Scientists discover secret to waking up alert and refreshed

Takeaway: Sleep longer and later, get exercise the day before, eat a low sugar, high carb breakfast

November 29, 2022

Science Daily/University of California - Berkeley

Do you feel groggy until you've had your morning coffee? Do you battle sleepiness throughout the workday?

You're not alone. Many people struggle with morning alertness, but a new study demonstrates that awaking refreshed each day is not just something a lucky few are born with. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that you can wake up each morning without feeling sluggish by paying attention to three key factors: sleep, exercise and breakfast.

The findings come from a detailed analysis of the behavior of 833 people who, over a two-week period, were given a variety of breakfast meals; wore wristwatches to record their physical activity and sleep quantity, quality, timing and regularity; kept diaries of their food intake; and recorded their alertness levels from the moment they woke up and throughout the day. Twins -- identical and fraternal -- were included in the study to disentangle the influence of genes from environment and behavior.

The researchers found that the secret to alertness is a three-part prescription requiring substantial exercise the previous day, sleeping longer and later into the morning, and eating a breakfast high in complex carbohydrates, with limited sugar. The researchers also discovered that a healthy controlled blood glucose response after eating breakfast is key to waking up more effectively.

"All of these have a unique and independent effect," said UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow Raphael Vallat, first author of the study. "If you sleep longer or later, you're going to see an increase in your alertness. If you do more physical activity on the day before, you're going to see an increase. You can see improvements with each and every one of these factors."

Morning grogginess is more than just an annoyance. It has major societal consequences: Many auto accidents, job injuries and large-scale disasters are caused by people who cannot shake off sleepiness. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown in Pennsylvania and an even worse nuclear accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine, are well-known examples.

"Many of us think that morning sleepiness is a benign annoyance. However, it costs developed nations billions of dollars every year through loss of productivity, increased health care utilization, work absenteeism. More impactful, however, is that it costs lives -- it is deadly," said senior author Matthew Walker, UC Berkeley professor of neuroscience and psychology. "From car crashes to work-related accidents, the cost of sleepiness is deadly. As scientists, we must understand how to help society wake up better and help reduce the mortal cost to society's current struggle to wake up effectively each day."

Vallat, Walker and their colleagues published their findings last week in the journal Nature Communications. Walker, the author of the international bestseller, Why We Sleep, runs one of the world's preeminent sleep research labs, the Center for Human Sleep Science, and is a member of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley.

A personalized approach to eating

Walker and Vallat teamed up with researchers in the United Kingdom, the U.S and Sweden to analyze data acquired by a U.K. company, Zoe Ltd., that has followed hundreds of people for two-week periods in order to learn how to predict individualized metabolic responses to foods based on a person's biological characteristics, lifestyle factors and the foods' nutritional composition.

The participants were given preprepared meals, with different amounts of nutrients incorporated into muffins, for the entire two weeks to see how they responded to different diets upon waking. A standardized breakfast, with moderate amounts of fat and carbohydrates, was compared to a high protein (muffins plus a milkshake), high carbohydrate or high sugar (glucose drink) breakfast. The subjects also wore continuous glucose monitors to measure blood glucose levels throughout the day.

The worst type of breakfast, on average, contained high amounts of simple sugar; it was associated with an inability to wake up effectively and maintain alertness. When given this sugar-infused breakfast, participants struggled with sleepiness.

In contrast, the high carbohydrate breakfast -- which contained large amounts of carbohydrates, as opposed to simple sugar, and only a modest amount of protein -- was linked to individuals revving up their alertness quickly in the morning and sustaining that alert state.

"A breakfast rich in carbohydrates can increase alertness, so long as your body is healthy and capable of efficiently disposing of the glucose from that meal, preventing a sustained spike in blood sugar that otherwise blunts your brain's alertness," Vallat said

"We have known for some time that a diet high in sugar is harmful to sleep, not to mention being toxic for the cells in your brain and body," Walker added. "However, what we have discovered is that, beyond these harmful effects on sleep, consuming high amounts of sugar in your breakfast, and having a spike in blood sugar following any type of breakfast meal, markedly blunts your brain's ability to return to waking consciousness following sleep."

