements like bassinets or pack n’ plays, but regardless of what you bring, all you want is for your baby to get the sleep that they need, even if it means resorting to some more unconventional set ups. 

Recently, one mom influencer has caught some heat from viewers online after she let her 5-month-old son sleep in the bathroom while they were on vacation. People Magazine caught up with the influencer, named Chloe Molina, to talk about her recent controversy. (1)

Read on to find out everything you’ll want to know about Chloe’s unique sleeping accommodation for her son while they’re on vacation. 

Why Does This Mom Influencer Let Her Baby Sleep In The Shower? 

According to Chloe’s interview, she started letting her baby sleep in the shower after her son Ezra was up for most of the night while his crib was stationed next to his parent’s bed. Chloe told People that “They know if you’re two feet away from them so they’re going to constantly wake up and see you sleeping right next to them and want milk.”

Chloe told People that she took inspiration from her sister-in-law, and since her and her husband’s vacation rental was quite small, the only space she had available to set up his crib was in the shower. (1)

Did Letting the Baby Sleep In The Shower Work? 

The short answer is yes. Chloe told People that her son “slept through the whole night.” Additionally, Chloe made it clear that they only use the bathroom as Ezra’s temporary bedroom when the family travels, which she says has been four times to date. If Chloe or her husband needs to get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, then they pull the shower curtain closed, use the restroom, and then open up the curtain once they’re done.  (1)

Chloe went on to say that they sometimes even let Ezra sleep in a closet when family is visiting. 

What Were Reactions to This Influencer Mom Letting Her Baby Sleep In The Shower? 

People on TikTok had some pretty negative reactions, with most people having concerns about the shower turning on while the baby is there, and the effect of air-based contaminants (fecal matter, harsh cleaning materials, and mold) on the baby. 

One commenter wrote, “My babies sleep in my room so they can smell me and hear me and know I’m there. Just such a different mindset to prioritize restful sleep over comfort and security.” Another said, “Not my baby, most showers have mold.” (2) 

Ultimately Chole told People Magazine, “I don’t really live in that parenting fear mindset in the first place… We don’t sit and live in fear. My takeaway is you have to do whatever you feel is best.” Her reasoning for sharing the video in the first place was to give other parents some hope, and to inspire them to feel like they can travel with their children. (1)

So…Is Letting a Baby Sleep in the Shower Safe? 

At Sleepopolis, we recommend following established guidelines for safe sleep. This means ensuring that whatever product your infant is sleeping in (crib, bassinet, ect) meets federal safety standards. Additionally, you should follow the ABC’s of infant sleep, which means that your infant is sleeping alone, on their back, and in their crib. 

Theoretically, as long as you are practicing safe sleep guidelines, it should be safe to let your infant sleep in a bathroom or another separate room. However, what works for Chloe’s family might not work for yours, and if you have any concerns about your infant’s sleeping arrangement, you should consult your pediatrician.

The post This Influencer Mom Is Under Fire For Letting Her Baby Sleep in the Shower — Here’s Why appeared first on Sleepopolis.

We all know we should do it. Many of us know the extensive benefits, from cardiovascular health to strong muscles and bones. But for those with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), exercise is more than just a lifestyle change — it’s a significant aspect of a holistic treatment plan.

A recent study has found that exercise, specifically resistance and aerobic training, is beneficial in the treatment of those with OSA – even those currently using a CPAP. (1) The study found that of the 526 patients observed, exercise reduced the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and improved peak oxygen consumption. The study also revealed that adding resistance training to exercise further lowered AHI and improved oxygen. Additionally, the results were consistent no matter what the patient’s BMI was. That means that exercise is universally helpful to most OSA patients, even if they were starting treatment significantly overweight, or not.

This research adds to a growing body of studies that help patients and doctors understand the full implications and treatments for OSA. A 2023 study found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improved the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). (2) A 2022 study found that resistance training improved the apnea-hypopnea index for patients with OSA currently going through cardiac rehab. (3) All that is to say, those with OSA can benefit both from getting their heart rate up and also from strength training with weights, with doctor approval of course.

But for some with OSA, it isn’t as easy as just hitting the gym and then getting better. OSA treatment plans rely heavily on interventions such as CPAP machines during sleep, though some use mandibular devices to project the jaw forward a bit, and others are able to use surgery to improve. However, with each of these, doctors are likely to recommend lifestyle changes from great sleep hygiene to weight loss measures, when applicable.

Childhood obesity is also a growing problem contributing to teens and then adults with higher rates of OSA. It can also be a major warning sign for developing OSA later on in life. Kids can also develop OSA, with common culprits like narrow jaws and high palates at play, or small mouth, large tonsils, a large tongue, tongue and lip ties, and other risk factors. Sometimes, experts say that children with OSA are misdiagnosed with having ADHD.

Luckily, people of all ages can increase their daily movement simply by adding in short walks throughout the day. Kids can also engage in more outside play, after-school sports or activities that involve movement, and family activities such as bike rides or hikes.

In addition to potentially improving OSA symptoms, exercise has benefits for mental health as well, such as reducing daily stress and anxiety, and even helping your mind shut off at night to get high-quality sleep. 

The post If You Have Sleep Apnea, Certain Kinds of Exercise Are More Than Just ”Good for You” appeared first on Sleepopolis.

So, you’re doing everything right to lose weight: meticulously counting calories and hitting the gym. Yet the scale won’t budge! Certain health conditions, genes, and even side effects of medications could be part of the problem. (5) But here’s something you might not have considered: your sleep habits could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Sleep and weight loss are closely connected, and the impact might be more significant than you think. (6)(7) For example, regularly sleeping six hours or less per night is linked to a higher body mass index (BMI). (2) Poor sleep can mess with your metabolism, certain hormones, and can lead to weight gain over time. (2) If you’ve been giving it your all without seeing the weight loss results you expected, it might be time to rethink your sleep routine. 

Note: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn’t take the place of medical advice and supervision from a trained professional. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see your healthcare provider immediately. 

The Relationship Between Sleep and Weight Loss 

Getting enough sleep isn’t only about feeling rested; it can be an important part of your weight loss journey. With 2.5 billion people worldwide facing excess weight or obesity and somewhere between 10-40 percent of adults having trouble sleeping, scientists have started to take a closer look at how sleep can affect weight loss. (1)(8)

Research is ongoing, but what we know so far is that there’s a connection between sleep and weight loss: getting good and sufficient sleep is tied to better weight loss outcomes, while not sleeping enough is linked to a higher likelihood of weight gain. (2) 

Sleep can impact your hormone levels, metabolism, and appetite, all of which play a role in weight management. Plus, there’s a connection between sleep deprivation and serious medical conditions like diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, sleep apnea, anxiety, and depression. (2) Stick around; we unpack it all below.

Sleep and Hormones

Ever noticed how you crave more food after a late night? You can thank some of your hormones for that! Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” makes you feel hungry, while leptin, the “satiety hormone,” tells you when you’re full. (9)(10) 

It turns out sleep plays a major role in regulating these hormones. When you don’t get enough sleep, levels of your hunger hormone go up while those feel-full hormone levels decrease, creating the perfect recipe for overeating, Chester Wu, M.D., a physician board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine, tells Sleepopolis. (11) Research shows as much: a study found that people who slept less than eight hours a night had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin. According to the researchers, this hormone shift might lead to increased appetite and contribute to a higher BMI. (12) 

Insulin is another piece of the sleep and hormones puzzle. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body absorb and store glucose (sugar) for energy. (13) Sometimes, your body doesn’t respond to insulin well, making it harder for glucose to enter the cells, which forces your pancreas to make more insulin — this is called insulin resistance. (14) 

Research shows that not getting enough sleep may be linked to higher insulin resistance. (15) And (yep, you guessed it!), there’s a connection between insulin resistance and weight gain and obesity. (16) High insulin resistance can cause your glucose levels to rise, which can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, lead to body fat storage, and make weight loss more difficult. (17)

But the hormonal story doesn’t end there. “When you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels increase,” Wu says. Cortisol is called the “stress hormone” because it’s released when you’re stressed, but it also helps with metabolism, inflammation, and blood sugar control. (18) Even one night of sleep deprivation can raise cortisol levels. In one older study, researchers found that cortisol levels were higher after one night of sleep deprivation during various points of the day, especially in the morning, compared to a typical 16-hour day of being awake. The participants also reported feeling more stress during the day following a night of sleep deprivation than they were after a 16-hour typical day. (19) When cortisol levels spike, your body might start hanging on to fat, especially around the belly. (20)

Sleep and Metabolism 

Metabolism is not just a weight loss buzzword. It’s the process by which your body converts food and drinks into energy. Energy fuels everything from breathing to thinking to exercising. When people talk about having a “fast” or “slow” metabolism, they’re referring to how quickly their body burns calories. (21)

Sleep is an important factor in regulating your metabolism. (22) But surprisingly, during a normal night’s sleep, older research suggests that your body’s metabolic rate — the speed at which you burn calories — actually slows down by about 15 percent. (22) This means sleep doesn’t actually speed up your metabolism. Seems unusual for weight loss, right? But it’s actually part of your body’s nightly maintenance routine, which allows for repair and recovery. (23)(24) It’s all part of the complex relationship between sleep and metabolism that contributes to your overall health and weight management.

