In the background of the Florida Panthers’ arduous Stanley Cup victory, the Boston Celtics’ dominating Finals performance, and Scottie Scheffler’s magical PGA Tour are a series of carefully crafted habits. Every element of an athlete’s routine is broken down to a science: their eating habits, workout plan, and game day traditions are all prepared and executed with extreme precision. But there’s one piece of preparation that many athletes overlook: their sleep schedule. Dr. Chris Winter has been practicing neurology and sleep medicine for 20 years and excels at working with athletic teams to im ..read more

In a society focused on rushing through the “daily grind,” taking care of the human body has never been more important. There are many classes, books, and online resources informing people on how to improve their daily eating and exercise routines, but very few when it comes to learning how to take care of sleeping habits. University of Michigan neurology and sleep medicine professor Dr. Ronald Chervin has changed that. Chervin and a team from Michigan Medicine have created a free online course, “From Sleep Disorders to Sleep Health,” to highlight the importance of good sleeping habits in a si ..read more

Congratulations to the three students selected as the winners of the 2024 AASM High School Video Contest! This year’s contest focused on helping teens understand why sleep is important to their success either in school, health, safety, sports, relationships, or another area. Contestants were asked to focus on one aspect of a teens’ life. Along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle. Getting the sleep that your body needs is essential for your health, well-being and mood. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that ..read more

For many people, caffeine offers a quick pick-me-up when fatigue sets in. Found in various forms like coffee, tea, sodas and energy drinks, caffeine’s stimulating effects are well-documented, providing a temporary boost to alertness and mental acuity. However, caffeine can cause side effects and have a disruptive effect on your sleep. Caffeine, a natural substance derived from plants or produced synthetically, operates as a stimulant by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, thereby diminishing feelings of sleepiness. It can help improve your concentration, alertness and energy. However, d ..read more

Improving sleep isn’t just about getting comfy in bed. It’s also about training our brains to connect the bed with sleep. That’s what stimulus control, a component of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, is all about. By having a consistent and predictable schedule and avoiding activities like watching TV or scrolling through your phone in bed, you’re reinforcing the idea that your bed is meant for sleep, which can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It’s a simple but effective way to improve your sleep quality and overall well-being. Here are five easy tips to help you i ..read more

A sleep study, also known as polysomnography, monitors your breathing, heart rate, body movements and brain waves while you sleep. This is performed in a specialized setting with a trained sleep technologist who is monitoring all of these aspects while ensuring your safety and comfort. Your doctor performs a thorough assessment of your sleep complaints and if they feel further testing is required, orders a sleep study. This helps to correctly diagnose sleep disorders that you might have. On the day of the study, you will be asked to arrive at the sleep center in the evening with the intention ..read more

Jet lag — it’s the unwelcome guest that often accompanies long-distance travel, leaving us feeling disoriented and fatigued. Whether you’re a frequent flyer or embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime journey, understanding how to mitigate jet lag’s effects is essential for a successful trip. Understanding jet lag Jet lag is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder. It occurs when rapid travel across multiple time zones disrupts our internal body clock. Our circadian rhythms, synchronized by cues such as daylight and darkness, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, ensuring we feel alert during the day and sle ..read more

Submissions are now being accepted for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s 2024 “Sleep for Success” High School Video Contest. Entrants will compete for a cash prize and raise awareness about the importance of sleep for teens and how proper sleep leads to better overall health, performance, and safety. High school students can enter the contest by submitting an original video that ranges from 30 to 90 seconds long to help teens understand why sleep is important to their success either in school, health, safety, sports, relationships, or another area. The video should focus on one asp ..read more

Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for our overall well-being. Did you know it can also play a role in helping you quit drinking alcohol? Learn how sleep can impact your efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle. The link between sleep and alcohol use Research studies indicate a bidirectional relationship between sleep and alcohol. This means that poor sleep can contribute to increased alcohol use, while excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt sleep patterns. It becomes a cycle where one negatively influences the other. Sleep deprivation and alcohol cravings A lack of quality sleep can lead ..read more

The nonprofit organization Project Sleep recently introduced The Sleep Helpline™, a national helpline to guide you through sleep-related challenges. Let’s explore what the Sleep Helpline offers and how it can assist you. What is the Sleep Helpline? The Sleep Helpline is a professionally staffed helpline providing free, personalized, confidential support and resources for people facing sleep issues and sleep disorders. It is run by Project Sleep, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about sleep health, sleep equity and sleep disorders. The helpline is funded by dono ..read more