The danger of Googling for health advice
We're trained as internet users to Google (or Bing) any question we need answered. Thanks to an ever-evolving algorithm, most of the time these search engines return useful websites and information. But don't use Dr. Google to find medical advice. Medical information offered up by search engines can be inaccurate [...]
Short sleep reduces effectiveness of vaccines
Sleep length may affect how your body responds to vaccines, increasing your risk for illness. A study published in the August issue of the journal SLEEP found that people who had insufficient sleep were far more likely to be unprotected by a vaccine. The study involved a sample of 125 [...]
SAFE-D: Teaching Sleep, Alertness and Fatigue Education to Drivers
In the middle of summer’s peak driving season, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) offers a free online presentation describing the signs, causes and effects of driver fatigue and some strategies to manage it. SAFE-D: Sleep, Alertness and Fatigue Education for Drivers is available on Vimeo, which has been [...]
The effects of sleep deprivation vs. sleep restriction
What are the effects of severe sleep deprivation and insufficient sleep on middle-age men? A study in the July issue of the journal SLEEP looked at 18 healthy French men ages 46 to 55. Sleep deprivation and restriction immediately affected their performance and vigilance, but they adapted after three days. And [...]
When napping is good for older folks
Napping can be good for seniors – as long as they don’t sleep too much. A new study in the July issue of the journal SLEEP studied the sleep habits of 1,166 Israeli seniors ages 75 to 94. The results favored older people who take daily naps to supplement short [...]
Sleep loss triggers stress-like immune response
Extreme sleep loss causes an immune response in the body similar to stress, a new study reports. Researchers in the Netherlands and United Kingdom compared white blood cell counts of 15 healthy young men under normal and severely sleep-deprived circumstances. White blood cell numbers showed differences in numbers and patterns [...]