When you’re sleep-deprived, this finely tuned system can go haywire. “Sleep deprivation can affect your metabolic rate, and fatigue from poor sleep can result in lower levels of exercise and physical activity, which can be an important component of weight loss,” Wu notes. 

Research shows that even short periods of sleep deprivation can significantly disrupt your metabolism. In a small, older study, sleeping just four hours a night for six nights reduced the body’s ability to remove glucose from the blood by 40 percent and decreased its response to insulin. (25) A more recent study showed that sleeping only five hours a night for four nights changed how the body metabolizes (breaks down) fats. Sleep-deprived participants also had higher insulin levels before and after meals and felt less full after eating. (26)

These changes can slow down how your body burns calories and uses energy, which might make losing weight harder. And it’s not just about the number on the scale. Consistently skimping on sleep can increase your risk of developing heart problems and metabolic disorders. (26)

Sleep and Appetite

So, sleep (or the lack of it) can mess with your hormones and throw your metabolism for a loop. But there’s more to it. Remember those hormones we talked about earlier — ghrelin and leptin — and how they control hunger and fullness? Well, when you don’t get enough sleep, your brain struggles more when it comes to making food choices. (27) Plus, there’s a connection between being short on sleep and eating more, especially fatty and sugary foods, which can lead to weight gain and a higher BMI. (2)

Sleep deprivation can cause the parts of your brain responsible for thoughtful food choices to take a nap. (27) At the same time, it increases your cravings for rewarding foods. This means you might find it harder to resist those tempting, calorie-dense foods when you’re sleep-deprived.

“When we don’t get enough sleep, cravings for carbohydrates and sugary foods, as well as foods containing higher levels of sodium and fat, can increase,” Eliza Whitaker MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and medical nutrition advisor at Dietitian Insights tells Sleepopolis. 

Why does this happen? Your body craves quick energy to make up for the lack of rest, and carbohydrates and high-sugar foods provide just that. (28) They’re quickly broken down into glucose, giving you a rapid (but short-lived) energy boost, Whitaker adds. This might explain why you might be eyeing that donut or bag of chips when you’re sleep-deprived. Plus, you might find yourself snacking more at night and reaching less often for healthier options like fruits and vegetables. (2)

The problem is, Whitaker says, these cravings can lead to snacking when you’re not actually hungry or choosing meals that aren’t balanced. (27) These foods often don’t keep you full for long, which can lead to even more snacking. On top of that, high-sodium, high-fat foods tend to be higher in calories, especially if they’re pre-packaged. (29)(30) All of this can make weight loss harder over time if you’re consistently short on sleep.

Sleep Disorders and Their Impact on Weight 

Just like a few nights of sleep deprivation can throw a wrench in your weight loss efforts, chronic sleep disorders can have an even bigger impact. In addition to affecting your sleep quality, sleep apnea and insomnia are prime examples of conditions that can sabotage your journey to a healthier weight. Let’s take a look at some sleep disorders and their impact on weight loss.

Sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea. It repeatedly interrupts your breathing during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and a host of other issues. (31)

This condition can also set off a chain reaction that can affect your weight. (32) According to Wu, “OSA disrupts sleep, leading to fatigue and reduced physical activity, which may contribute to weight gain.” Besides that, with each 10 percent increase in body weight, the risk of developing OSA increases by six times. (33) It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation when it comes to weight loss and sleep apnea, where extra weight can increase your risk of OSA, and having OSA can contribute to weight gain. (34)

Not to mention that OSA can throw your appetite-regulating hormones (hello, leptin and ghrelin again!) out of balance, Wu says. So, you might feel hungrier more often and find yourself craving high-calorie foods, making it even harder to stick to your weight loss goals. (35)

Then there’s insulin resistance, which can be a double whammy with OSA. The potential sleep deprivation from OSA is linked to insulin resistance. (36) But even if you don’t experience sleep deprivation, if you have sleep apnea and carry extra weight, you can still develop insulin resistance. (36) This cycle of disrupted sleep and weight gain can be tough to break, Wu says, but losing weight can help manage sleep apnea and might even eliminate it altogether. (37)

Insomnia

Insomnia is more than just the occasional sleepless night. It’s a sleep disorder where you regularly struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get quality sleep, even when you have enough time to sleep. You might find yourself lying awake for hours or waking up frequently throughout the night. (38)

Insomnia is different from sleep deprivation, which happens when you don’t have enough time to sleep (like pulling an all-nighter to finish a project). As you might expect, chronic insomnia can prevent you from getting the amount of sleep your body needs. (39) Not only that, getting interrupted sleep, like what happens with insomnia, might actually be worse for you than not getting enough sleep. (40) 

So, what’s the connection between insomnia and weight? Well, as we saw above, sleep deprivation can mess with your weight loss goals. Not getting enough sleep due to chronic insomnia can do the same thing, causing those hunger and fullness hormones to go haywire while ramping up your cravings. (11) Plus, it can slow down your metabolism and change how your body processes and stores fat. (26) These can make it more challenging to manage or lose weight if you have insomnia. Fortunately, treatment options are available to help manage insomnia and improve sleep quality.

Best Sleep Tips For a Healthy Weight 

Now that we’ve seen how sleep and weight loss are connected, let’s talk about how to get those quality Zzz’s to help support your weight loss journey. 

“Sleep hygiene is as important as exercise and a healthy diet,” Juanbosco Ayala, M.D., a pulmonologist based in Chicago Ridge, IL, tells Sleepopolis. With that in mind, here are some sleep tips for a healthy weight: (41)

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule: Ayala recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time every day to establish a solid sleep routine.
  
• Set the stage for sleep: According to Ayala, lower the bedroom temperature and keep the bedroom dark for better sleep. And don’t forget about your sleep surface — the best mattress for you can make a world of difference in your sleep quality and comfort.
  
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed: Coffee lovers, take note! Skip caffeine a few hours before hitting the sack to keep your sleep smooth, Ayala says. As for that evening glass of wine? Alcohol might interfere with sleep, he adds, so consider saving it for earlier in the evening.
  
• Keep the bedroom for sleep only: Limit activities like work or watching TV to outside the bedroom to help your brain associate the space with rest and relaxation, says Ayala.
  
• Get moving: Whitaker notes that regular exercise, whether moderate or intense, can boost sleep quality and overall health. Just make sure to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new workout routine. (42)
  
• Unplug before bed: Ditch screens an hour before sleep, Whitaker says. If you can’t quite manage that (we get it!), you might try blue light-blocking glasses or filters on your devices to help your brain wind down. (43)

FAQs

The Last Word From Sleepopolis

Who knew your bedroom could be your ally in your weight loss journey? The relationship between sleep and weight loss is still being researched, but so far, we know that your bedtime routine could be just as important as your gym routine. Sleep can affect everything from hormone balance to metabolism to food choices. 

While sleep deprivation and certain sleep disorders can make weight loss an uphill battle, the silver lining is that improving your sleep habits might help turn things around. Next time you’re tempted to skimp on sleep, think about how a good night’s sleep might just be the missing piece in your weight loss puzzle.

Sources

The post Weight Loss and Sleep appeared first on Sleepopolis.

What do you do when you can’t fall asleep? You might count sheep, engage in some light meditation, or you might even get up and have a cup of tea or warm milk. It’s important that no matter what you do, you try to avoid screens to maintain good sleep hygiene. 

However, if you don’t want to get out of bed, or if none of the traditional methods you might use to get some sleep are working, you might want to try one of the latest viral sleep hacks: cognitive shuffle. 

According Luc P. Beaudoin, creator of the cognitive shuffle and Doctor of Cognitive Science, the Cognitive Shuffle method includes “serial diverse imaging” which sounds like a mouthful, but means that you picture many different things in your head to help quiet your brain. (1)

Dr. Beaudoin told Sleepopolis he was inspired to create the cognitive shuffle when he was an undergraduate in college, saying “on Sunday evenings, I would have often have difficulty falling asleep. I was taking a cognitive psychology class, learning about the mechanisms of mind. It made me wonder whether there is anything special about the mental patterns while in bed that could facilitate sleep onset. I reflected and developed several cognitive techniques.” Beaudoin eventually landed on the cognitive shuffle and continued to refine the method, eventually co-creating his app,  mySleepButton. (2)

The Cognitive Shuffle found some TikTok fame when dermatologist Dr. Scott Walker (@denverskindoc) made a video showcasing the hack, calling it a “light switch moment for [him], once [he] learned it”. (3)

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the cognitive shuffle sleep hack. 

How Does Dr. Beaudoin Use The Cognitive Shuffle Hack?