It wasn't all about food, however. Sleep mattered significantly. In particular, Vallat and Walker discovered that sleeping longer than you usually do, and/or sleeping later than usual, resulted in individuals ramping up their alertness very quickly after awakening from sleep. According to Walker, between seven and nine hours of sleep is ideal for ridding the body of "sleep inertia," the inability to transition effectively to a state of functional cognitive alertness upon awakening. Most people need this amount of sleep to remove a chemical called adenosine that accumulates in the body throughout the day and brings on sleepiness in the evening, something known as sleep pressure.

"Considering that the majority of individuals in society are not getting enough sleep during the week, sleeping longer on a given day can help clear some of the adenosine sleepiness debt they are carrying," Walker speculated.

"In addition, sleeping later can help with alertness for a second reason," he said. "When you wake up later, you are rising at a higher point on the upswing of your 24-hour circadian rhythm, which ramps up throughout the morning and boosts alertness."

It's unclear, however, what physical activity does to improve alertness the following day.

"It is well known that physical activity, in general, improves your alertness and also your mood level, and we did find a high correlation in this study between participants' mood and their alertness levels," Vallat said. "Participants that, on average, are happier also feel more alert."

But Vallat also noted that exercise is generally associated with better sleep and a happier mood.

"It may be that exercise-induced better sleep is part of the reason exercise the day before, by helping sleep that night, leads to superior alertness throughout the next day," Vallat said.

Walker noted that the restoration of consciousness from non-consciousness -- from sleep to wake -- is unlikely to be a simple biological process.

"If you pause to think, it is a non-trivial accomplishment to go from being nonconscious, recumbent and immobile to being a thoughtful, conscious, attentive and productive human being, active, awake, and mobile. It's unlikely that such a radical, fundamental change is simply going to be explained by tweaking one single thing," he said. "However, we have discovered that there are still some basic, modifiable yet powerful ingredients to the awakening equation that people can focus on -- a relatively simple prescription for how best to wake up each day."

It's not in your genes

Comparisons of data between pairs of identical and non-identical twins showed that genetics plays only a minor and insignificant role in next-day alertness, explaining only about 25% of the differences across individuals.

"We know there are people who always seem to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when they first wake up," Walker said. "But if you're not like that, you tend to think, 'Well, I guess it's just my genetic fate that I'm slow to wake up. There's really nothing I can do about it, short of using the stimulant chemical caffeine, which can harm sleep.

"But our new findings offer a different and more optimistic message. How you wake up each day is very much under your own control, based on how you structure your life and your sleep. You don't need to feel resigned to any fate, throwing your hands up in disappointment because, '… it's my genes, and I can't change my genes.' There are some very basic and achievable things you can start doing today, and tonight, to change how you awake each morning, feeling alert and free of that grogginess."

Walker, Vallat and their colleagues continue their collaboration with the Zoe team, examining novel scientific questions about how sleep, diet and physical exercise change people's brain and body health, steering them away from disease and sickness.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221129143811.htm

Pregnant women's cannabis usage in legalized U.S. states raises calls for screening

November 29, 2022

Science Daily/Taylor & Francis Group

Pregnant women living in US states where cannabis is legal must be screened for the drug, for the health of both mother and baby, claim scientists who in a new national study have found that they are far more likely to use the substance.

Published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, the peer-reviewed research shows pregnant women were around 4.6 times more likely to report using cannabis, where it is legal for medical and recreation, compared to where CBD is only allowed.

A large proportion of women reported using the drug for medical purposes, which is in keeping with "a growing body of evidence" that suggests in order to alleviate pregnancy symptoms cannabis is being used as a substitute for medical drugs in legalized areas.

