Who needs more sleep, women or men? And how could playing videogames help cure nightmares? A list of five more recent sleep-related findings
With the new school year about to begin, researchers are warningthat getting enough sleep is among the "most powerful predictor[s] of a child's academic performance." But who get that's not the only we've learned about sleep in 2010. Here are five more (see our first list here) noteworthy recent findings:
1. Women require more sleep than men
It's been the subject of a thousand domestic arguments: Who needs more rest, men or women? The answer, reports Lucy Elkins in the Daily Mail, is that women should get an extra 20 minutes of sleep each night. The reason, explains Professor Jim Horne of Loughborough University, is that women tend to do a lot of multi-tasking, which puts additional stress on the brain.
It's been the subject of a thousand domestic arguments: Who needs more rest, men or women? The answer, reports Lucy Elkins in the Daily Mail, is that women should get an extra 20 minutes of sleep each night. The reason, explains Professor Jim Horne of Loughborough University, is that women tend to do a lot of multi-tasking, which puts additional stress on the brain.
2. Videogamers can their control dreams
If you can't tear your teen away from their Xbox, don't worry: it might be good protection against nightmares and
mental trauma. Canadian psychologist Jayne Gackenbach says hardcore gamers are more likely to have lucid dreams and are better at controlling them when they do. Lucid dreams often take the form of nightmares, but gamers are better able to turn bad dreams into more positive experiences. Gackenbach hopes her theories can help sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder overcome their symptoms.If you can't tear your teen away from their Xbox, don't worry: it might be good protection against nightmares and
3. Too little sleep shrinks your brain
Insomnia may have alarming neurological affects, according to a study recently published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. Chronically sleepless subjects were found by Dutch researchers to have a smaller volume of gray matter in their left orbitofrontal cortex. The worse their insomnia was, the less brain volume they had. A reduction in the size of one's brain is also associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Insomnia may have alarming neurological affects, according to a study recently published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. Chronically sleepless subjects were found by Dutch researchers to have a smaller volume of gray matter in their left orbitofrontal cortex. The worse their insomnia was, the less brain volume they had. A reduction in the size of one's brain is also associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
4. Heavy sleepers have special brain wave patterns that block noise
Ever wonder why some people can sleep through anything, while others are jolted awake by a leaf falling nearby? Harvard researchers have an answer: brain spindles, says HealthDay's Melissa Lee Phillips. Spindles are bursts of rapid brain activity produced by the thalamus, and they apparently block the neurological signals produced by "hearing" sounds. The more spindles a person produces during the night, the less likely noises will wake him or her up. Next step: Learning how to ramp up spindle production.
Ever wonder why some people can sleep through anything, while others are jolted awake by a leaf falling nearby? Harvard researchers have an answer: brain spindles, says HealthDay's Melissa Lee Phillips. Spindles are bursts of rapid brain activity produced by the thalamus, and they apparently block the neurological signals produced by "hearing" sounds. The more spindles a person produces during the night, the less likely noises will wake him or her up. Next step: Learning how to ramp up spindle production.
5. Your sleep position reveals your personality
How you sleep says more about you than you might think, reports Jessica Ashley at Yahoo Shine. British researchers say the six main sleep positions correspond to personality traits. The most common, the fetal position, indicates someone with a "tough exterior" but "still sensitive." The rare few who sleep in the "starfish" position are "good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention."
How you sleep says more about you than you might think, reports Jessica Ashley at Yahoo Shine. British researchers say the six main sleep positions correspond to personality traits. The most common, the fetal position, indicates someone with a "tough exterior" but "still sensitive." The rare few who sleep in the "starfish" position are "good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention."
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