All articles tagged with #sleep
Magnesium is essential for many bodily processes and is mainly consumed through food, yet supplement use is booming with claims it aids sleep, stress, and mood. The research, however, shows benefits are not universal and may be modest or limited to certain individuals, meaning many people won’t feel a noticeable effect beyond placebo.
Five doctors share science-backed sleep-hygiene tips to help you fall asleep faster and reverse 3 a.m. wake-ups: establish a consistent bed and wake time, create a dark, quiet sleep environment, schedule a dedicated worry period in the evening, get daylight and daytime activity to reinforce your circadian rhythm, and use short daytime naps if needed. The tips target long-term sleep quality rather than quick fixes and may not work for everyone, so consult a doctor if insomnia persists.
Australian researchers find chronic insomnia may stem from a delayed brain circadian clock that prevents the mind from winding down at night. In a 24-hour lab study with 32 older adults, insomniacs showed weaker nighttime disengagement and about a 6.5-hour delay in cognitive peaks, indicating circadian misalignment; the work suggests circadian-focused treatments such as timed light exposure, structured routines, and mindfulness could help restore night-time brain downshifting beyond standard behavioral therapies.
A Northwestern University study found that stopping meals earlier in the evening to extend the overnight fasting window and better align with sleep can improve heart rhythm and blood sugar control in adults at elevated risk of heart disease, highlighting meal timing as a key factor in cardiometabolic health beyond calories or content.
Neuroscientist Majid Fotuhi shares six practical brain-boosting habits: start your day with a positive mindset; exercise about four days a week to boost oxygen, BDNF, and hippocampal growth; eat a high-fiber breakfast to support overall body-brain health and gut balance; use brief mind resets (slow breathing and a simple ma-ta-sa-ba finger rhythm) to curb stress and sharpen focus; don’t panic if sleep is interrupted—keep moving and breathing to reset; and practice memorizing three to four new names daily to strengthen memory.
New Mayo Clinic findings indicate the brain may hijack memory-consolidation processes after a seizure, with nights of intensified deep (NREM) sleep and reduced REM sleep that strengthen seizure networks and potentially worsen epilepsy. This post-seizure consolidation could explain disease progression and points to a critical window for targeted neuromodulation therapies to disrupt the reinforced networks, an approach being explored by Mayo’s BIONIC initiative.
University students in Pakistan describe revenge bedtime procrastination—staying up late to reclaim personal time—driven by autonomy, FOMO, and stress. Psychologists and doctors say it can signal underlying mental health issues and, while offering temporary control, it leads to fatigue, irritability and poorer academic performance unless awareness and healthier daytime routines are adopted.
A University of East Anglia study using brainwave monitoring shows eight- to eleven-month-old infants with high sensory sensitivity spend similar amounts of time in deep sleep as peers, but their deep sleep is shallower with weaker slow waves, making it less restorative; while noise worsens sleep disruption, these babies remain lighter sleepers even in quiet environments, suggesting an intrinsic sensory wiring difference that could relate to autism traits and early brain development.
A study found that reading a book at night improves sleep for more people than going straight to bed, with a December 2019 online trial showing 42% of readers reported better sleep versus 28% of nonreaders. Brain scans suggested lasting connectivity changes from nightly reading, and experts say short, consistent 15–20 minute sessions can calm the mind, support memory and cognitive reserve, and even enhance social skills.
A geriatric physical therapist explains that highly active seniors can suffer from repetitive-stress injuries when recovery is neglected. She recommends diversifying movement to include cardio, strength, balance, and tissue-restoration, scheduling rest days and prioritizing high-quality sleep, and consulting a physical therapist to tailor a safe, well-rounded plan.
A small study of 39 adults with overweight/obesity found that stopping eating at least three hours before bed (a 13–16 hour overnight fast) improved nocturnal blood pressure dipping and reduced resting heart rate, and also improved glucose control, compared with a shorter habitual fast of 11–13 hours. The benefits occurred without cutting calories and are thought to arise from better alignment with circadian rhythms, though results may not generalize to everyone; gradual habit changes and attention to daytime meals can help implement this approach.
A board-certified sleep doctor recommends swapping nightly screen time (TV/doomscrolling) for audio-based wind-downs—podcasts, audiobooks, or music with a sleep timer—to reduce stimulation and light exposure, which can help with insomnia and waking up at 3 a.m. The piece also stresses a consistent pre-bed routine and a firm cutoff for screens to improve sleep quality.
A Washington Post Well+Being column outlines eight science-backed habits to improve heart health, highlighting that stronger cardiovascular health also lowers risks for diabetes, dementia and cancer through everyday choices like regular activity, quality sleep, and nutritious eating.
The article explains that the familiar afternoon energy dip is tied to our circadian clock, with a natural slump between 1 and 4 p.m., and offers practical steps to combat it: start the day with bright light (and use 10,000-lux lamps in darker months), keep a consistent bedtime to avoid social jet lag, consider shifting to an earlier wake time if possible, use short 30-minute naps if needed, incorporate light exercise, avoid high-carb lunches and front-load calories with a big breakfast followed by a lighter, high-protein lunch, limit blue-light at night and practice good sleep hygiene, and consider nightly magnesium to improve sleep. The overarching goal is to anchor your day to your circadian rhythm to improve alertness and performance.
A Guardian Science Weekly podcast examines whether magnesium supplements live up to the hype, explaining magnesium’s role in the body, what current evidence shows about benefits for anxiety, sleep and brain fog, and practical guidance on whether and how to supplement, including considering dietary intake and individual needs.