In the News

Among debates around changes to disability payments for sleep apnea, experts say awareness of the condition’s benefits has spread quickly among veterans. “The common question I get is, ‘Is this compensable or not?’” said Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine. She noted that some veterans ask to be tested for it. “A lot of the time they tell me, ‘I know someone who got rated for this.’” Tags: Washington_Post sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula top_tier sleep_apnea VA EH FY26 2025 Q2 November

Waking up in the middle of the night isn’t new. Before the Industrial Revolution, people commonly slept in two shifts, a pattern known as biphasic sleep. “The widespread use of artificial lighting allowed people to stay up later instead of going to bed shortly after sunset,” said Jenie George, MD, an assistant professor of Clinical Medicine (Sleep Medicine), noting that this shift “gradually changed our internal clocks to a later sleep onset.” Today, inconsistent sleep schedules, alcohol, caffeine, lack of exercise, or late-day naps can all confuse the body’s natural rhythm and make 3 am awakenings more likely. Tags: womans_world sleep_medicine jenie_george biphasic_sleep EH FY26 2025 Q2 November

New research suggests that chronic use of melatonin supplements could be a warning sign of heart failure among people with insomnia. However, Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, noted that any effects are "very modest." Instead, evidence-based treatments for insomnia include cognitive-behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes and, sometimes, prescription medication. Tags: today sleep_medicine philip_gehrman melatonin cbt-i insomnia EH FY26 2025 October q2

As our clocks 'fall back' for daylight saving time, Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, shares what impact it could have on our sleep and day to day activities. "Disrupted sleep can lead to driving accidents, you can end up being late for work, not performing well, making mistakes," she said, adding that long-term sleep deprivation is associated with obesity and weight gain. OG link: https://app.criticalmention.com/app/#/clip/view/c74dc483-1d1a-4a3f-9d77-ebeabd85fc74?token=50f562bf-af71-4d6f-9868-da2b61ed1166 Tags: CBS3 regional_philadelphia broadcast indira_gurubhagavatula communications_placement sleep_medicine daylight_saving_time Penn_Sleep_Center EH FY26 2025 Q2 October

Orthosomnia is a condition characterized by poor sleep that stems from an obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep. Often, that pursuit involves wearable sleep trackers or apps, which, according to Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, often don't measure sleep, itself. “They use indirect data like heart rate, movement or body position to estimate whether the person is awake or asleep. They may even tell you that this ‘sleep’ is ‘light,’ ‘deep’ or ‘REM’ sleep.” Tags: Huffington_Post indira_gurubhagavatula sleep_medicine Penn_Sleep_Center orthosomnia EH FY26 2025 Q2 October

The quality of your sleep is important to focus on because it “improves concentration, learning, and memory consolidation,” said Jenie George, MD, an assistant professor of Clinical Medicine (Sleep Medicine). “It also supports creativity and decision-making.” Quality includes getting restorative sleep stages [REM and deep sleep] which are needed for physical recovery, emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and immune function. Tags: Womens_Health jenie_george sleep_medicine EH FY26 2025 Q2 October

Some research has shown that breathing exercises associated with yoga, in addition to exercise, may help ease obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. Penn Medicine is cited in identifying the mechanisms behind sleep apnea: a blockage occurs when your throat muscles relax to the point that tissues block the airway. Risk factors include having excess fat, sleeping in a certain position, and even tonsil size. Tags: everyday_health sleep_medicine sleep_apnea EH FY26 2025 Q1 september

Racing thoughts or trouble getting comfortable are possible signs of insomnia and restless leg syndrome, a condition characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move your legs. According to Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, while stress or anemia may contribute to both conditions, there’s often no one common cause for these sleep disorders. To get an official diagnosis, you have to experience these symptoms for at least three months. Tags: New_York_Times top_tier sleep_medicine psychiatry philip_gehrman restless_legs_syndrome insomnia EH FY26 2025 Q1 September

Shopping for a mattress is supposed to lead to better sleep, but the experience itself can be a nightmare. Richard Schwab, MD, chief of Sleep Medicine, said that while a mattress is an important component, the impact of technology has grown, with some smart watches tracking sleep by noting the time and position of the body during the progression of sleep stages and cycles. Tags: New_York_Times top_tier sleep_medicine richard_schwab EH FY26 2025 Q1 August

Obesity is considered a top risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, and one of the first places we gain weight is our tongue. A 2020 study led by Richard Schwab, MD, chief of Sleep Medicine, used MRI scans to examine how weight loss affected sleep apnea scores, and images showed that their slimmer tongues were a primary reason. “Now that we know tongue fat is a risk factor and that sleep apnea improves when tongue fat is reduced, we have established a unique therapeutic target that we’ve never had before,” Schwab added. Tags: New_York_Post sleep_medicine richard_schwab obesity EH FY26 2025 Q1 August

Weight gain can make snoring worse. It can also affect your partner’s quality of sleep. “Sometimes people wake themselves up from snoring or disturb their bedpartner, who then wakes them up to have them turn over,” said Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine. Gurubhagavatula recommended things like keeping a regular schedule and reducing alcohol use, among other recommendations, for better sleep. Tags: Medscape sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula obesity EH FY26 2025 Q1 August

Insomnia is often used as a catch-all term to describe a whole slew of sleep problems. Sleep onset insomnia, also called initial insomnia, describes struggling to initially fall asleep. “Stress, anxiety and depression are probably the biggest causes of sleep onset insomnia,” said Richard Schwab, MD, chief of Sleep Medicine. Schwab noted that managing stress is key to getting quality sleep. Tags: Huffington_Post richard_schwab sleep_medicine sleep_onset_insomnia insomnia EH FY26 2025 Q1 July

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) was associated with a significantly increased risk for all-cause mortality in women, results of a large observational study showed. Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, said that while the study involved women veterans, whose risks for sleepiness and mortality may be different than those in other populations. “The bottom line is that the report is intriguing and calls for more studies to confirm this finding and help explain the mechanism,” she added. Tags: medscape sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula excessive_daytime_sleepiness EH FY25 2025 Q4 June

Experts emphasize the importance of recognizing when repeated yawning and nodding off could be symptoms of an underlying sleep deficit. “The unfortunate thing is data shows that with chronic partial sleep deprivation the ability to perceive our own level of impairment is no longer accurate," said Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine. "We think we’re OK when we’re really not." Tags: earth.com sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula microsleeps EH FY25 2025 Q4 June

Ilene M. Rosen, MD, an associate professor of Sleep Medicine, will be recognized with the Excellence in Education Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) on June 9, during the plenary session of the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle. Rosen's research focuses on innovative sleep medicine education and expanding access to care. Tags: Sleep_Review ilene_rosen sleep_medicine american_academy_of_sleep_medicine EH FY25 2025 Q4 May