Dr. Beaudoin recommends practicing the cognitive hack by following three steps: “First, get yourself into bed, ready to go to sleep. Second, think of a random, emotionally neutral word consisting of at least 5 letters. “BEDTIME” is a good word. Try not to use one with many repeating letters. “BANANA” isn’t a great DIY-SDI word because “BANANA” has only 3 unique letters, B, N, A. “BEDTIME”, in this case is a “seed” word. Third, gradually spell out the seed word (e.g., “BEDTIME”). For each letter of the word, think of a word that start with that letter. Then imagine the item represented by the word. Repeat this many times for each letter. I.e., think of many words that start with the letter and imagine each one of them.” (2)

If this seems daunting or impossible to you — don’t worry, Dr. Beaudoin has some tips that you can take advantage of. For example, if you feel stressed out by a word that you’ve picked, then you should try to use mindfulness practices to cope with the emotions that the word brings up, and then move on to the next word. Or, if you think of a word, but you have some difficulty picturing it, then you can move on to another word. (2)

Dr. Beaudoin notes that practicing good sleep hygiene is another essential part of the cognitive shuffle hack, and that if you continue to have trouble sleeping you should consult your doctor.

How Do Others Recommend Practicing The Cognitive Shuffle Hack? 

According to Dr. Walker, the cognitive shuffle hack is a “simple mental exercise” and is “a way to rearrange or reorganize your thoughts, similar to shuffling a deck of cards.” Walker goes on to elaborate that the goal of the cognitive shuffle hack is to distract your mind from the patterns that might keep you from sleeping. For example, if you just can’t stop thinking about that embarrassing thing you did in college, this hack is supposed to be able to redirect your mind so you stop spiraling. 

Additionally, Walker says that the hack “mimics what are called micro dreams, which occur during the transition to sleep.” According to Dr. Walker, the hack lets your brain know that it’s time to head to sleep. (3)

There seems to be a couple of ways to actually do the cognitive shuffle trend. In his video, Dr. Walker suggests two ways that you can try out the hack for yourself. The first method that Dr. Walker recommends is to think of a list of random words, continuing the list until you drift off into sleep. (3)

However, if you aren’t in love with this option, he provides an alternative saying, “First, you pick a letter of the alphabet. Number two, you start counting your heartbeat. Then every eight beats you think of a word that begins with that letter.” (3)

The post The TikTok-Famous “Cognitive Shuffle” Hack Claims to Reorganize Your Thoughts and Put You to Sleep appeared first on Sleepopolis.

As children grow and change rapidly, their emotional health and sleep can affect one another in good ways and bad. Plenty of kids fight bedtime, and others may have trouble sleeping through the night. Using techniques to address both their emotional health and their sleep habits, we can point you in the right direction to help your child get their best rest yet.

Note: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn’t take the place of medical advice and supervision from a trained professional. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see your healthcare provider immediately. 

Kids’ Emotional Health and Sleep 

Sleep plays an important role in a child’s emotional health, mental health, and overall well being. A good night of sleep rejuvenates kids’ bodies and helps their brains process new information, says Cherilyn Davis (Cecchini), M.D., a pediatrician practicing in New York City. 

A good night’s rest can help any child regulate their emotions, says Davis. “Many of us can relate to waking up without enough sleep and feeling grumpy — kids experience those exact same emotions. It can be tougher for them to pay attention and stay on task if they’re tired.” 

Emotional health benefits of sleep in children and teens include: (7) (8) (9)

• Improved processing of difficult emotions
• Consolidating and storing positive memories 
• Minimizing worry, anxiety, and social withdrawal (10)
• Helping diminish feelings of confusion, anger, frustration, and irritability
• Improving perceptions of their environment and people in their lives
• Feeling fewer negative emotions and more positive emotions (9)

Sometimes sleep loss does more than make a kid cranky — if they get too little sleep regularly, it can lead to (or arise from) emotional health concerns like: (8) (12) (13)

• Impulsivity: Impulsivity can be a good thing, like when you jump at the chance for a great opportunity. But for kids, poor sleep can boost their risk for more impulsive behavior, leading to poor decisions and misbehavior at school and home. (7) (14)
• Stress: Stress and poor sleep can each make the other worse. (15) (16) One recent study found teenage girls’ sleep was especially affected by stress. (17)
• Depression: According to an analysis of three studies during the COVID pandemic, 22 to 44 percent of children and adolescents have depression. (18) (19) Depression can easily make it harder to sleep, and poor sleep can also make depressive symptoms worse, which means when you treat one, you may also help the other. (20)
• Anxiety: In the same study review that spoke to depression, almost 20 percent of children and 37 percent of teens report anxiety symptoms. (18) Anxiety and sleep can also have a bidirectional relationship where poor sleep can make a child anxious, which makes it even harder to sleep. (16)
• Aggressive behavior: As sleep quality decreases, aggressive behavior can become more frequent, and include things like fighting, yelling, or damaging belongings (more than kids already do!). (7) (21) 
• Thinking problems: Sleep plays an important role in brain health, and a lack of quality slumber can make it hard for kids to concentrate. In one large study, pre-teens with less than nine hours of sleep a day showed brain structure differences and difficulty thinking. (20)

Sleep and Brain Development

Sleep helps a child’s brain grow and develop, boosting not only intelligence but emotional health. (22) Rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep is thought to consolidate recent memories and develop the nervous system — a very important job in early brain development. (9)

That said, experts say sleep’s role in the developing brain is still somewhat of a mystery, although research is ongoing. (23) Most studies that include brain images were done on children over five years old. And while studies suggest sleep does a lot for adult memories, experts don’t fully understand how it works in kids. (9)

On top of cementing memories, some research proposes sleep deprivation can affect part of the brain that supports a long attention span, which can make long school days tricky for kids who don’t get enough Zzz’s. (20) (24) (25) Good sleep can pave the way for kids’ to behave, feel, and perform at their best. (25)

This can be even more true for children with learning disabilities like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For these children, positive sleep habits can help them stay more focused in the classroom. (26) 

Of course, for any child, sleep can help them in school by improving their memory, learning ability, creative thinking, and concentration. (9) (20)

Strategies to Improve Kids’ Sleep 

No two kids are alike, and while we can’t offer personalized sleep tips to each individual child in the world, we can provide curated sleep strategies for kids with specific sleep and emotional health concerns. Read on to find detailed sleep tips for your child.

Sleep Strategies for Kids with Stress and Anxiety

Kids can get stressed and anxious about their life, whether they worry over a test at school or an argument with a friend. (27) If your child is feeling anxious, you can try infusing their nighttime routine with calm, says Davis. 

Establish a Calm Bedtime Environment and Routine

When you create a calming pre-sleep routine for your child and keep the schedule the same each night (even on weekends!), their brain will pick up on those cues and help them get sleepy at the right time. (28) “It’s okay if they need a snuggle or a hug now and then. Otherwise, do your best to stick to a routine, and stay consistent,” says Davis. 

Your child’s sleep routine can include anything calming, like a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to soothing music. Try to avoid screens for at least an hour before bed, because the blue light they emit can interfere with a hormone called melatonin, which helps your child get sleepy at night. (9)

Mindfulness and Breathing Techniques

Try doing deep breathing exercises for anxiety with your child to help them relax before bed. For smaller children, you can teach “cookie breathing,” and “take-five breathing” can be a great option for older kids and teens. (4) 

Guided imagery and visualization techniques also work well by helping your child imagine peaceful surroundings and relax for sleep. Children’s Hospital of Orange County provides free audio guided imagery to do with your child, or you can find free scripts for parents online.

Another way to practice mindfulness with your child is progressive muscle relaxation. For example, in the “Lemon” exercise, your child will reach up as if picking lemons from a tree, squeeze the lemons as hard as they can, then throw the lemons on the ground and relax their muscles.

Cognitive Behavioral Strategies

Cognitive behavioral therapy is done by a mental health professional and can treat anxiety in older children. During this therapy, the child’s provider guides them to identify and change negative thought patterns. (27)

One method their provider may recommend is keeping a thought journal. A journal can offer a safe space to write their feelings and worries down before bed. You can help your child fill out a thought journal worksheet, download free journal pages, or help them decorate and prepare their own personalized journal. (29)

You can also teach your child to speak positive affirmations out loud to fight against negative or anxious thoughts. Some examples include, “I am courageous,” “I am strong,” “I am loved,” and I can do hard things.” (30) You can find more examples online and tailor these affirmations to your child.

Older children may want to try a “worry box,” where they can write their worries on paper and put them in the box before they go to bed. “This way, their fears are locked up tight while they’re sleeping,” says Davis. (28) You can find step-by-step instructions online to build your child’s worry box with them.

Incorporate Daily Exercise

Physical activity can help lessen symptoms of anxiety and stress and can also help your child get better sleep. Even 30 minutes of vigorous exercise can help your child fall asleep faster and increase the amount of deep (slow-wave) sleep, which helps the brain recuperate for the next day. (7) So, get those kids on a trampoline or time how fast they can run around the house a few times to get their heart pumping.

