Penn Sleep in the News

New research led by Nirmala Nirinjini Naidoo, PhD, research associate professor of Sleep Medicine and presented at Neuroscience 2023, found that a chronic lack of sleep in young mice led to poor performance when learning new tasks. It also found that certain memory molecules were affected by a chronic lack of sleep, triggering a stress response in the brain. Tags: newsweek sleep_medicine neuroscience EH FY24 2023 November q2

Need to sleep? Consider thinking...small. Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, professor of Sleep and Chronobiology in Psychiatry, noted that watching videos about space can help to put things into perspective, reminding us “how small we are...that the Earth is just a tiny freckle in the universe, and you're just a tiny freckle on Earth.” Tags: Well_+_Good mathias_basner sleep_medicine chronobiology psychiatry EH FY24 2023 q2 November

According to new research, establishing healthy bedtime habits for your child early on is vital if at least one parent has chronic sleep difficulties. Amita Sehgal, MD, vice chair of Neuroscience, and director of the Chronobiology Program, who was not involved in the study, discusses the study, and underscores the importance of paying attention to your child's individual circadian rhythms. Tags: KG FY24 Q2 2023 November amita_sehgal neuroscience chronobiology sleep_medicine expert_opinion CNN CNN_Health

Ilene M. Rosen, MD, an associate professor of Sleep Medicine, shares tips for better sleep, such as reducing light and screen time a few hours before bedtime. Clip starts at 16:40. Tags: WHYY regional_philadelphia sleep_medicine ilene_rosen circadian_rhythm EH FY24 2023 q2 November

If you have a tendency to consistently hit the snooze button each morning, consider just setting a later alarm, instead. According to Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, professor of Sleep and Chronobiology in Psychiatry, we need continuous bouts of uninterrupted sleep to get a restorative effect. “There’s two components to sleep that are important," Basner said "One is sleep duration, and one is sleep quality. And sleep continuity is a big part of sleep quality." Tags: Huffington_Post communications_placement EH sleep_medicine chronobiology psychiatry q2 November 2023 FY24

According to Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, an associate professor of Sleep Medicine, the concept of daylight savings is a misnomer since no time is actually being saved, but rather our social clocks are being rearranged. She added that the first week of the time change shows more emergency room visits and missed medical appointments alongside a rise in other health issues. Tags: beckers_hospital_review sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula daylight_savings_time EH FY24 2023 q2 November

According to Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, sleep issues themselves are often a core element of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is one treatment that can be “very effective for helping people fall asleep and stay asleep at night.” Tags: sleep.com philip_gehrman sleep_medicine psychiatry psychology Penn_Sleep_Center cbti insomnia EH FY24 2023 q2 October

Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, professor of Sleep and Chronobiology in Psychiatry outlined the science behind polyphasic sleep, where sleep is broken down into smaller chunks, such as sleeping in three shifts in a 24-hour period. "Essentially, what you may gain in available time, you may lose in cognitive function," he said. Tags: mathias_basner sleep_medicine inverse chronobiology psychiatry EH FY24 2023 q2 October

New research suggests hitting the snooze button may not be a bad idea. Even so, Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, an associate professor of Sleep Medicine, who was not involved in the study, shared tips how to break the snooze habit—with a caveat. “There’s science, and then there’s habit,” she said. Tags: indira_gurubhagavatula sleep_medicine new_york_times top_tier communications_placement EH FY24 2023 q2 October

Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, noted starting in our 20s, the amount of deep sleep we get during the night starts to decline, and by our 40s and 50s, we can really start to notice it. About 55% of Americans ages 40 to 49 and about 58% of those ages 50 to 64 have “low general sleep health." Tags: philip_gehrman sleep_medicine psychiatry psychology wall_street_journal EH top_tier FY23 2024 q1 September

A new set of TikTok-inspired sleep hacks include standard medical guidance: stay hydrated, avoid using your phone before bed, while others—like cold plunging first thing in the morning—are more experimental. Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, noted that it takes a "holistic approach and addressing a range of factors to improve sleep.” Tags: philip_gehrman sleep_medicine psychiatry psychology spy.com 2023 FY24 August q1 EH

Edamame—with vitamins like magnesium and iron—can act as an unexpected sleep aid. "Magnesium is also thought to affect levels of melatonin, the hormone associated with when we fall asleep and when we wake up, known as our circadian rhythm," added Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, an associate professor of Sleep Medicine. Tags: indira_gurubhagavatula sleep_medicine Health_Digest EH FY24 2023 q1 August psychology psychiatry

Trouble sleeping at night? Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, spoke about the potential for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, which focuses on making a good routine and environment to get a good night's sleep. Tags: sleep_medicine philip_gehrman psychiatry psychology cbti Audacy kcbs_radio EH FY24 2023 August q1

About one in four adults in the United States develop symptoms of insomnia each year, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia may be a solution. Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, shared that clinical trial data suggests that as many as 80 percent of those who try C.B.T.-I. see improvements in their sleep and most patients find relief in four to eight sessions, even if they have had insomnia for decades. Tags: philip_gehrman sleep_medicine psychiatry psychology new_york_times top_tier EH FY24 2023 q1 August

Along with keeping your bedroom dark, Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, a professor of Sleep and Chronobiology in Psychiatry, shared that developing a consistent nighttime routine is helpful for getting better sleep. For example, brushing your teeth or doing the dishes regularly before bed can associate this time with winding down. Tags: mathias_basner chronobiology sleep_medicine business_insider EH FY24 2023 q1 August