"Therefore it is increasingly important to evaluate the risk-benefit profile of cannabis as compared to other medical treatments to understand any potential therapeutic indications for cannabis use in pregnancy," says Lead Author Kathak Vachhani, who was a student in the Keenan Research Summer Student Program at St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, when the research was conducted.

The team is calling for prenatal and primary care providers to screen and counsel patients regarding cannabis use in pregnancy, particularly in states where it is legal, for the potential effects on fetal development.

They also state public messaging "around the risks" of cannabis in pregnancy is "particularly relevant now," as many states have recently implemented cannabis laws and established cannabis markets.

The legalization of cannabis products has increased exponentially in the last decade in the United States. The legalization has been piecemeal -- states variously allow the use of cannabidiol (CBD) products, the use of medically prescribed cannabis, the use of cannabis for recreational purposes, or some combination thereof. Use of these products has risen among all demographics.

Among the least studied are pregnant women. Because cannabis has been known to be used to treat some symptoms associated with pregnancy -- notably nausea and vomiting.

Here, the team used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 2017 to 2020 to analyze the consumption of cannabis by 1,992 pregnant women.

While previous studies have examined the use of cannabis by pregnant women in restricted geographic areas and under particular legislative parameters, this study involved a broader dataset to compare use across legalization frameworks in 27 states.

The authors found self-reported use was "significantly higher" in pregnant women residing in states that allow medical and adult use, compared to those residing in states with restricted use.

"The unweighted dataset consisted of 426 CBD-only, 1,114 medical, and 394 reactional group respondents," they claim. Weights were applied to each datapoint to obtain the population they represented. Of this weighted data, 2.4% from CBD-only regions reported cannabis use, while 7.1% from medical regions and 6.9% from adult-use regions reported the same. Respondents from the medical and recreational areas were 4.5 and 4.7 times more likely to use cannabis than those in CBD-only areas.

Most respondents who reported cannabis use smoked it partially or mostly for recreational purposes. "Mode of intake and reason for consumption did not differ between state groups," the authors observe.

But what impact is this having on the mother or the fetus?

Previous studies have shown that medical cannabis usage during pregnancy can be effective for nausea and vomiting. Medical cannabis may be suitable to treat pregnancy-specific conditions which, if untreated, could be more harmful to the fetus than cannabis.

However, safe usage depends on having a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and risks of cannabis when weighed against the risks of untreated or refractory conditions such as hyperemesis gravidarum.

Therefore, more research is needed, states Vachhani, who is also from the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

"Cannabis is a complex substance and its use is further complicated by factors such as the form of intake and frequency of use.

"From the mother's health standpoint, our current understanding is rudimentary regarding the complex

interplay between use (whether CBD or THC-based) and long-term health outcomes for the mother.

"There is currently no accepted therapeutic indication or safe amount of cannabis that may be consumed during pregnancy.

"Although further studies may lead to an accepted therapeutic indication, based on the current consensus the positive association between cannabis use and legalization found in our study warrants further inquiry."

The analysis carried out here was limited by a relatively small sample size, a lack of information regarding timing of use in pregnancy, lack of information about the chemical composition of cannabis consumed, and the potential for self-reporting biases.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221129112845.htm

Negative self-perception appears to self-perpetuate

November 29, 2022

Science Daily/Shinshu University

At the end of a bad day, how do you feel about yourself? The answer could indicate not only how your self-perception formed, but also how it renews, according to experimental results from a research group in Japan.

They published their findings on Oct. 10 in Cognitive Therapy and Research.

"People with psychiatric disorders including major depression tend to hold negative self-schema such as 'I am incompetent' and 'I am a loser in life,'" said corresponding author Noboru Matsumoto, associate professor in Shinshu University's Division of Psychology. Self-schemas are what a person thinks of themselves. "However, how people form and update self-schema and what individual differences are involved in these processes are unresolved issues in scientific research."