Strategies for Kids Needing Structure and Routine

Plenty of kids fight a consistent bedtime routine, even though it’s a major key to a good night’s sleep. For kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD, routine and structure are especially important for good sleep. (31) (32) Parenting a neurodivergent child has its share of challenges, but we hope these tips will take good sleep off that list.

Consistent Bedtime Routine & Schedule

“Many kids resist sleep because they don’t want to miss out on anything,” says Davis, “[But] following a routine will help, since their brains and bodies will start to anticipate sleep and wake up times naturally.” (32) 

Leading up to bedtime, keep activities calm: have them take a warm bath, read a book, or listen to soft music. Keep these activities (and their sequence) the same each night to give them a sense of security and predictability. (28)

For kids with ASD or ADHD, sometimes a visual schedule with pictures and symbols can help them know what to expect, which can lessen anxiety around transitions. You can download free visual aids or create your own together as a fun project. (33)

Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

Your neurodivergent child may sleep much, much better if their sleeping environment stays quiet, cool, and dark. Loud toys, electronics, and bright lights can keep their minds from calming down before bed. (9)

You can also experiment with mattresses, pillows, and bedding to curate a comfortable sleep surface your child loves. Consider trying a weighted blanket, which can calm symptoms of ASD and ADHD, and may even help them sleep. (34) (35)

Besides cozy bedding, you can also use a white noise machine to block out background sounds that could disturb your child’s sleep. (9) You can use a free white noise app, or purchase a machine just for this purpose.

Behavioral Strategies

For children with autism and ADHD, behavioral strategies can help them get comfortable with healthy behaviors, including sleep habits. (36) (37) You can use positive reinforcement to reward good sleep habits with small incentives like stickers. (38) Free printable behavior charts can be found online, or you can make one together as a fun DIY project.

Some parents use a “bedtime pass” system, where their child can get out of bed once for a specific reason like going potty or snagging one more quick snuggle. This pass can give them the choice to get up once, but encourages them to stay in bed after they’ve used it. (39)

In addition to the pass system, you can try the “gradual transition” method. Some kids have trouble winding down before bed, but if you start the bedtime routine a bit earlier by dimming the lights, turning off the TV, and getting calm and quiet as bedtime approaches, they may have an easier time chilling out for sleep. (40)

Encourage Good Nutrition

If your child has ADHD, their provider may encourage removing sugar, candy, and any food with red dye. (41) Kids with ASD may not get enough calcium and protein in their diet, which can affect many areas of their growth and development, including mental health, which affects sleep. (42) (39) Every child is different, but you can try these tips to help yours eat better: (44)

• Ease new foods in gradually
• Sit together for meals
• Take food items out of their packaging before presenting them
• Let your child get messy with meals to encourage play

Strategies for Kids Experiencing Trauma or Grief

When a child goes through a traumatic event or significant loss, they may need some extra help to cope with their feelings and get good sleep at night. (45) “Children who have experienced trauma or loss may also feel scared at nighttime and resist going to bed,” says Davis. But you can try several strategies to soothe and reassure your child before bed.

Therapeutic Storytelling 

Children often use stories to express their feelings and emotions. Encouraging them to tell or write stories can help them process their internal experience; however, if telling these stories causes your child distress, you can pause until you speak with a mental health professional. 

Reading books addressing a similar trauma (bibliotherapy) can also help children work through their experience. (46) To help you come up with your own stories, you can use story cubes or a free printable story prompt sheet. (47)

Mindfulness Techniques

Just like children with anxiety and stress can benefit from mindfulness techniques, so can children who have experienced trauma or loss. In fact, mindfulness techniques may even lessen symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in kids. (3) Children can use breathing exercises, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation as described above. (4) (5) (6) 

But children with trauma may also benefit from a mindfulness technique called body scan meditation, in which a child rests somewhere comfortably, and then takes note of what each part of their body feels like from their head to their toes. This technique can help them to tune into their bodies, how they feel, and calm down. (3) (48)

Creating a Safe and Comforting Sleep Environment

For children going through grief or dealing with a traumatic experience, it’s more important than ever to make their sleeping space feel safe, calm, and comfortable. (49) “For toddlers, consider spraying their room with water, described to them as a ‘special spray,’ to help them feel less scared,” says Davis.

You can also provide extra-cozy bedding, familiar blankets, and stuffed animals to help your child feel comfortable and secure in their bed. Let them help you design their sleep space to offer them some ownership and control over their sleep.

Strategies for Kids with Sensory Processing Issues

Bedtime can feel overwhelming for just about anybody, but for a child with sensory processing challenges, this feeling can be magnified. For example, these kids can be more sensitive to sound and wake often through the night, says Davis.

Create a Sensory-Friendly Sleep Environment

Kids with sensory challenges can experience a “sensory overload” when they hear, smell, taste, or feel certain sensations. Every child’s needs vary, and you can work with yours to curate their best sensory experience for bedtime. (50)

For starters, keep their bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Experiment with different fabrics for ultimate comfort, and try weighted blankets to add a sense of security and promote sensory regulation. (51) “[You can also] explore soothing tools, like…a white noise machine,” says Davis. These handy machines can help mask disruptive sounds and prevent night-waking. (9)

Besides designing their environment, their bedtime routine can be sensory-friendly, too. Soft lighting, a warm bath, and calming scents like lavender can help set your child up for sensory sleeping success. 

If you’re interested in incorporating scents, it’s important to keep in mind that essential oils have not been proven as effective by research and can sometimes have side effects. If you’re concerned about trying them, you can ask your child’s provider what they recommend. (52)

Establish a Predictable Bedtime Routine

Keep your child’s bedtime routine simple, says Davis. A short (20 to 30 minutes), predictable pre-sleep routine can help your child pick up on cues that it’s time to get sleepy. This routine can include any calm, relaxing activity like reading or listening to quiet music. (51)

It’s also a good idea to follow a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule to help your child regulate their internal clock. (51) A visual schedule can also help kids with sensory issues prepare for bed with no surprises. (33)

Mindfulness and Breathwork

Kids with sensory challenges may benefit from the same mindfulness and breathing techniques as any other child, although research results are mixed. However, the risk in performing techniques like these are also virtually zero, so they may be worth a try. (53) 

Encourage your child to try breathing exercises, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation to prepare for bed, or do these exercises together. (3) (4) (5) You can try these techniques as listed in the sections above, but for kids with sensory issues, it’s best to keep it simple. 

For example, they can use the basic box-breathing method: breathe in for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for another four, and repeat. (54)

Emotional Health for Older Kids and Teens 

As kids get older and enter their teenage years, they can take charge of their emotional health and sleep, especially through independent mindfulness practices. “Focusing on the present moment can allow them to release any anxieties or worries they carried throughout the day. This will relax their bodies, enabling them to fall asleep more easily,” says Davis, who also recommends stretching exercises, journaling before bedtime, or taking a relaxing bath or shower.

Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing exercises like 4-7-8 breathing and box breathing can calm down the nervous system and lessen anxiety. (55) (56)

Journaling

Teens can try gratitude journaling by writing three things they are grateful for each evening before bed — a method that may decrease stress and depression. (57) They can also reflect on their day through journaling, acknowledging stressful events and working through worries before attempting to sleep. You can encourage them to use free journaling apps like Day One, Daylio, Momento, Penzu, and Journey.

Guided Meditations

Guided meditations can offer peaceful calm, and are especially helpful when you don’t know where to start a new mindfulness practice. Your teen can try guided meditation through free videos, or use a mindfulness app with guided meditation, like Headspace, Mindful Powers, and Calm. (58) (59)

The Last Word from Sleepopolis 

Children and teenagers need enough quality sleep to regulate their emotional health. Good sleep can help kids process emotions, consolidate memories, lessen anxiety, and feel more positive emotions. (9) (10) Each child has different needs around sleep, but overall, mindfulness techniques, predictable bedtime routines, and a comfortable sleep space can help any kid sleep better. 

Sources

The post Emotional Health and Sleep: Mindful Strategies to Support Kids appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Anyone who has enjoyed their favorite spicy dish a little too close to bedtime knows just how terrible reflux-related insomnia can be. But researchers have long been studying additional factors at play when it comes to timing our meals for an optimal night’s sleep.

A recent study out of China has found that meal timing and meal frequency impacts sleep quality. (1) Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a survey of health and nutritional information from diverse populations in the United States, researchers assessed the reported sleep quality of 7,023 adult, nonpregnant participants from 2005-2008. To assess sleep, researchers used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Additionally, researchers evaluated the timing of participants’ first and final meals across two 24-hour periods. 

The mean age for participants was 50 years, with 52.5 percent of participants being Mexican Americans, with the average time of the first meal at 8:25 a.m. and the average final meal time of 8:09 p.m. The data also showed that the average meal frequency was 4.7 times per day.

Researchers found that 2,965 or 42 percent of participants had good sleep quality, 2,339 (33 percent) had moderate sleep quality, and 1,719 (24 percent) had poor sleep quality.  For those who experienced good sleep, the average first meal was at 8:23 a.m. and the last meal was 8 p.m.

