Grumpiness and lethargy are well recognised behaviours in schoolkids with insufficient sleep, but a new study at Flinders University shows that lack of sleep impairs children’s ‘working memories’, negatively affecting their academic ability and ultimately dragging down their marks and grades.
Flinders psychologist and sleep researcher Dr Michael Gradisar led a study of adolescent schoolchildren that shows the performance of complex tasks that require information to be retained while other information is processed are affected by levels of sleep. [continue reading…]
Sleep
When we have to make a difficult decision, or work through an idea, it’s often best to ‘sleep on it’ and come back to it fresh the next day. Swiss scientists have discovered that sleep can have lasting consequences on brain function by stimulating new brain connections that strengthen the learning processes and directly influence our actions. [continue reading…]
More than half of all older adults complain about having difficulties sleeping. Most don’t bother seeking treatment. Those who do usually turn either to medications, which can lead to other health problems, or behavior therapies, which are costly and often not available close to home.
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Now, UCLA researchers report that practicing tai chi chih, the Westernized version of a 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art, promotes sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep complaints. The study, which will be published in the journal Sleep, is currently available in the journal’s online edition.
Continuing with the theme of this mornings posts, a study, authored by Lee Ritterband, PhD, of the University of Virginia has shown that a cognitive behavioral intervention for insomnia delivered via the Internet can significantly improve insomnia in adults.
The study focused on 44 participants (mostly female) with an average age of 45 years. The participants were randomly selected to either the cognitive behavioral intervention for insomnia via the Internet or a wait list control. Measures of sleep, mood, cost, and cognitive functioning were collected at pre- and post-treatment, while additional measures of sleep were collected throughout treatment. [continue reading…]