To investigate the formation and renewing of self-schema, the researchers designed a psychological experiment in which undergraduate students believed they were testing a machine learning-based personality assessment. After each question in a fictional psychological test, the participants were presented with one sentence of feedback on their personality traits, behavioral tendencies and future prospects. All participants received the same feedback in a random order. They then rated each feedback sentence on how well it applied to them. After completing the assessment, they were given a surprise memory test in which they had to recall the feedback received.

"We found two important factors are involved in self-schema formation and updating: emotional valence -- positive or negative -- of the event experienced and how much people think the event is consistent with their current self," said Matsumoto. "Cognitive reactivity, or the tendency to overreact when in a negative or depressive mood, was associated with greater self-schema updating."

The experiment is based on the mnemic neglect paradigm, which describes how people selectively forget negative information about themselves. People with psychological disorders, such as depression, are less likely to exhibit mnemic neglect and are more likely to remember the negative information. According to Matsumoto, people who already view themselves negatively are more likely to remember and incorporate negative feedback because it aligns with their already-established self-perception. This is more deeply enforced by cognitive reactivity, Matsumoto said, since people with negative self-schema are also more likely to take even minor negative information more personally.

To further explore how self-schema are established in the first place, the researchers also ran simulations of self-schema development.

"In contrast to laboratory settings, where the participants already hold well-established self-schemas, the simulation can demonstrate how self-schemas develop without previous knowledge," said 'Matsumoto. "The simulation allows us to mimic the influence of accumulated positive and negative experiences from early life on self-schema development. By manipulating parameters related to cognitive reactivity, we can evaluate how individual differences influence the dynamics of self-schema development."

From the simulations, the researchers found that when people with high cognitive reactivity experienced some negative events in early life, negative self-schema developed and strengthened -- even if they experienced many positive events later in life.

"These findings suggest why some individuals develop mental illnesses even in good environments," Matsumoto said, noting that longitudinal studies are needed to compare how well the simulations match to real life. "Altering the way people encode and integrate events into self-schema may enable the prevention and treatment of mental illness."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221129112616.htm

Legalization of recreational cannabis linked with increased alcohol drinking

November 28, 2022

Science Daily/University of Pittsburgh

States that legalized recreational cannabis saw a slight population-level uptick in alcohol consumption that was largely driven by young adults and men, according to new research by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health policy scientists.

The increase in alcohol use, recently reported in JAMA Health Forum, suggests that states that legalize recreational cannabis should also consider targeted public health messaging around alcohol and other policy interventions aimed at mitigating problem drinking.

"Recreational cannabis laws have made cannabis legally accessible to nearly half of U.S. adults, but it has been unclear how this affects the use of other substances, such as alcohol," said senior author Coleman Drake, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Pitt Public Health. "It appears that cannabis use increases the probability that people drink, at least in the three years after legalization."

Drake and his team obtained data on alcohol use by more than 4.2 million adults through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys administered from 2010 through 2019 -- at which point 11 states had legalized recreational cannabis.

The survey inquired about any alcohol use, binge drinking and heavy drinking within the last month, and the researchers looked at differences in responses before and after recreational cannabis legalization.

Any drinking -- measured as having "at least one drink of any alcoholic beverage" in the past month -- increased by 1.2 percentage points in the first year after recreational cannabis was legalized, but diminished in the following two years. There was no change in binge or heavy drinking in the overall population.

When the team dove into the data, they found that the increase was driven by adults ages 18 to 24 who had a 3.7 percentage point increase in any drinking. None of the other age groups had a statistically significant increase in any drinking after cannabis legalization.

Demographically, the increase was also associated with men, non-Hispanic whites and people without some college education.

While recreational cannabis legalization was linked to a small increase in alcohol consumption, the team did not find any evidence of sustained effects on binge or heavy drinking. However, Drake noted that cannabis use has nearly doubled over the past decade, and a prior study estimated that, between 2011 and 2015, excessive alcohol use resulted in the death of over 93,000 Americans per year.