Finally, the data found a correlation between later meal times and higher PSQI scores–an indication of poor sleep quality.

This data joins older studies in concluding that our food choices, timing, and sleep quality are intricately linked. A 2021 study explored the connection between food intake and circadian rhythms. (2) Another 2021 study found that time-restricted eating (TRE) doesn’t impact sleep quality, whereas a 2020 study found that TRE might actually improve sleep quality if used long-term. (3, 4) Other research has connected an increased risk of obesity to eating late as well, studying those who eat at 8 p.m. instead of earlier, such as 4 p.m.

Together, these multiple different research conclusions prove that when it comes to whether eating before bed is bad,  it’s complicated. If you are confused about the optimal timing for your own body and rhythms, start with the three-hour rule, which gives your body a chance to digest before you try to put it to sleep. It also might help you avoid that tub of ice cream that calls much louder at 11 p.m. than it does the rest of the day, too.

The post Yes, the Timing of Your Meals Matters For a Great Night’s Sleep: What to Know appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Whether it’s binge-watching the latest and greatest on Hulu or Max later than we probably should or conducting our daily deep dive into Instagram or TikTok, almost 90 percent of us are guilty of indulging in screen time before bed — and it’s likely not good for our sleep. (3) Besides having our emotions and bodies stirred when we should be relaxing, the devices that capture our attention also emit blue light, which can mess with our melatonin production (the hormone that makes us feel sleepy) and leave us feeling more alert than we should come bedtime. When you think about it, one of the more frustrating potential side effects of using a phone at night is the blow to your sleep health. At the end of the day (literally), technology and sleep don’t mix well for most. (2) 

Note: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn’t take the place of medical advice and supervision from a trained professional. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see your healthcare provider immediately. 

Why Do Electronic Devices Keep You Up At Night? 

Dr. Christopher Allen, a Board-Certified Sleep Medicine Physician and Sleep Science Advisor for Aeroflow Sleep, says, “Electronic devices like TVs, video games, and e-readers are designed to engage and stimulate our minds. Whether it’s a thrilling game, an engrossing TV show, or catching up on social media, these activities can provoke strong emotional reactions that make it difficult to wind down.” (2) 

He goes on to explain that this level of mental engagement and stress delays the natural process of relaxation that our bodies and minds need before sleep, ultimately increasing the time it takes to fall asleep and reducing sleep quality. (1,2)

Beyond the mental stimulation our devices incite, Allen notes that electronic devices emit blue light, which can significantly impact our sleep. Allen tells Sleepopolis that blue light interferes with the production of melatonin — the hormone responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles. 

The science behind melatonin and sleep goes something like this: melatonin levels rise in the evening, signaling our body that it’s time to sleep. However, exposure to blue light (from sources like TVs, smartphones, and computers) can suppress this natural rise in melatonin. This not only makes it harder to fall asleep, but it can also affect the overall quality of your sleep. (6, 2)

How Long Before Bed Should You Turn Off Electronics?

Allen recommends turning off all electronic devices at least one hour before bed. (7) He explains that while this window gives your body and mind ample time to transition from the active, alert state induced by screen time to a more relaxed, sleep-ready state, it also increases melatonin production and prepares your body for restful sleep. 

The Benefits Of A Technology-Free Bedroom

While cuddling up in bed and getting lost in the fantastical world of the latest Marvel movie or hitting up the comment sections of your socials for a little comic relief may feel like a great way to relax, Allen says there are some solid benefits to a technology-free bedroom.

Improved Sleep Quality: Research indicates that regular use of devices has been linked with poor sleep quality. (1) However, by eliminating electronics and the impact of their blue light, your body can potentially produce melatonin naturally, leading to better sleep quality. (2)

Enhanced Relaxation: A bedroom free of technology may eliminate distractions that can delay sleep and foster a calm environment conducive to relaxation and unwinding before sleep. 

Stronger Sleep Associations: The principles of sleep hygiene — or healthy sleep habits — tell us to reserve our beds for sleep and sex only. Doing so strengthens the mental association between your bed and rest, ultimately making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. (8)

How Screen Time Before Bed Affects Kids

Screen time before bed may have a discernibly negative effect on kids. While the stimulating content can make it difficult for them to unwind, the blue light from their devices can also delay the onset of sleep. (9) This may be especially tough on teens and their sleep, as some adolescents experience delayed sleep-wake cycles. (10) “These disruptions can lead to insufficient sleep, which is crucial for their growth, learning, and emotional regulation,” says Allen. “Over time, poor sleep can affect their mood, behavior, academic performance, and overall well-being.” (5, 11)

Despite what we know about kids, electronics, and insufficient sleep, research shows:

• 75 percent of American children and adolescents have at least one electronic device in their bedroom. (9)
• Approximately 60 percent of American children and adolescents use electronic devices within an hour of bedtime on a regular basis. (9)
• American children aged 8-12 spend an average of 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours. (12)
• In a small study involving 100 students, 24 percent of school grade performance variance is influenced by sleep duration, quality, and consistency, meaning it may play a significant role in helping or hurting academic outcomes. (5)

Setting Healthy Screen Time Limits

For kids ages two to five, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends parents limit non-educational screen time to 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on weekend days. (12) For kids aged six and older, parents are encouraged to use their judgment in screen time management  — consider not allowing screens at the dinner table, encouraging physical activity, and removing devices from their room 30 to 60 minutes before bed. (12)

Tips For Reducing Screen Time Before Bed 

In an increasingly digital world, managing screen time may be easier said than done. Ahead,  we’ve outlined some tips and best practices to help you curb your use of electronics before bed. 

Establish a Bedtime Routine. Allen suggests creating a calming pre-sleep routine that doesn’t involve screens. Instead of spending gobs of time on your phone before bed, think about activities like reading [a physical] book, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation.

Set a Screen Curfew. Screen time curfews aren’t just for kids; adults can benefit from them, too. To stop using your phone before bed, consider putting your devices away 30 minutes to one hour before bed. (7)

Use Night Mode. If you must use a device before bed, Allen suggests enabling the “night mode” or blue light filters to aid with sleep onset. (13)

Create Tech-Free Zones. Consider making the bedroom (and maybe even other areas of your home) tech-free to limit screen exposure before bed.

Engage in Non-Screen Activities. Encourage activities that don’t involve screens, like puzzles, journaling, or listening to calming music or audiobooks.

FAQs

The Last Word From Sleepopolis 

Whether it’s politics on X or whatever is new and binge-worthy on Netflix, devices and phones may affect sleep. While adults often think about managing their kids’ screen time, they often forget that these sleep stealers can affect them, too. So, parents, when you’re thinking about cutting back on your child’s screen time, you might consider making it a group project. 

Sources

The post How Does Screen Time Before Bed Affect Sleep? appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Everyone wants to get a good night of rest, and some people even take extra measures before bedtime to ensure that they get the best possible rest they can each night. However, some people have taken getting a good night of restful sleep to the next level, and are chasing perfect nights of sleep.

Recently, the New York Times interviewed several Sleepmaxxers, or people who are obsessed with the perfect night of sleep, to get an idea of how the practice impacts their sleep, for the better or for the worse.  While this might seem pretty begin, Sleepmaxxing can actually have some pretty negative consequences for the mental health of Sleepmaxxers. (1)

What Is Sleepmaxxing? 

More specifically, Sleepmaxxing is the practice of seeking perfect sleep by doing everything that is humanly possible to eliminate any distraction or obstacle that could negatively impact your sleep. Sleepmaxxers often use viral sleep-focused products like magnesium foot spray, mouth tape, chin straps, and sleep trackers to ensure that their sleep is flawless.  (1)

One Sleepmaxxer, named Derek Antoseik told the New York Times about his journey to becoming a Sleepmaxxer, even though he doesn’t consider himself one now. The New York Times reported that Derek started to take sleep more seriously after realizing that he still carried some unhealthy habits from his 20s. In his quest for better sleep, Derek found a passionate sleep community on Reddit, and quickly became involved. This led to Derek becoming very interested with his perfecting and tracking his sleep with popular sleep tracker, the Oura Ring. (1) 

Ultimately, the New York Times reported that Derek had a pretty split experience with his quest to obtain the perfect night of sleep, noting that “In Mr. Antosiek’s case, the earplugs, mouth tape and nasal dilator have helped him, he said. But the bed fan didn’t do much, and the Oura Ring made things worse. ‘I found myself waking up and immediately looking at my score, like, ‘Did I get good sleep?’’ he said.” (1) 

Can Sleepmaxxing Have a Negative Impact on Sleep? 

Orthosomnia is a condition where people obsessively pursue optimal sleep based on data taken from their various sleep trackers. Granted, orthosomnia is a fairly new term to define a phenomenon that is also fairly new, given that sleep trackers have only hit the market in the past few years. Someone who is experiencing orthosomnia might engage in behaviors like obsessing over their sleep tracker, setting misguided sleep goals, and anxiety about sleep. 

