MEDICAL EXPRESS - SLEEP APNEA

1. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

   Even a few nights with insufficient sleep promotes molecular mechanisms linked to a greater risk of heart problems. This has been shown in a new study in which the researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects biomarkers (in this case, proteins) associated with cardiovascular disease.

2. Sleep apnea during REM sleep linked to memory-related brain changes

   Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, is linked to degeneration of brain regions associated with memory through damage to the brain's small blood vessels, according to a study published in Neurology. The study found the brain changes were strongly associated with the severity of drops in oxygen levels during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The study does not prove that sleep apnea causes this degeneration; it only shows an association.

3. Q&A: Why sleep might be the best Mother's Day gift

   Instead of flowers or jewelry for Mother's Day this year, consider giving the moms in your life more sleep.

4. Natural short sleepers have a genetic mutation, finds new study

   Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep to function properly. Some people can feel well-rested and show no negative effects of sleep deprivation, even after just 4 hours of sleep, which is likely the result of a genetic mutation.

5. What's a healthy amount of sleep? Research shows it differs from one country to another

   Your optimal amount of sleep may depend on where you live, new University of British Columbia research has found. An analysis of sleep data and health outcomes for nearly 5,000 people in 20 countries revealed that the hours of sleep required for good health varies significantly across different cultures, challenging the common belief that everyone needs the same amount.

6. Sexual identity stress linked to poor sleep in LGB individuals

   Psychologists at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and the University of Brighton analyzed the responses of 300 self-identified LGB individuals, taken from a range of standardized and validated measures which have not previously been focused on this population.

7. New research maps similarities and differences between insomnia, anxiety, and depression

   Insomnia, depression, and anxiety are the most common mental disorders. Treatments are often only moderately effective, with many people experiencing returning symptoms. This is why it is crucial to find new leads for treatments. Notably, these disorders overlap a lot, often occurring together. Could there be a shared brain mechanism behind this phenomenon?

8. New insight into the neurobiological roots of being a 'morning person' or 'night owl'

   Human beings exhibit marked differences in habits, lifestyles and behavioral tendencies. One of these differences, known as chronotype, is the inclination to sleep and wake up early or alternatively to sleep and wake up late.

9. Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation leave different traces in the brain, study shows

   About 20% to 35% of the population suffers from chronic sleep disorders—and up to half of all people in older age. Moreover, almost every teenager or adult has experienced short-term sleep deprivation at some point. There are many reasons for not getting enough sleep, whether it be partying, a long day at work, caring for relatives, or simply whiling away time on smartphones.

10. Wake-up call: Urgent action needed to tackle Australia's sleep health issues

    Australia is facing a silent public health crisis—and it's happening while we sleep.

11. Sleep's dual role: How it consolidates memories while preparing the brain for new learning

    Memory formation, storage, and retrieval are fundamental processes that define who we are and how we interact with the world. At the cellular level, these processes rely on specialized neurons called engram cells—neuronal populations that physically encode our experiences and allow us to recall them later. Over the past few decades, scientists have made significant progress in identifying these neuronal ensembles and understanding some aspects of memory allocation.

12. Recommendations on wearable sleep trackers aim to empower consumers and clinicians, and foster industry partnership

    Millions worldwide who turn to wearable devices for sleep insights are set to benefit from recommendations on the use of wearable consumer health trackers (CHTs) for sleep measurement released by the World Sleep Society. Uniquely, the international team of sleep experts from the US, Australia, Europe and Singapore took into consideration industry input, critique from clinicians and previous position papers.

13. Gamified sleep-tracking app improves sleep and reduces body mass index in some users

    In recent years, mobile applications designed to monitor health-related behaviors have gained popularity, with several incorporating game-like features to boost user engagement and effectiveness. This study investigated the impact of such a gamified app on sleep parameters and body mass index (BMI).

14. Tired teens more prone to injury, research suggests

    It's common knowledge teens need a good night's sleep to function well. But recent Brock University-led international research has raised the stakes on what could happen if their slumber is inadequate. The findings are published in the European Journal of Public Health.

15. Adolescents who sleep longer can perform better at cognitive tasks

    Adolescents who sleep for longer—and from an earlier bedtime—than their peers tend to have improved brain function and perform better at cognitive tests, researchers from the UK and China have shown.