"So, it will be important to monitor whether recreational cannabis laws cause increases in drinking over longer periods of time, particularly among younger adults and men," he said.

By zeroing in on the groups of people who may be most likely to increase risky behaviors, such as drinking more while using cannabis, states can proactively engage those communities and look for ways to mitigate risk -- such as through public health campaigns or alcohol tax strategies -- before recreational cannabis laws go into effect, Drake explained.

"In prior work, I found that recreational cannabis laws temporarily reduced opioid-related emergency department visits," Drake said. "So, I would resist characterizations of cannabis legalization as categorically good or bad. We need to learn more about how cannabis legalization affects all substance use, health, and non-health outcomes, such as drug-related arrest rates, work-related injuries and labor market outcomes. Policymakers should try to think through all these costs and benefits as they consider passing recreational cannabis laws."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221128101208.htm

Most young people's well-being falls sharply in first years of secondary school

November 23, 2022

Science Daily/University of Cambridge

Most young people in the UK experience a sharp decline in their well-being during their first years at secondary school, regardless of their circumstances or background, new research shows.

Academics from the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester analysed the well-being and self-esteem of more than 11,000 young people from across the UK, using data collected when they were 11, and again when they were 14. The adolescents' overall 'subjective well-being' -- their satisfaction with different aspects of life (such as friends, school and family) -- dropped significantly during the intervening years.

It is widely accepted that young people's well-being and mental health are influenced by factors such as economic circumstances and family life. The research shows that notwithstanding this, well-being tends to fall steeply and across the board during early adolescence.

That decline is probably linked to the transition to secondary school at age 11. The study identified that the particular aspects of well-being which changed in early adolescence were typically related to school and peer relationships, suggesting a close connection with shifts in these young people's academic and social lives.

In addition, students with higher self-esteem at age 11 experienced a less significant drop in well-being at age 14. This indicates that structured efforts to strengthen adolescents' self-esteem, particularly during the first years of secondary school, could mitigate the likely downturn in well-being and life satisfaction.

Ioannis Katsantonis, a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, who led the study said: "Even though this was a large, diverse group of adolescents, we saw a consistent fall in well-being. One of the most striking aspects was the clear association with changes at school. It suggests we urgently need to do more to support students' well-being at secondary schools across the UK."

Ros McLellan, Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, specialist in student well-being, and co-author, said: "The link between self-esteem and well-being seems especially important. Supporting students' capacity to feel positive about themselves during early adolescence is not a fix-all solution, but it could be highly beneficial, given that we know their well-being is vulnerable."

Globally, adolescent well-being is in decline. In the UK, the Children's Society has shown that 12% of young people aged 10 to 17 have poor well-being. Dr Jose Marquez, a Research Associate at the Institute of Education, University of Manchester, and co-author, said: "Until now, we haven't fully understood how universally poor well-being is experienced. The relationship between well-being and self-esteem has also been unclear."

The researchers used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, which involves a nationally representative sample of people born between 2000 and 2002 and incorporates standard questionnaires about well-being and self-esteem. They then calculated a well-being 'score' for each student, balanced to control for other factors that influence well-being -- such as economic advantage, bullying, and general feelings of safety.

While most adolescents were satisfied with life at age 11, the majority were extremely dissatisfied by age 14. By that age, the well-being scores of 79% of the participants fell below what had been the average score for the entire group three years earlier. "This is a statistically significant drop," Katsantonis said. "It goes far beyond anything we would classify as moderate."

The study also captured information about the adolescents' satisfaction with specific aspects of their lives, such as schoolwork, personal appearance, family and friends. This suggested that the most dramatic downturns between 11 and 14 were probably related to school and relationships with peers.

Despite the overall fall, students with better well-being at age 14 tended to be those who had higher self-esteem at age 11. The pattern did not apply in reverse, however: better well-being at age 11 did not predict better self-esteem later. This implies a causal link in which self-esteem seems to protect adolescents from what would otherwise be sharper declines in well-being.

