https://medicalxpress.com/sleep-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Sleep medicine A new Cochrane review finds that existing evidence is too uncertain to determine whether medical cannabis improves sleep or daytime functioning in people with insomnia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-insufficient-evidence-medical-cannabis-insomnia.html Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:00:01 EDT news711016201 Millions of Americans use cannabis products as sleep aids, but a new Northwestern Medicine study suggests marijuana may not improve sleep the way many people believe it does. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-cannabis.html Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:00:13 EDT news711015601 Researchers have found that treating insomnia can also help reduce symptoms of depression, with participants in a new study reporting improvements in both conditions. Led by Vanika Lall, clinical associate professor Melissa Ree and emeritus professor Romola Bucks, from The University of Western Australia's School of Psychological Science, the study published in Behaviour Research and Therapy found insomnia therapy may hold the key to lasting recovery from depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-insomnia-key-symptoms-depression.html Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:00:02 EDT news711013563 A research team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that electrocardiograms (ECGs) administered during sleep and paired with sleep stage information can be used to determine the risk of future adverse cardiac events. The study, which used a deep learning approach, suggests that using ECGs to predict which patients have a greater risk of poor heart-related outcomes could help guide clinical decision-making. The findings were published in the journal SLEEP. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-deep-ecgs-cardiovascular-outcomes.html Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:20:20 EDT news710762102 A patch the size of a Band-Aid, stuck to your forehead, can now do something no traditional sleep study or fitness tracker can: nudge your brain toward a better night's sleep. William Coon, a sleep scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, has built a wearable device, meant to be used at home, that listens to brain activity and uses neurostimulation and other techniques to manufacture deep, restorative sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-insomnia-ai-powered-forehead-patch.html Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:40:01 EDT news710756284 Too hot, too cold. On your stomach, then your side. Thoughts spiraling. Counting sheep. Checking the clock. Unable to sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-hard-sleepmaxxing.html Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:20:06 EDT news710746922 Whether you're struggling with jet lag, working shifts and sleeping during the day, or dealing with more severe insomnia, you might have wondered if melatonin can help you get better sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-melatonin.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:40:12 EDT news710675941 Cannabinol is a popular ingredient in over-the-counter sleep products, marketed as a gentle, plant-derived way to unwind at the end of the day. But new research conducted at the University of Connecticut suggests consumers should use it with caution. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-common-herbal-aid-addictive-potential.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:00:16 EDT news710678461 People with type 2 diabetes who sleep longer may have an increased risk of developing or worsening diabetic kidney disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-longer-linked-higher-kidney-disease.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:08 EDT news710588101 On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-tracker-neuroscientist.html Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:40:20 EDT news710501162 How much sleep is enough? Public health recommendations necessarily give population-level answers. But with wearable devices now capable of recording hundreds of nights from the same person, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have asked whether short sleep could also be assessed relative to an individual's own sleep pattern. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-short-term-wearable-personal-insufficient.html Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:00:37 EDT news710497442 Isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), a condition characterized by strong physical reactions to vivid, often violent dreams, is one of the earliest warning signs of brain changes seen in Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies, sometimes appearing years before diagnosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-brain-responses-heartbeat-patients-irbd.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:00:06 EDT news710430723 Several Canadian jurisdictions are moving toward ending the twice-yearly clock change, but a new analysis published in Canadian Medical Association Journal argues that eliminating the clock change is only half the decision: Governments must also decide whether to adopt permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving time. Both choices have trade-offs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-clock-health-evidence-favors-permanent.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:10:07 EDT news710148481 Pulling an all-nighter before a test or assignment deadline is almost a teenage rite of passage, but scientists are concerned that these exceptions are becoming a regular habit. Insomnia symptoms during adolescence are linked to a range of adverse health and developmental outcomes. Studies have found that physical activity can be a good antidote to sleep issues, but can it help ease adolescent insomnia? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-teens-problems-line-reveals.html Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:20:18 EDT news710156566 Between college dormitories and cramped apartments, young adults often live in environments that can be loud, bright or uncomfortable, making it difficult to reliably get a good night's sleep, according to Adwoa Dadzie, a doctoral candidate in biobehavioral health at Penn State. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-hours-story-young-adults-quality.html Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:00:20 EDT news710076422 People with evening chronotypes are 1.7 times as likely as morning chronotypes to retire early and receive a disability pension, according to research published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-night-owls-struggle-age.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:30:04 EDT news709895041 Imagine swimmers on starting blocks, poised to dive at the sound of the starting horn, or a driver traveling at 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) who suddenly needs to brake to avoid a collision. A fraction of a second in response time could mean the difference between winning and losing—or between life and death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-ready-exhale-linked-faster-responses.html Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:01:02 EDT news709558201 Insomnia is associated with a 26% higher risk of stroke and 28% higher odds of hospital admission, according to new research in Sleep Medicine Reviews. The researchers say the findings support recognizing insomnia as an important marker of brain, mental and general health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-insomnia-linked-higher.html Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:10:05 EDT news709557061 Sleep problems are significantly more common among people with migraine than among those without headaches. People with migraine also tend to have a later chronotype, meaning they tend to fall asleep and wake up later and are most active later in the day. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-migraine-strongly-interconnected.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:20:05 EDT news709555441 A research team led by Hnin Yin Yin Nyein, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has developed a wearable device called "HELP" (heteromodal epidermal liquid-metal patch). Using liquid-metal technology, the soft, skin-like patch simultaneously tracks breathing and heart activity. The comfortable, noninvasive technology marks a promising step toward continuous, clinical-grade health monitoring at home for patients with chronic respiratory and heart conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-skin-patch-minute-apnea-events.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:40:11 EDT news709463997 New research has found that mothers with poor sleep quality in late pregnancy had babies with lower weight in the first six months of life but higher weight at ages 1–2 years. This effect was strongest in male infants and in babies born at term. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mothers-poor-quality-late-pregnancy.html Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:10:01 EDT news709213801 Some genetic disorders have a clear connection between the affected gene product and the suite of symptoms produced. But genes do not work in isolation, and many other conditions can be bafflingly complex, as when an affected gene product affects the function of many tissues throughout the body. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a collection of genetic disorders of connective tissue, is particularly challenging for those who live with it because of its varied and poorly understood effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-stubborn-medical-mystery-insights-disorder.html Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:00:01 EDT news709227541 Sleep problems are common in people with schizophrenia and can worsen quality of life, psychiatric symptoms, cognition and daily functioning. Nighttime light is known to interfere with normal sleep and circadian rhythms in the general population, but its relationship with sleep in schizophrenia had not been examined using both objective and subjective measures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-nighttime-disrupt-people-schizophrenia.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:40:03 EDT news708955921 Greater amounts of REM and deep sleep were associated with lower risks of dozens of diseases, and less than 5 hours of total sleep was associated with high disease risks, according to a new study published Sept. 17 in the journal PLOS Medicine by Shengzhi Sun of Capital Medical University, China, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-rem-deep-total-disease.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:13 EDT news708797641 Anyone who has flown with or near children can picture it: the crying kid, the frazzled parent and the cranky passengers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kids-minimize-jet-lag.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:20:17 EDT news708854883 With summer break over and school back in session, some children and teens may be struggling to adjust their sleep schedules. A pediatric sleep expert at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital explains why students need plenty of sleep and the importance of good sleep habits. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kids-success-school.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:40:01 EDT news708845401 Sleep problems are common in middle age, particularly among women in their 40s and 50s. In a new study published Sept. 1, 2026, in the Journal of Wood Science, researchers explored whether essential oils derived from Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), known as Japanese cypress, roots could help improve sleep quality. Participants reported fewer nighttime awakenings, improved morning feelings and brain-wave patterns suggesting smoother sleep onset. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-japanese-hinoki-root-essential-oil.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:20:02 EDT news708771352 Could the secret to bouncing back after a grueling practice be as simple as sleeping just a little bit longer for one night? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-good-night-fatigue-hockey-players.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 17:00:06 EDT news708698383 Has your partner ever woken you up at night with their coughing? Has your coughing ever woken them up? New research suggests it could be due to air pollution levels in your area, even if those levels are low. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-app-tracks-link-air-pollution.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:00:13 EDT news708603241 "Why do people speak while they are sleeping?—Mubina, age 15, Uzbekistan" https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-psychologist.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:20:01 EDT news708599402