16. Insomnia and sleep medication use connected to disability in older adults

    Insomnia is a significant health and quality of life concern for older adults, with up to half of all adults over the age of 65 experiencing insomnia symptoms. In a new study, researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development and at Taipei Medical University have analyzed five years of data from older adults in the United States. They found that higher levels of both insomnia symptoms and sleep medication use were associated with higher risk of disability a year later.

17. Healthy sleep patterns decrease the risk of being hospitalized for infections, study finds

    Sleep is an essential biological process known to contribute to both mental and physical health. In addition to supporting memory processes and learning, boosting concentration, facilitating the body's recovery, and promoting cardiovascular health, good quality sleep for approximately 7–8 hours a day has been found to strengthen the body's immune system.

18. Research reveals patient attitudes toward devices like smartwatches

    Last year, two popular smartwatches—the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch—received Food and Drug Administration approval for features that can potentially alert the wearer that they may have sleep apnea.

19. Exercise before bed is linked with disrupted sleep

    Exercise too close to bedtime may affect sleep duration, timing and quality, new research led by Monash University has found. More strenuous workouts closer to bedtime coincided with greater disruptions to sleep and nighttime cardiac activity.

20. Is your teen sleep-deprived? These expert bedtime tips could help

    Navigating bedtime with a teenager is, in many homes, a nightly battle with a constant refrain: Get off your phone! Go to bed!

21. Sleep training is no longer just for babies. Some schools are teaching teens how to sleep

    The topic of a new course at Mansfield Senior High School is one that teenagers across the country are having trouble with: How to Get to Sleep.

22. Sleep apnea research links gut health to new treatment possibilities

    A new scientific review from researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine highlights emerging connections between gut health and sleep apnea, pointing to potential new therapeutic approaches for managing this common and serious disorder.

23. Stress, depression factor into link between insomnia, heavy drinking

    Insomnia and hazardous drinking are so closely intertwined that estimates suggest at least one-third, and as many as 91%, of people who have a hard time with sleep also misuse alcohol.

24. Rise and shine: Natural light lessens morning fatigue, study finds

    Sleep is a necessary part of people's daily routine, but modern lifestyles and technology have ushered in an era of decreased rest time and subsequent fatigue. Further, the bedroom environment, such as light, sound, and temperature, is important for a good night's sleep, though this is often neglected in residential architecture.

25. Sleep matters: Duration, timing, quality and more may affect cardiovascular disease risk

    Healthy sleep includes multiple components, such as number of hours of sleep per night, how long it takes to fall asleep, daytime functioning and self-reported sleep satisfaction, and addressing these different dimensions of sleep may help to reduce cardiometabolic health and related risk factors, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

26. Beyond jet lag: Study unveils extent of travel-related sleep disruption from 1.5 million nights of data

    A collaborative study conducted by researchers at the Center for Sleep and Cognition at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and ŌURA found that while sleep duration recovers quickly, sleep timing and sleep architecture can take significantly longer to realign when traveling across time zones. The study titled "Insights about Travel-Related Sleep Disruption from 1.5 Million Nights of Data" was published in SLEEP on 24 March 2025.

27. Social media before bedtime wreaks havoc on our sleep: Screens alone aren't the main culprit

    "Avoid screens before bed" is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But what if the real problem isn't screen time—it's the way we use social media at night?

28. Excessive screen time tied to sleep disruptions and depression in teen girls

    Excessive screen time among adolescents negatively impacts multiple aspects of sleep, which in turn increases the risk of depressive symptoms—particularly among girls. That is the conclusion of a new study in PLOS Global Public Health by Sebastian Hökby of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and colleagues.

29. Multitasking exercise found to enhance objective sleep quality in older women

    Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that the so-called "multi-task exercise," which combines cognitive activity with physical movement, enhances sleep quality in older women by activating the prefrontal cortex after exercise. These findings may support the development of exercise programs designed to improve sleep in older populations.

30. Study links lower proportions of certain sleep stages to brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease

    New research reveals that lower proportions of specific sleep stages are associated with reduced brain volume in regions vulnerable to the development of Alzheimer's disease over time.