"Supporting self-esteem is not the only thing we need to do to improve young people's well-being," Katsantonis said. "It should never, for example, become an excuse not to tackle poverty or address bullying -- but it can be used to improve young people's life satisfaction at this critical stage."

The researchers identify various ways in which schools could support this. At a basic level, Katsantonis suggested that celebrating students' achievements, underlining the value of things they had done well, and avoiding negative comparisons with other students, could all help.

More strategically, the study suggests incorporating more features that promote self-esteem into England's well-being curriculum, and stresses the need to ensure that similar efforts are made across the UK. Recent studies have, for example, highlighted the potential benefits of mindfulness training in schools, and of 'positive psychology' initiatives which teach adolescents to set achievable personal goals, and to acknowledge and reflect on their own character strengths.

McLellan added: "It's really important that this is sustained -- it can't just be a case of doing something once when students start secondary school, or implementing the odd practice here and there. A concerted effort to improve students' sense of self-worth could have really positive results. Many good teachers are doing this already, but it is perhaps even more important than we thought."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221123114210.htm

Mindfulness-based stress reduction is as effective as an antidepressant drug for treating anxiety disorders

November 9, 2022

Science Daily/Georgetown University Medical Center

A guided mindfulness-based stress reduction program was as effective as use of the gold-standard drug -- the common antidepressant drug escitalopram -- for patients with anxiety disorders, according to results of a first-of-its-kind, randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.

The findings appear in JAMA Psychiatry on November 9, 2022, and follow the October 11, 2022, announcement by the United States Preventive Services Task Force that, for the first time, recommended screening for anxiety disorders due to the high prevalence of these disorders.

"Our study provides evidence for clinicians, insurers, and healthcare systems to recommend, include and provide reimbursement for mindfulness-based stress reduction as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders because mindfulness meditation currently is reimbursed by very few providers," says Elizabeth Hoge, MD, director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program and associate professor of psychiatry at Georgetown and first author. "A big advantage of mindfulness meditation is that it doesn't require a clinical degree to train someone to become a mindfulness facilitator. Additionally, sessions can be done outside of a medical setting, such as at a school or community center."

Anxiety disorders can be highly distressing; they include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder and fear of certain places or situations, including crowds and public transportation, all of which can lead to an increased risk for suicide, disability and distress and therefore are commonly treated in psychiatric clinics. Drugs that are currently prescribed for the disorders can be very effective, but many patients either have difficulty getting them, do not respond to them, or find the side effects (e.g., nausea, sexual dysfunction and drowsiness) as a barrier to consistent treatment. Standardized mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), can decrease anxiety, but prior to this study, the interventions had not been studied in comparison to effective anti-anxiety drugs. Of note, approximately 15% of the U.S. population tried some form of meditation in 2017.

The clinicians recruited 276 patients between June 2018 and February 2020 from three hospitals in Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C., and randomly assigned people to either MBSR or escitalopram. MBSR was offered weekly for eight weeks via two and a half-hour in-person classes, a day-long retreat weekend class during the 5th or 6th week, and 45-minute daily home practice exercises. Patients' anxiety symptoms were assessed upon enrollment and again at completion of the intervention at 8 weeks, along with post-treatment assessments at 12 and 24 weeks after enrollment. The assessments were conducted in a blinded manner -- the trained clinical evaluators did not know whether the patients they were assessing received the drug or MBSR.

At the end of the trial, 102 patients had completed MBSR and 106 had completed their medication course. The patients were relatively young, with a mean age of 33 and included 156 women, which comprised 75% of the enrollees, mirroring the disease prevalence in the U.S.

