Still wondering why a good night’s sleep makes a big difference? Well, perhaps this keynote from Jessa Gamble can somehow brief you on the reason why. Health is an immediate answer for this of course but if you want a more straight-to-the-point explanation, one of the things that will be affected is your body clock.

Sharing her research with some folks, Jessa bares how quality rest time is a key element to productivity and more importantly one’s health.

Jessa bares that the sleeping patterns of people living in environments without any artificial light at all experience true wakefulness during non-resting hours due to the high quality of sleep they get in the evening.

Hence, Jessa Gamble appeals to her audience and concerned readers that in a time of 24-hour business days, longer work periods and night shifts, we should somehow offset the damaging effects these instances would have on our body.

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Here is a solution that should help out sleep apnea sufferers although I am not sure how many people would be more than willing to have something inserted in their bodies to address it. Apparently the apparatus is a pulse generator which is said to be something that would be inserted below the collar bone of people.

The pulse will eventually stop the tongue from blocking the airway during sleep. The device (placed just under the hypoglossal nerve) will synchronize with breathing motions but is not active during wakefulness as shared by Dr. Andrew Jamieson of the Sleep Medicine Associates of Texas. A remote control is used to turn the pulse generator on and off.

Dr. Jamieson said early results in Dallas and other test locations are promising but FDA approval–if it comes–may be three to five years away.

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Here is something handy and portable for the people seeking more sleep aids. This is the PowerNap Machine, something designed to help facilitate naps all in one portable design. The PowerNap Machine is a pocket-sized media player that features original and relaxing music composed just for Power Nap which fades away gradually, finally disappearing into the Power Nap sounds that rest and rejuvenate people who look for better sleep.

For the first five minutes of listening with the device, a person’s brain adjusts to the inaudible sound waves. On the next ten minutes the device’s recording helps induce REM sleep, giving the user a refreshed state of heightened wakefulness. All throughout its use and the session, the user will only hear the pleasing sounds of a waterfall.

For the sleep-deprived and people who may want to try it out, it is available over at the company website for $70.

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While common alarm clocks are expected to wake you up from bed, here is one that politely does so to make sure you get up on the right side of bed. This clock which you can alternatively call as Jeeves, politely wakes you up in lieu of that irritating noise a standard alarm clock would give you.

Every morning, Jeeves awakens Sir or Madam with a most smooth and comforting way, His dulcet voice soothes Sir or Madam into gentle wakefulness without the unpleasant slap in the face that is normal alarm-clock operation. The heavy wood and the roman numerals on the timepiece’s face lend a old world gothic flavor to the clock.

The Good Morning Sir Alarm Clock is available from Thinkgeek for $69.99. However, the clock is currently on sale and if you get one now, you get a $20 off or have to pay only $49.99 for it.

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A new snoring device is out in the market. This is the Snore Eliminator, a new device that gently repositions the jaw with a customizable gel mouthpiece that should aid snorers and provide them with better wakefulness and energy after a good night’s sleep.

This new snoring remedy boasts of a customizable mandibular advancement device also promotes good breathing and prevents sleep apnea. It is available without a prescription at Sylvan Inc.’s just-launched web site anti-snoring-device.org.

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Silentnight reveals yet another potential breakthrough to get some sensible sleep with their new Pocket Zing mattresses. They are filled with pro-biotic microcapsules to help provide better wakefulness in the mornings.

As you sleep, your body pressure activates the friendly bacteria, which quickly multiply to outnumber and replace any harmful bacteria in the bed. The friendly bacteria reduce mould and moisture, keeping dust-mites at bay and reducing allergens for a drier, fresher, healthier bed.

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It seems that sleep loss is more serious that we thought. While we all know that chronic sleep loss does affect the memory, it seems that reflex action and other brain function can severely be affected as well. A study over at the Harvard Medical School can attest to that when they put nine volunteers on a specialized sleep-wake schedule made of 33 hours of wakefulness and 10 hours of sleep.

Using a series of tests, the researchers measured the subjects’ reflexes, motor skills, memory, decision making, and other brain functions. The results have yielded conclusions that may overturn commonly held misconceptions about sleep. Several weeks into the study, the subjects’ average reaction time at night had slowed from a quarter of a second to almost four seconds.

(Source) The Crimson

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For sure some of us have had some episodes on wanting to get up from bed but fail to do so? Why is that? Some say it is the inability to move certain parts of the body which many relate to sleep paralysis. Apparently some people have had their experiences and if you want a scientific explanation from it, you may want to associate it with Rapid Eye Movement (REM). REM sleep intrudes into wakefulness, so if you don’t immediately click out of REM sleep and wake up, then you may continue to have this paralysis.

Hence it would be best to get some special help regarding this condition. Apparently you will be frightened about being temporarily paralyzed. There are explanations but to remedy it, sleep experts are the best people to teach you how.

(Source) Stuff

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There is a drug that was originally meant to aid seizures but based on a study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center, the same drug can be a great remedy as well for menopause women who have trouble sleeping.

The drug is called Gabapentin, a drug that has proven to provide improved sleep quality without the harsh side effects that sleeping pills are known to carry.

Gabapentin’s impact on the sleep quality factor in menopausal women may reflect improvement in hot flashes, stabilization of sleep architecture, or a decrease in the amount of time to transition from wakefulness to sleep, the researchers wrote. It is also possible that Gabapentin improved sleep quality by addressing underlying sleep pathology, such as restless legs syndrome.

(Source) Times of India

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Perhaps this logic comes from the common understanding that when you sleep, it means your brain is resting. And when you are resting it allows you to properly digest what had transpired as well as current events on a clear mind.

In research published this week in Neuron, Marcos Frank, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, postdoctoral researcher Sara Aton, PhD, and colleagues describe for the first time how cellular changes in the sleeping brain promote the formation of memories.

“This is the first real direct insight into how the brain, on a cellular level, changes the strength of its connections during sleep,” Frank says.

The findings, says Frank, reveal that the brain during sleep is fundamentally different from the brain during wakefulness.

(Source) Examiner

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Today, you are no longer blessed in choosing the right career for you. In fact we have seen the growing need for shift workers, most of which have trouble adjusting to new sleeping patterns brought about by the need to perform round the clock jobs. Among the notable workers we know who are shift workers include:

1. Nurses
2. Call Center Agents
3. Customer Service Representatives
4. 24/7 Convenience Store Attendants
5. Gasoline Station Personnel
6. Policemen
7. Firemen
8. Doctors/ Physicians
9. IT Personnel
10. Airlines Personnel

Most of these people have to adjust to the sleeping patterns that come with their job and here are some ways they can go about it:

Try to have a predictable schedule of night shifts.

During the shift, keep the lights bright to trigger wakefulness.

For daytime sleeping, eliminate as much noise and light as possible.

(Source) The News International

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