https://medicalxpress.com/sleep-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Sleep & Recovery For many children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), adenotonsillectomy (T&A) improves sleep efficiency (SE) and resolves OSA, according to a study published online April 12 in Laryngoscope: Investigative Otolaryngology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-adenotonsillectomy-efficiency-pediatric-obstructive-apnea.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:00:01 EDT news696777365 "I should stop." Have you ever said those words to yourself as you scrolled through one disheartening online post after another? This phenomenon is popularly known as doomscrolling. You may wonder: Why is it so difficult to stop doomscrolling once you start? More importantly, what can you do to break free from the negative spiral? Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., a psychologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, offers insights. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-doomscrolling-scroll-mental-health.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:20:04 EDT news696776881 Nearly one-third of Australian adults are getting less than the recommended seven hours of sleep, with young adults (ages 18–34) emerging as the most sleep deprived and most affected by the consequences of poor sleep, reveals a new study by Flinders University and the Sleep Health Foundation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-young-adults.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:20:05 EDT news696759062 Brain health isn't determined only by genetics or what happens later in life. A growing body of research shows that a range of factors—from mental health and sleep to the environment, lifestyle and social conditions—play a powerful role in shaping how the brain functions and ages. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-statement-highlights-brain-health-lifetime.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:00:03 EDT news696579740 Adults with more severe atopic dermatitis (AD) are at risk for sleep and memory disturbances, according to a study published online April 21 in Dermatitis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-atopic-dermatitis-linked-memory-disturbances.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:20:01 EDT news696523475 For decades, neuroscientists have been trying to uncover the neural processes that allow humans and various other animals to recall emotional experiences of past events. Past studies have identified a network of brain regions that support the encoding and consolidation of these memories. These regions include the hippocampus and the amygdala, as well as the para-hippocampal, perirhinal, prefrontal, parietal and retrosplenial cortices. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-brain-replays-emotional.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:10:01 EDT news695898378 Not everyone can sleep through rumbling traffic or a spouse's incessant snoring. If you do, you may pride yourself on being a "deep" or "heavy" sleeper. If you struggle to fall or stay asleep, you may consider yourself a "light" sleeper. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-youre-deep-sleeper-science-isnt.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:30:01 EDT news695994316 You check your smartwatch after a run. Your fitness score has dropped. You've burned hardly any calories. Your recovery score is really low. It's telling you to take the next 72 hours off exercise. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ways-smartwatch-science.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:30:05 EDT news695911615 Combining medications with behavioral therapy to treat chronic insomnia might not be best for all patients, a new practice guideline says. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) works best on its own, but can be combined with sleep meds for some patients, according to the guideline published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-guidelines-highlight-behavioral-therapy-insomnia.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:00:01 EDT news696237667 Optimal sleep duration is associated with better executive function, with a significantly higher impact of optimal sleep among those with focal epilepsy, according to a study published online April 22 in Neurology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-optimal-dementia-patients-focal-epilepsy.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news696256848 Insomnia may have been torturing humanity since ancient times, but over the last 20 years scientists have made progress in their understanding of chronic sleep deprivation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-view-insomnia.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:00:07 EDT news696176461 A new Flinders University study shows that nurses working in general practice could play a major role in improving access to sleep‑health treatment, but only if patients and general practice staff are involved in designing these services. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-gp-nurses-access.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:40:01 EDT news696142502 People might not associate brain fog and fatigue with spring allergies, but these symptoms can make life just as miserable—or sometimes more—than the watery eyes, itchy noses, and congestion we typically associate with reactions to pollen. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cranky-allergy-fatigue.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:40:05 EDT news696075204 For people with epilepsy, getting poor sleep was associated with a higher risk of dementia compared to people without epilepsy, according to a study published in Neurology. In addition, getting optimal sleep, six to eight hours a day, is associated with higher cognitive scores than getting poor sleep, less than six or more than eight hours a day. The study does not prove that poor sleep quality causes worse cognition and dementia risk; it only shows an association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-epilepsy-poor-dementia.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:00:06 EDT news696007501 Being an early bird or a night owl may be defined by your genetics, but Pitt research published March 16 in The Journal of Physiology suggests that those who rise early may receive some protection against conditions such as type 2 diabetes in return. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-heart-rhythms-reveal-early-bird.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:40:03 EDT news695996577 A study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health has found that pediatric patients with long-term COVID report a high symptom burden that meets or exceeds that of other chronic health conditions. The study describes patient characteristics, care delivery, and provides a novel description of symptom severity. The findings are published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-interdisciplinary-approach-pediatric-patients-covid.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:20:05 EDT news695915402 A randomized controlled trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of proximal hypoglossal nerve stimulation, or pHGNS, (an implanted stimulation therapy targeting specific sectors of nerves in the tongue) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) found that pHGNS significantly reduced breathing interruptions during sleep and improved patient-reported daytime sleepiness without any significant adverse events. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-implanted-nerve-obstructive-apnea-safe.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:00:02 EDT news695893982 A new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center, published in Sleep and Breathing, reveals a significant link between obstructive sleep apnea and skeletal muscle quality. This finding may indicate an increased risk of muscle deterioration with aging, something many of us are unaware of. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-obstructive-apnea-linked-poorer-muscle.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:20:02 EDT news695916541 In 2025, Lara Weed and Jamie M. Zeitzer of Stanford University published an article linking the practice of seasonal time changes (Daylight Saving Time) to negative health outcomes, ranging from acute symptoms (heart attacks and strokes) to chronic conditions (obesity). Now, Professors José María Martín-Olalla (University of Seville) and Jorge Mira Pérez (University of Santiago de Compostela), after analyzing the methodology applied in that study, have concluded that "what the world read as scientific evidence against time change has turned out to be a mathematical illusion." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-physicists-refute-famous-daylight-poses.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news695910292 Melatonin is a naturally produced molecule that has long been suspected to play a role in healthy sleep, but it has been unclear how it does so. Now, Caltech researchers have discovered a mechanism through which melatonin promotes sleep, using zebrafish models in the laboratory. The research was conducted in the lab of Professor of Biology David Prober and is described in a paper published in Current Biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-melatonin-visual-sensitivity-zebrafish.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:20:04 EDT news695909041 New research reveals that as people age, naps may be an easily trackable warning sign of underlying conditions or declining health. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center followed 1,338 older adults for up to 19 years to track napping habits and associated mortality rates. They found longer, more frequent, and morning naps were associated with higher mortality rates. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-daytime-napping-patterns-reveal-hidden.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:40:07 EDT news695902321 Sleep deprivation has long been known to weaken the immune system. Now UF Health Cancer Institute researchers have made a startling discovery: The gut microbiota drives changes to the immune system caused by chronic sleep loss. These changes promote cancer progression, disrupt the circadian rhythm, and weaken the effectiveness of chemotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-deprivation-disrupts-gut-microbiota-worsening.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:11 EDT news695572082 Depression is among the most widespread mental health disorders worldwide, affecting an estimated 1 in 20 people. It is characterized by persistent sadness, hopelessness, disrupted sleep patterns, changes in appetite and a loss of interest in everyday activities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-movement-mood-depression-early.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:40:01 EDT news695552078 It's 3am. The room is dark, the house is silent, but your brain is suddenly wide awake. Many people find themselves waking at roughly the same time each night and start to wonder whether something is wrong with their sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-night.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:04 EDT news695477582 The widespread use of benzodiazepines—better known as sleeping pills or anxiety medication—among the population has become a serious public health issue. These psychotropic drugs, central nervous system depressants prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia, carry a high risk of dependence, cognitive impairment and falls, among other consequences. A 2024 study carried out by the Spanish Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) showed that 22% of the Spanish population regularly use this type of medication, in four out of ten cases on a daily basis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-primary-campaign-benzodiazepine-overuse-patient.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:40:01 EDT news695384766 Timing exercise to match body clock chronotype—the natural predisposition to morning or evening alertness—may lower cardiovascular disease risk among those who are already vulnerable, suggests research published in the open access journal Open Heart. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-body-clock-chronotype-cardiovascular-disease.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:30:03 EDT news695294521 There are a few reasons why we might dream, say neuroscientists. Even dreams that are scary may serve a purpose: One prevalent idea is that fear in dreams could help people deal with fear in waking life, much like exposure therapy. One University of Kansas researcher recently tested this concept. Garrett Baber, a KU doctoral student in clinical psychology, sought to test whether emotions experienced within dreams—like fear and joy—change feelings the following morning. The research is published in the journal SLEEP. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-reveals-affect-emotions-day-life.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news695399761 A rise of high-tech recovery culture is underway. As sports science becomes increasingly accessible, we're seeing a trickle-down effect from elite athletes to weekend warriors, and even recreational exercisers, who are exploring ways to biohack better health and speed up recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-biohacks-basics-recovery.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:20:04 EDT news695019481 Humans and most other organisms have internal biological clocks that track the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. These clocks help time our sleep, metabolism and other essential body functions over the course of a day, creating daily patterns called circadian rhythms. Research shows that when these rhythms are disrupted—by jet lag, lack of sleep or irregular work schedules—people can suffer long-term negative health effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-baby-body-clock-synchronize-local.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:40:01 EDT news695048979 The numbers are sobering: nearly 80% of the world's teenagers don't get enough physical activity, according to the World Health Organization. But a new longitudinal study from Université de Montréal suggests the seeds of that sedentary lifestyle—or an active one—may be sown much earlier than anyone realized. Like when a child is 2.5 years of age. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-play-age-decade-motion.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:06 EDT news695033641