Sleep Medicine News

Women who use electronic cigarettes in addition to conventional cigarettes experience more sleep disturbances than nonsmokers and those who only use one product, researchers reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Using a wrist-worn actigraphy device, researchers found that people with current depression and/or anxiety had reduced physical activity and more circadian rhythm disturbances than controls, researchers reported in Depression & Anxiety.

Findings of a cross-sectional study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggested that approximately 6% of children — or one in 17 — are given melatonin for sleep problems.

New estimates indicate that nearly 1 billion adults around the world have mild to severe obstructive sleep apnea, about half of whom have moderate to severe disease, according to a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The positive sleep changes that older residents of Finland experienced after retirement was likely not caused by the removal of difficult work situations, according to findings recently published in Sleep.

Researchers found that 14% of 125 suicidal adults with major depressive disorder, who were not suspected to have obstructive sleep apnea, actually did meet diagnostic criteria for the condition.

Data suggest that pitolisant, a histamine 3-receptor antagonist/inverse agonist under development for narcolepsy treatment, showed limited abuse potential and other benefits, according to findings presented at SLEEP.

Women with primary ovarian insufficiency receiving hormone therapy report poorer sleep quality — including taking longer to fall asleep and more fatigue — than similarly aged women with preserved ovarian function, according to findings from a cross-sectional study.

Women who took sleep medications were at a slightly higher risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to findings from a Utah-based cohort released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference revealed that frequent use of sleep medications may increase the long-term risk for dementia, especially among older white adults.