A study published in 2017 delved into the phenomenon of the obsessive use of sleep trackers as they became more prevalent. The researchers created the term Orthosomnia with “‘ortho’ meaning straight or correct, and ‘somnia’ meaning sleep.” Researchers chose this term because “because the perfectionist quest to achieve perfect sleep is similar to the unhealthy preoccupation with healthy eating, termed orthorexia.” (2) 

The study analyzed three cases of people who were using sleep trackers to analyze their sleep, how the use of the sleep tracker could be impacting their sleep, how likely the patient was to accept a challenging opinion about the validity of the sleep tracker, and whether or not sleep trackers could successfully be added to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). (2)

Ultimately the researchers concluded that “More research is needed on whether sleep tracker technology can be integrated into CBT-I because regardless of poor validation data, consumers are enthusiastic about this technology and often think the data are highly consistent with their experience of their sleep.” (2)

The post What Is the Recent “Sleepmaxxing” Trend Taking Over the Internet? appeared first on Sleepopolis.

If you haven’t heard of Chappell Roan, or if you haven’t at least heard one of her songs over the past year, you might be living under a rock. The pop singer has had a meteoric rise to fame over the past year, and the viral success she has found on TikTok is partially to thank. 

Songs like “Pink Pony Club,” “Casual,” “HOT TO GO!,” and recent single “Good Luck, Babe!” all found success on the short-form video platform, launching Chappell to a new level of stardom. From the outside, it’s easy to think that becoming world-famous overnight would be a dream come true, but Chappell has recently revealed that her success has been hard for her emotionally. 

This emotional impact of her rise to fame has even impacted her sleep. Chappell has Bipolar II disorder,  and this diagnosis means that sometimes she experiences periods of hypomania and periods of depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), periods of hypomania are considered less severe than the manic episodes that people experience with Bipolar I disorder. (1)

How Has Chappell Roan’s Recent Surge In Popularity Affected Her Sleep and Mental Health?

People Magazine reported that Chappell told Rolling Stone Magazine that her initial surge of followers after the song Pink Pony Club triggered what Chappell would later identify as hypomania. 

According to People, Chappell told Rolling Stone about her rise to fame, her surge of popularity over the past year, and how it’s affected her mental health. People reported that Chappell told the Rolling Stones about “how she struggled with her success, sharing that in 2022, she sought treatment after sharing she’d been thinking about suicide.” 

After Chappell’s viral performance at the Governor’s Ball in New York this summer, where she performed dressed as the Statue of Liberty, she experienced a surge of hundreds of thousands of followers to her social media. According to People’s reporting Chappell remarked to Rolling Stones that this impacted her mental health, saying “I wasn’t sleeping,” and that “I was on the incorrect meds. I had the energy and the delusion and realized that this app [TikTok] is fueled off of mental illness. Straight up.” 

Chappell went on to say that “I was getting almost a hundred thousand followers a day. At first, I was in severe denial,” and that “They would literally show me some stats and the only thing I could do is say, ‘No, no, no. It’s not like that.’ I couldn’t say, ‘I am gaining success.’” (2)

What is Bipolar II Disorder? 

According to the Cleveland Clinic,  Bipolar disorder is “a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior. These shifts can last for hours, days, weeks or months and interrupt your ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.” Bipolar II is a subtype of Bipolar disorder, which is characterized by periods of hypomania and periods of depression. While the hypomania that someone with Bipolar II might experience isn’t as severe as the manic episodes that someone with Bipolar I might experience, people with Bipolar II commonly experience chronic depression. (3)

If you believe that you are experiencing symptoms of Bipolar disorder, you should consult your doctor or mental health professional.

How Can Bipolar II Disorder Impact Sleep? 

According to the NIMH, Bipolar II disorder can impact sleep during periods of hypomania and periods of depression. If someone is experiencing hypomania, they will feel a decreased need for sleep, meaning that they will stay up much later than they might usually want to. If someone is experiencing depression, then they might experience several sleep-related symptoms such as, sleeping too much, having trouble falling asleep, and waking up too early. (1) 

If you have Bipolar disorder and you are having difficulty sleeping, you should talk to your doctor or mental health provider to discuss next steps.

The post Chappell Roan Opens Up About How a Misdiagnosed Disorder Led to Her Not Sleeping appeared first on Sleepopolis.

You might have decided that belly sleeping is the only way to get a great night’s rest. Or maybe you can only avoid achy joints in the morning if you sleep on your back. Whatever your preferred sleeping position, researchers have been studying just how it impacts your rest for quite a while. Now, one study shows that they’ve determined which is the least likely to result in long, uninterrupted stretches of time. It might even be waking you up more frequently at night.

A recent small study out of Australia used polysomnography, or a sleep study, at participants’ private residences to evaluate the number of awakenings that occur based on the position they slept in. (1) They recorded key events, such as limb movements and respiratory status, in addition to sleep positions. The study found that individuals who slept in the supine position, or on their back, had a 379 percent increase in respiratory arousals when compared to those who slept laterally (on their side). 

Additionally, the study found that some adults were more sensitive to awakenings while sleeping on their back than others. But as with most research, scientists had to determine if there were more factors at play connecting those who sleep on their backs with poorer sleep. For example, having sleep apnea (which often means sleeping on your back), could impact results.

Previous studies have looked at the connection between sleeping position and sleep-related conditions, such as sleep apnea. A 2023 study found that the use of PTD (positional treatment device) in combination with other OSA treatments may lead to better outcomes for patients, emphasizing that sleep position can impact the quality of sleep people get. (2) Likewise, a 2023 survey found that 1 in 10 Americans wake up feeling refreshed, and sleep positions might be to blame. (3)

Adults aren’t the only ones whose sleep and body function is impacted by sleep position. A 2020 study found that sleeping positions in newborns impacted their heart rate variability. (4) In spite of the above study about adults, babies should only be placed on their backs to sleep.

While not everyone may agree on the best position to sleep in, experts have weighed in through the years on the ideal position. TikTok user and provider Dr. Sadovskaya garnered over 3000 mixed reactions to her video on the best and worst sleep positions, with her top picks as back and side sleeping. Other sleep experts have also supported that back is best — even for adults.

If you aren’t comfortable at night, but aren’t sure what to try, consider:

• Investing in a high quality mattress, and changing your mattress if it’s been many years since you last bought one
• Changing types of pillows. For example, belly sleepers might need slimmer pillows than back sleepers who might want to be more propped up.
• Finally, don’t feel you have to limit yourself to a certain position all night. Your body might naturally know more than you about how it needs to move to stay comfortable throughout the night.
• If you have any symptoms of a sleep disorder such as frequent waking, insomnia, daytime fatigue, or more, consult a healthcare provider rather than relying on position changes for help alone.

Ultimately, the best sleep position is likely the one that will result in the most comfort, and the best night’s sleep.

The post Is This Your Favorite Sleeping Position? Experts Say It’s Actually the Most Disruptive appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Surprisingly, how you sleep can be a pretty controversial topic. People have many opinions about what you should and shouldn’t do while you’re sleeping — and sleeping positions can be a super hot topic. 

Maybe you haven’t given a second thought to how you sleep at night, and you’ve always just cozied up in whatever way was most comfortable. However, what might be most comfortable might not always be the best for you. For example, for some people sleeping on their sides or stomachs can really hurt their backs. 

Recently, TikToker and doctor Dr. Sadovskaya made a video ranking popular sleeping positions from best to worst, and her ranking stirred up some pretty headed opinions online. In the caption of her video she wrote, “Did you know that sleeping in the last position will give you acne, wrinkles, face puffiness and back problems” 

Sadovskaya then went on to rank four popular sleeping positions: Sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side, sleeping on your stomach, and sleeping on your stomach with your leg bent. 

Read on to find out how Sadosvkaya ranked the sleeping positions, what people had to say, and which position is really the best for you to sleep in. 

How Did Sadovskaya Rank the Sleeping Positions? 

In her video, Sadosvkaya ranks the sleeping positions as follows; she ranked back sleeping first, side sleeping second, stomach sleeping third, and sleeping with on your stomach with one leg bent fourth. 

This means, according to Sadosvkaya, that sleeping on your stomach with your leg bent will give you “acne, wrinkles, face puffiness and back problems.” 

What Did People Think of Sadosvkaya’s Ranking? 

Needless to say, users had some pretty spirited reactions to Sadosvkaya’s rankings. Some commenters vehemently disagreed with her, writing, “Sleeping positions but they get more comfortable,” and “Can we just be left alone for once?” 

Other commenters expressed their distaste for back sleeping with one user writing, “I wish I could sleep on my back but I am terrified of getting sleep paralysis.” 

Some commenters took the stance that no matter how you’re sleeping, it’s best to get a full night of sleep. One commenter said “the best sleep position is the one that allows you to get a full night’s rest.” 

People were pretty negative on Sadosvkaya’s rankings of sleeping positions, but what do scientists and health professionals have to say about sleeping positions? 

Which Sleeping Positions Are Really the Best and Worst? 

According to Sleepopolis’s experts, there’s not a single sleep position that is necessarily better or worse than one another. However, sleeping positions can become dangerous if you’re not supporting your spine while you sleep. 

