Penn Sleep in the News

While drinking alcohol may help us fall asleep, it is among the main reasons why we have trouble staying asleep. Richard Schwab, MD, chief of Sleep Medicine, said that alcohol disturbs sleep by raising body temperature. "This causes the heart to beat faster, which is likely the reason why it can interrupt sleep," he said. Tags: Parade richard_schwab sleep_medicine alcohol EH FY25 2025 Q4 April

Socks can keep toes toasty and create a sense of comfort—while also lowering core body temperature, promoting sleep. “When we warm up our feet by wearing socks, the blood vessels under the skin dilate not just in the feet but everywhere,” said Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine. “This allows warm blood to come to the surface, and as it keeps circulating and coming to the skin, body heat is shed, and core body temperature eventually drops.” Tags: Washington_Post top_tier sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula EH FY25 2025 Q4 april

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine warned of the "clinical significance" that excessive sleepiness has on performance, health, mood, safety and quality of life in a new position statement. When the body is continuously sleepy, it may send false signals to the brain, forcing mini naps known as microsleeps. Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, cautioned against activities like driving in these instances. Tags: philly_voice indira_gurubhagavatula sleep_medicine mini_sleeps american_academy_of_sleep_medicine EH fy25 2025 Q4 April

Signs of sleepiness like yawning may be a red flag of a serious sleep deficit that could put you in physical danger and harm your long-term health, according to a new position paper by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, said that, with continued sleepiness, the brain may take mini naps, or what specialists call microsleeps. “Your brain is actually going into brief two-second, three-second, 10-second microsleeps and then popping back out and you may not even realize this is happening,” she said. “It can be very dangerous if you’re driving or doing something that involves safety." Tags: CNN sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula yawning microsleeps american_academy_of_sleep_medicine broadcast top_tier EH fy25 April 2025

Cognitive shuffling typically involves conjuring up random, impersonal and non-emotionally charged words. For each letter of a word you pick at random, you think of as many corresponding words as you can for a few seconds each before moving to the next letter. Since our brains tend to “shuffle” between random thoughts during quieter periods, giving our brains a calming or neutral distraction can be more helpful than allowing them to find something on their own," said Kami McManus, PsyD, a sleep psychologist in Sleep Medicine. Tags: CNN psychiatry sleep_medicine cognitive_shuffling kami_mcmanus EH FY25 2025 Q4 April

As many as 30 million Americans have sleep apnea—a disorder where breathing is interrupted during sleep. Grace Pien, MD, MSCE, associate professor of Sleep Medicine, shared that snoring, snorting, and coughing during sleep are important hallmarks of sleep apnea. In addition, waking up with a dry mouth, daytime drowsiness despite devoting enough hours to sleep, morning headaches, difficulty focusing, or feeling more anxious, depressed, or irritated are indicators. Tags: prevention grace_pien sleep_medicine sleep_apnea EH FY25 2025 Q4 April

Many people turn to white noise machines to help them sleep, but a research review found that the devices may not be so helpful. Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, professor of Sleep and Chronobiology in Psychiatry urged caution with using white noise machines or apps because “there may be negative consequences. I wouldn’t broadly recommend them, because there is no evidence that they are actually working." Tags: the_mirror sleep_medicine psychiatry chronobiology mathias_basner white_noise EH FY25 2025 Q4 April

What happens to your body when you deliver a 25-hour speech without any breaks, as Sen. Cory Booker did recently? Speaking for that long demands a lot of cognitive energy, said Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine. People who pull all-nighters can struggle to pay attention. Even just one night of poor sleep, or no sleep, can impair short-term memory, or make it hard for people to concentrate enough to be articulate. Tags: New_York_Times top_tier sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula cognitive_impairment EH FY25 2025 Q4 April

A growing number of adults are snuggling up with their favorite stuffed toys at night, often as a way to sleep better. “Kids love stuffed animals. It’s because they’re cozy and… just personified enough to provide a bit of social comfort. That’s a great way for kids to self-soothe. We adults can do the same thing," said Jennifer R. Goldschmied, PhD, an assistant professor of Psychiatry. Tags: first_post jennifer_goldschmied psychiatry sleep_medicine EH FY25 2025 Q4 April

Cognitive shuffling is a mental exercise that involves focusing your mind on words that have no association with one another, as a way of signaling to your brain that it’s time to fall asleep. Jorge Mora, MD, professor of Clinical Medicine (Sleep Medicine), noted that there is not enough evidence to support using cognitive shuffling as a primary treatment for insomnia “We need to study this more to be able to fully say, yes, this should be a consistent tool, like C.B.T.-I. is,” said Dr. Mora, referring to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, a treatment that has been shown to help people who often struggle to fall or stay asleep. Tags: New_York_Times jorge_mora sleep_medicine top_tier cognitive_shuffling cbt-i insomnia EH FY25 2025 Q3 March

Sleep apnea—when breathing is interrupted for seconds or minutes at a time during sleep—affects people of all ages, genders and body types. Certain pillows can help keep airways open or help CPAP users sleep more comfortably. According to Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, more than 80 percent of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed. “The most common symptom of sleep apnea is loud, persistent snoring,” she said. Tags: Huffington_Post sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula sleep_apnea Penn_Sleep_Center EH FY25 2025 Q3 March

As director of clinical operations with the Penn Sleep Center, Samantha Simonsen, RPSGT, RST, manages employees, oversees budgets and overnight sleep studies. She is also a volunteer firefighter, a role which often helps her to overcome stressful or uncertain situations. "It's almost like immersing yourself into something you are afraid of, like a fear of heights, until you are more comfortable with that feeling," she said. Tags: delco_times samantha_simonsen Penn_Sleep_Center sleep_medicine EH FY25 2025 Q3 March

If you’re dealing with insomnia, prescription sleep medications can help you fall asleep. However, they’re not meant to replace good sleep habits. Most are not intended to be used indefinitely and also come with a risk of dependency. “While most prescription sleep aids don’t have significant potential for physical addiction, people can become psychologically dependent on them fairly easily,” said Philip Gehrman, PhD, an associate professor of clinical Psychology in Psychiatry. Tags: everyday_health philip_gehrman sleep_medicine psychiatry insomnia EH FY25 2025 q3 March

It can take a week to adjust to the daylight savings time change. Experts recommend getting bright light exposure first thing when you get up; that tells your body it's time to be awake. Our circadian rhythm is synced with the sun, so less light in the morning and more in the evening makes it harder to be alert during the day and sleep at night. "Most people in the U.S. are already sleep-deprived, which makes the sudden loss of one more hour of sleep particularly painful, "said Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine. Tags: npr sleep_medicine indira_gurubhagavatula Penn_Sleep_Center daylight_saving_time EH FY25 2025 Q3 March

Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, a professor of Sleep Medicine, shares how to handle losing an hour of sleep as daylight saving time goes into effect. Avoiding caffeine or alcohol close to bed, which can impact sleep quality, can help. Tags: Audacy KYW_Newsradio indira_gurubhagavatula daylight_saving_time sleep_medicine regional_philadelphia EH FY25 2025 Q3 March