Latest in Sleep Medicine News

Surgery and anaesthesia can cause disruption of the circadian timing system and diurnal sleep-wake rhythm. However, it remains unknown how sleep-wake rhythm in children is affected by anaesthesia and surgery, and if anaesthesia without a surgical procedure disturbs sleep-wake cycles.

We aim to assess current trends in sleep education in otolaryngology residency training programs in the United States.

Insomnia often involves physiological hyperarousal, particularly autonomic dysregulation. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is effective, some patients do not achieve complete remission. This preliminary study evaluated whether combining CBT-I with heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback could enhance treatment effects by improving autonomic regulation.

Positive psychological interventions (PPIs) can help mitigate psychological challenges and facilitate the transition to higher education.

Nocturia is a common and bothersome symptom in the elderly population, significantly impacting their quality of sleep and overall well-being. Heat-Sensitive moxibustion (HSM) is effective for elderly people with nocturia, but its efficacy has not been scientifically proven. This randomized controlled trial is designed to determine the efficacy and safety of HSM in the elderly with Nocturia.

The rising prevalence of cancer presents a major public health challenge in Spain and globally. In 2023, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) projected 279,260 new cancer cases in Spain, with colon, breast, lung, prostate, and bladder cancers being predominant. Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, with 18.1 million new cases and 9.5 million deaths in 2018, expected to rise significantly by 2040. Given these alarming statistics, there is an urgent need to address the complex needs of cancer patients. This study assesses the psychometric properties of the COOP/WONCA charts and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) in oncology patients, evaluating their correlation with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-2).

This study focused on urban noise pollution in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana, examining its implications for public health and quality of life. Five submetropolitan areas: Subin, Bantama, Manhyia North, Manhyia South and Nhyiaeso were selected to represent different neighbourhood types: commercial, residential and mixed-use zones. Ambient noise levels were monitored using a JD-801A sound level meter. Generally, the noise level ranged between 51.86 and 82.87 dB. Manhyia South recorded the highest average noise, ranging from 58.65 to 82.87 dB, and Nhyiaeso recorded the lowest, ranging from 51.86 to 74.83 dB. Commercial areas had the highest noise levels due to overcrowded areas, traders and purchasers, deafening noise from public address systems, and overwhelming honking from vehicles. The study also revealed average noise levels across all five submetros significantly exceeded the WHO 2018 Environmental Noise Guidelines, posing a potential health threat, including cardiovascular diseases, sleep disruption and cognitive impairment. The findings emphasised the urgent need for regulatory enforcement, spatial noise planning and community-based noise mitigation strategies under the oversight of the EPA Ghana.

Patients with hematological malignancies frequently suffer from sleep disruptions during hospitalization, primarily due to frequent night-time interventions such as vital signs monitoring, which occurs at least three times during the night shift. Consequently, the sleep of these patients is interrupted each time a nurse checks their vitals. Minimizing disturbances to sleep in cancer patients is essential, as poor sleep quality has been associated with poorer responses to treatment and reduced overall survival (Strøm et al., 2022). This paper proposes the use of wearable biosensor technology over night in the inpatient setting to monitor patients' vital signs remotely and, thus, minimize disruptions to their sleep. The importance of improving sleep in this patient population and the potential for use of this technology necessitates further research on the analytical and clinical validity of wearable biosensors for use with hospitalized malignant hematology patients. The paper concludes with future recommendations and implications of this technology for the nursing profession.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to significant health issues and reduced quality of life. Despite its increasing prevalence, particularly among middle-aged and older adults, low awareness and treatment rates contribute to a substantial burden of disease uncertainty for both patients and their co-residents. This study aims to investigate the social and environmental determinants of disease uncertainty experienced by OSA patients and their co-residents, focusing on the impact of these factors on health behaviors and access to care.

Under the fast pace and high pressure of modern society, many people suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia, and then suffer from depression and anxiety. This article may lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of insomnia combined with depression and its treatment. Vital and meaningful, these mechanisms include synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitter dysfunction, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, and diminished brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Evidence for mechanism-guided integrated therapies is scarce. In clinical practice, pharmacological therapies, including antidepressants, Cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT), physiotherapeutics, acupuncture treatment, and mindfulness interventions, are generally utilised. A more profound comprehension of the pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of comprehensive and effective treatment strategies for insomnia co-occurring with depression can enhance neuropsychiatrists' ability to manage this comorbidity more effectively. This study bridges these gaps by delineating novel neurobiological crosslinks underlying comorbidity and establishing a targeted combined intervention protocol.