Additionally, not everyone recommends back sleeping, Robert Hayden, DC told Sleepopolis that, “I coach my patients to sleep on their side with a body pillow. This keeps the spine straight and aligned during the hours of sleep. A pillow under the head should be just high enough to keep the head level with the mattress.” Hayden also stressed the importance of good sleeping posture, saying, “Maintaining good posture while you are sleeping — which is 25 percent or 30 percent of your lifetime — is a good idea, but more than that it will help prevent stress points that may aggravate joints and connective tissue.” (1) 

Despite a split on which sleeping position is the best, it seems pretty unanimous that positions where you would be sleeping on your stomach are not the best for you. Karen Erickson, DC told Sleepopolis that “Stomach sleeping necessitates that your head is rotated to one side or the other, causing strain, muscle and range-of-motion imbalance.” Erickson recommends “that stomach sleepers try to sleep on their side with a full body pillow, which recreates the feeling of pressure against the abdomen.” (2)

The post This TikTok Doctor Ranked Sleeping Positions From Best to Worst, and the Reactions Are Mixed appeared first on Sleepopolis.

• Apple announced its brand new sleep apnea detection feature on September 9th. (1)
• The feature received FDA approval on September 16th. (2)
• Apple’s sleep apnea detection feature uses machine learning algorithms to analyze the users sleep and alert users if they are experiencing regular disruptions to their sleep (1)
• Users can take the data that their Apple Watch collects and take it to their doctor to discuss a possible sleep apnea diagnosis (1)

On September 9th, Apple announced that their new line-up of Apple Watches would be able to detect symptoms of sleep apnea while the wearer sleeps. The wearer’s Apple Watch will monitor their breathing over 30 days, and then alert the wearer if the watch registers signs of sleep disruptions. (1)

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published approval for Apple’s sleep apnea detection feature on September 16th. (2) This means that users will be able to take advantage of the feature if they purchase a new Apple Watch or update their compatible watch.

If you’re not familiar, almost every fall, Apple announces their new line-up of smartphones, headphones, and Apple Watches. While nitty gritty software updates and small features can get lost in the shuffle of big announcements of the day, this sleep-focused Apple Watch software upgrade is really standing out. 

Apple Watch users have been able to get insights into their sleep for a while, with features that allow you to track your sleep stages, how you set sleep goals, track potential ovulation while you sleep, and more (3,4). Apple’s recent foray into sleep apnea marks the company’s first venture into the detection of sleep apnea. 

How Does Apple’s New Sleep Apnea Detection Feature Work? 

According to Apple’s press release on the new feature, the sleep apnea detection feature uses a new “Breathing Disturbances” metric to determine whether or not you are experiencing significant disruptions to your sleep because of disruptions in your breathing. Apple says that “Breathing Disturbances can be influenced by alcohol, medications, sleep position, and more. Users can view their nightly Breathing Disturbances in the Health app, where they are classified as elevated or not elevated, and can be viewed over a one-month, six-month, or one-year period.” (1) 

Essentially, Apple’s goal is to provide you with data that you could bring to your doctor to determine whether or not you could be experiencing sleep apnea. Your watch will track your “Breathing Disturbances” and then send the data to your iPhone where it analyzes whether or not you’ve potentially been experiencing sleep apnea.  Users can even print out a PDF that shows when you could’ve been experiencing sleep apnea symptoms while you were sleeping. (1) 

As for the algorithm that determines whether or not you could’ve been experiencing sleep apnea symptoms, Apple says it “was developed using advanced machine learning and an extensive data set of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests.” Additionally, Apple noted that “the feature was then validated in a clinical study — unprecedented in size for sleep apnea technology. In the clinical validation study, every participant identified by the algorithm had at least mild sleep apnea.” (1) 

When Will I Be Able to Use Apple’s New Sleep Apnea Detection Feature? 

There’s no specific word on when users will be able to access the sleep apnea detection feature on their Apple Watches yet, with the company only saying accessibility beginning “this month.”  (1)

Additionally, users in more than 150 countries and territories will be able to use the feature once released, including the United States.

Are There Other Smart Sleep Apnea Detection Features Out There? 

The Apple Watch isn’t the only smart-wearable with sleep apnea detection capabilities out there. Samsung’s Sleep Apnea detection feature for the Samsung Health Monitor app was approved by the FDA earlier this year, and according to the company’s press release on the matter “The feature will be available on the Galaxy Watch series in the U.S. via the Samsung Health Monitor app in the third quarter.” (5) 

Additionally, the ever-popular Oura ring does have some features that are sleep apnea detection adjacent. While Oura says that the Oura ring “cannot be used to diagnose sleep apnea, it can provide helpful insights on the quality of your sleep,” it can be used to detect reduced deep sleep that can be caused by sleep apnea which “may be reported as excessive awake time in the Oura App.” (6) 

The post Apple’s Sleep Apnea Detection Feature Has Been Approved By the FDA – Here’s What to Know. appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Sabrina Carpenter has had a pretty great year so far – between releasing her hit album Short ‘N Sweet, crushing the charts with singles Espresso and Please Please Please, and hitting the road on the Eras Tour with Taylor Swift earlier this year — she has had a great deal of professional success. 

While we all know and love Sabrina’s music, you might be wondering how Sabrina takes care of herself when she’s not working. Back in 2022 Sabrina sat down with Marie Claire magazine to share some of her wellness and self-care essentials, including how she prioritizes a good night’s sleep. (1)

In the interview, Sabrina walked through her whole day of self-care, spilling the deets on her favorite beauty products, her go-to workouts, and her nighttime routine. She also revealed how she creates her sleep sanctuary each night. 

Read on if you’re curious about how Sabrina Carpenter sleeps, and how her sleep routine stacks up against doctor’s advice. 

How Does Sabrina Carpenter Prioritize Sleep? 

According to Sabrina, she loves a distraction free sleep space, saying that “I can’t remember the last time I watched a TV show. By the end of the day, I feel like I have used up everything I have, so I just love sleep and getting to sleep as quickly as I can.” (1) 

However, Sabrina has admitted that her actual bedtime isn’t as consistent as she’d like it to be, and that her work makes it hard to find a consistent time to go to sleep each night, saying “My bedtime definitely changes. I’m in an unpredictable era right now. It can be 9 p.m.; it can be 2 in the morning. [My body] definitely gravitates to, like, grandma.” She also knows that this is probably the time of her life where her sleep schedule will be at its craziest, but she still tries to be disciplined about her sleep. (1)

What is Sabrina Carpenter’s Wake-Up Routine Like? 

Sabrina also detailed her wake routine in her interview, saying “If I’m working on music, it’s a little bit of a more graceful wake-up call, so sometimes  9 or 10, but I usually wake up much earlier. My internal alarm clock kind of gets me up really early.” (1)  She also notes that she tries to prioritize gratitude to begin her day with positivity.  

How Does Sabrina Carpenter’s Sleep Routine Measure Up To Expert Advice? 

Sleepopolis’s Dr. Shelby Harris has this to say about the importance of a good bedtime routine, “For people of any age, a bedtime routine sends signals to the brain that it’s time to start winding down and preparing for sleep.” 

As for the components of a good bedtime routine, Dr. Harris suggests that you should “Try to start winding down 30-60 minutes before bed, ideally without screens. It’s best to set the stage for relaxation by creating a calming space in your bedroom where you can sit for 5-15 minutes and practice mindfulness or meditation to help your brain unwind from the day,” and that “Sticking to approximately the same bed/wake times everyday can make falling asleep at night and waking up in the morning easier.”

Sabrina’s routine seems to mostly stick to Dr. Harris’s suggestions and recommendations, especially with creating her distraction free sleep space, and focusing on getting to sleep when she’s ready for bed. However, she does not necessarily follow Dr. Harris’s recommendations for sticking to the same wake and sleep times, although Sabrina did note that she shoots for discipline when it comes to her sleep.

The post How Sabrina Carpenter Prioritizes Sleep Even Though Her “Body Gravitates to Grandma” Time appeared first on Sleepopolis.

The effects of screens and screen time on children are a hot topic these days. Since screens are relatively new to our world, parents are often at odds about the best way to handle devices that they never had during their childhood. It can be hard to know the right answer to some more ambiguous questions regarding screens and screen time. 

Given the social nature of these screens, it’s become harder and harder to keep kids off of them. It’s how they connect with friends after school, and it feels like these devices are finding their way into the hands of younger and younger children each year. 

However, one thing that is pretty unanimously agreed upon these days is that screens, and the blue light that comes from them, can be pretty bad for your sleep no matter how old you are. Additionally, the sleep needs of children rapidly change as they grow and develop, so what is appropriate for your five-year-old might not be what works for your ten-year old. 

Recently, a study from The Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics (or, JAMA Pediatrics) found that only certain types of screen use before kids go to sleep can disrupt their rest overnight. (1) Here’s everything you need to know about JAMA Pediatrics recent screen time findings. 

What Kind of Screen Time Should Kids Avoid Before Bed? 

According to JAMA Pediatrics’ study, certain types of nighttime screen time are more harmful for your kids than others. The study measured the sleep of 11-14-year-olds who were exposed to different types of screen time before going to bed. Researchers found that “screen time in the two hours before bed had no association with most measures of sleep health. Screen time once in bed, particularly interactive screen activities, such as gaming and multitasking, was associated with less sleep.” (1)

What this could mean is that screens before bedtime, even if your kids are watching TV in the minutes before they go to sleep, might have little to no impact on their sleep health. However, screen time that takes place when your child is in bed, particularly interactive screen time, does impact your child’s sleep. (1) 

These findings seem to align with common sleep hygiene practices, where your bed is treated as a phone and screen free zone. Some people even take this a step further and leave their phone in another room while they’re sleeping. 

What Should Parents Know About Screen Time Before Bed? 

While this research seems to fly in the face of commonly held beliefs about bedtime and screen time, restricting screen time before bed, regardless of where this screen time takes place, is still super common advice for both kids and adults alike. Sleepopolis even recommends restricting screen use before bed for both children and adults.

However, researchers note that their “findings suggest that current sleep hygiene recommendations to restrict all screen time before bed seem neither achievable nor appropriate.” (1) As handheld screens like smart phones and tablets continue to become a bigger and bigger part of our world, it makes sense that it will become more difficult to completely eliminate screens from our routines, even before we go to bed. 

Ultimately, the choice about what to do about screens before bed is up to parents and then needs of their children.

What Are Good Things That Parents Can Do For Their Children’s Sleep? 

Sleepopolis’s Dr. Shelby Harris recommends a consistent bedtime and wake routine for children to have a healthy sleep schedule saying, “children sticking to a set bedtime can also give the parents time to build their own nighttime routines around their usual bedtime — a consistent nighttime routine can help the brain and body associate those activities/steps with sleep, helping parents and children to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.”  

The post Is It True That Screen Time Doesn’t Impact Kids’ Sleep Until They’re Actually in Bed With a Screen? appeared first on Sleepopolis.

Mouth taping has not stopped taking the world by storm. While this trend first found its way into the zeitgeist on social media, with influencers showing themselves mouth taping and singing its praises. 

Celebrities have also joined in on the trend, with Olympians claiming mouth tape won them medals and reports coming out of celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Graham hopping on the mouth taping train. (1) 

Now, in a recent interview with Parents magazine, Jimmy Fallon, host of the Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live alum, revealed he is hopping on the mouth taping trend. (2) 

Even though popular figures like Jimmy praise the practice, mouth tape and its benefits, most doctors still warn against the practice. So, we’ve gone ahead and broken down everything to know about Jimmy’s recent move to mouth taping: why Jimmy’s picking up this controversial bedtime practice, and why doctors argue against it. 

Why Did Jimmy Fallon Start Mouth Taping? 

Jimmy told Parents magazine that he’s been trying to take better care of himself as he approaches his 50th birthday saying that “I’m reading a lot about breathing more through my nose. I swear! It’s much better for you. I think it’s about longevity, stress levels, heart rate, and all that stuff.” (2) 

Jimmy then goes on to say, “I’m reading about how to tape my mouth shut when I go to sleep and force myself to breathe through my nose to get a better night’s sleep. I have to do this under supervision. So, I’m going to have security guards next to my bed and try this — I’m not kidding!” (2)

This is not the first time that Jimmy has shown an interest in breathing and how it can affect your body. According to Business Insider’s reporting, Jimmy spoke about his interest on the Tonight Show while talking to Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist at Stanford University and host of the Huberman Lab podcast. Jimmy told Huberman that, “If I could invest money, I would invest in breathing.” (3)

What Do Doctors Have to Say About Mouth Taping? 

Doctors aren’t as positive on the mouth taping trend as Jimmy is. Sleepopolis’s director of sleep health Dr. Shelby Harris has this to say on mouth taping: “There’s not enough evidence to suggest that mouth taping has any real benefits when it comes to sleep, and it’s not something I recommend to anyone who is using it as a way to reduce snoring or mouth breathing.”

Additionally, Dr. Harris says that “mouth taping can potentially be dangerous for those with sleep apnea and can make it more difficult to breathe properly throughout the night, further reducing the oxygen levels in your body and increasing the risk of developing other serious health conditions and sleep disorders.” 

So, even though celebrities and influencers alike are quite positive on the mouth taping trend, you’ll probably want to steer clear of trying out mouth taping for yourself. If you’re having trouble sleeping, or having trouble breathing while you sleep, the best thing that you can do is talk to your doctor and make a plan with them. 

How Can I Get A Good Night’s Sleep Without Mouth Taping?

There are some pretty easy steps that you can take to get a good night’s rest. Dr. Harris recommends “a relaxing nighttime routine or ritual within the hour leading up to bed can help improve sleep quality and quantity — and I don’t always have time for an hour, I just try to get an hour but if I only have 15 minutes, I still make it a priority to wind down.” This nighttime routine can include some good sleep hygiene practices such as ditching screens, and opting to read a book or do a non-screen related activity right before going to sleep.

The post Here’s Why Jimmy Fallon Is the Latest Celebrity to Take Up Mouth Taping, Despite Experts’ Warnings appeared first on Sleepopolis.

When you’re having a sleepless night, it can be easy to reach for sleep supplements like melatonin to help you finally drift off to sleep. Additionally, it seems like there’s a new influencer or TikTok trend claiming that melatonin is the cure-all to your sleep problems. To boot, melatonin seems pretty safe; it’s sold at grocery stores, and it’s been used for years. 

However, not everyone is so onboard with melatonin. Over the past few years, there has been a growing number of doctors and experts advising against melatonin use in particular cases. For example, there has been ample research that the short term use of melatonin is perfectly safe, while long term use does not have the same scientific proof, and is therefore not recommended. (1)

Additionally, CNN reported the melatonin industry was asked to tighten its standards around labeling and warnings after there was an increased amount of children hospitalized due to melatonin related incidents. (2)

Recently, the Daily Mail reported that Dr. Michael Berus, also known as the Sleep Doctor, claimed that melatonin is one of the most misused supplements related to sleep. Berus went on to say that “Melatonin is a sleep regulator, not a sleep originator.” (3) Essentially, Berus is claiming that melatonin won’t help you get to sleep, but regulate the sleep that you are already getting.

We’ve gone ahead and broken down everything you need to know about Berus’s claims: if melatonin is really overused, how it affects your sleep, and how much you should really be taking. 

Is Melatonin Really Overused? 

Sleepopolis’s director of sleep health Dr. Shelby Harris has this to say on melatonin usage: “People think that melatonin is a natural cure for insomnia but the reality is that there’s not a lot of data in support of this. They also tend to take way too much of it. Anything more than 3mg is considered a hefty dose.” Thanks to the marketing of melatonin in stores and by influencers online, it has become a catch-all sleep aid, when in reality it has some pretty specific use cases.

For example, Dr. Harris says, “Where we do routinely use melatonin in sleep medicine is for helping to shift the body’s circadian rhythm (body clock). We use tiny doses (1/2 to 1mg max!) at very specificity times multiple hours before bed to help gradually shift the body clock. This is for people who can get a full night’s sleep but not on the schedule that they need.” 

So the answer is that melatonin is probably a bit overused these days. However, if you’re having trouble sleeping and you want to take melatonin, talking to your doctor and finding out how much melatonin you could be taking and how it might affect you are good ways to make sure you’re not taking a supplement that isn’t going to help you out. 

How Does Melatonin Affect Your Sleep? 

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced by your body to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. The idea is that by taking melatonin when you cannot sleep, you trick your body into translating the increased presence of melatonin to a need to sleep.  Your body usually begins producing melatonin after the sun goes down and continues to do so throughout the night. (4)

Dr. Harris notes that melatonin does have a couple of side effects, when taking melatonin in the short term, you might experience some “vivid dreams and nightmares, headaches, nausea, grogginess and dizziness.” Depending on the severity of these side effects and your sensitivity to them, things like vivid dreams, nightmares, and nausea can disrupt your sleep and make it a bit harder to get a good night’s rest. 

How Much Melatonin is Too Much Melatonin? 

According to Dr. Harris, “Anything more than 3mg of melatonin is considered a hefty dose.” She adds that, “If you need to keep taking more and more, it isn’t working.” At big box retailers and grocery stores, you can get all sorts of melatonin gummies and pills that claim to have anywhere from 1 milligram to 10 milligrams of melatonin.

However, Dr. Harris notes that “melatonin isn’t regulated by the FDA in the US, so there is a lot of variability in what’s in each bottle — there’s also no governing body making sure that what it says on the bottle is actually what’s in it.” So, if you and your doctor have decided that melatonin is right for you, be sure to be careful about what you are taking and only take a dose that your doctor has recommended.

The post This Sleep Doctor Claims That Melatonin Is the Most Overused Supplement: What to Consider appeared first on Sleepopolis.