The researchers used a validated assessment measure to rate the severity of symptoms of anxiety across all of the disorders using a scale of 1 to 7 (with 7 being severe anxiety). Both groups saw a reduction in their anxiety symptoms (a 1.35 point mean reduction for MBSR and 1.43 point mean reduction for the drug, which was a statistically equivalent outcome), dropping from a mean of about 4.5 for both, which translates to a significant 30% or so drop in the severity of peoples' anxiety.

Olga Cannistraro, 52, says she utilizes her MBSR techniques as needed, but more than a decade ago, the practice transformed her life. She was selected for an MBSR study after responding to advertisement asking, "Do you worry?"

"I didn't think of myself as anxious -- I just thought my life was stressful because I had taken on too much," she recalls. "But I thought 'yeah, I do worry.' There was something excessive about the way I responded to my environment."

After participating in an earlier study led by Hoge, she learned two key MBSR techniques. "It gave me the tools to spy on myself. Once you have awareness of an anxious reaction, then you can make a choice for how to deal with it. It's not like a magic cure, but it was a life-long kind of training. Instead of my anxiety progressing, it went in the other direction and I'm very grateful for that."

"It is important to note that although mindfulness meditation works, not everyone is willing to invest the time and effort to successfully complete all of the necessary sessions and do regular home practice which enhances the effect," Hoge said. "Also, virtual delivery via videoconference is likely to be effective, so long as the 'live' components are retained, such as question-and-answer periods and group discussion."

Hoge points out that there are many phone apps that offer guided meditation, however researchers don't know how apps compare with the full in-person, weekly group class experience.

Trial enrollment was wrapping up as the COVID pandemic started in early 2020 but most enrollees completed their eight-week course of treatment before the pandemic started. Additionally, the researchers conducted a second phase of the study during the pandemic that involved moving the treatments to an online, videoconference, and that will be the focus of future analyses. The researchers also hope to explore the effects of MBSR on sleep and depression.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221109124354.htm

Lucid dying: Patients recall death experiences during CPR

Detection of rhythmic brain waves suggestive of near-death experiences

November 7, 2022

Science Daily/NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine

One in five people who survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest may describe lucid experiences of death that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious and on the brink of death, a new study shows.

Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and elsewhere, the study involved 567 men and women whose hearts stopped beating while hospitalized and who received CPR between May 2017 and March 2020 in the United States and United Kingdom. Despite immediate treatment, fewer than 10% recovered sufficiently to be discharged from hospital.

Survivors reported having unique lucid experiences, including a perception of separation from the body, observing events without pain or distress, and a meaningful evaluation of life, including of their actions, intentions and thoughts toward others. The researchers found these experiences of death to be different from hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams or CPR-induced consciousness.

The work also included tests for hidden brain activity. A key finding was the discovery of spikes of brain activity, including so-called gamma, delta, theta, alpha and beta waves up to an hour into CPR. Some of these brain waves normally occur when people are conscious and performing higher mental functions, including thinking, memory retrieval, and conscious perception.

"These recalled experiences and brain wave changes may be the first signs of the so-called near-death experience, and we have captured them for the first time in a large study," says Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, the lead study investigator and an intensive care physician, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health, as well as the organization's director of critical care and resuscitation research."Our results offer evidence that while on the brink of death and in a coma, people undergo a unique inner conscious experience, including awareness without distress."

Identifying measureable electrical signs of lucid and heightened brain activity, together with similar stories of recalled death experiences, suggests that the human sense of self and consciousness, much like other biological body functions, may not stop completely around the time of death, adds Parnia.

"These lucid experiences cannot be considered a trick of a disordered or dying brain, but rather a unique human experience that emerges on the brink death," says Parnia. As the brain is shutting down, many of its natural braking systems are released. Known as disinhibition, this provides access to the depths of a person's consciousness, including stored memories, thoughts from early childhood to death, and other aspects of reality. While no one knows the evolutionary purpose of this phenomenon, it clearly reveals "intriguing questions about human consciousness, even at death," says Parnia.

The study authors conclude that although studies to date have not been able to absolutely prove the reality or meaning of patients' experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death, it has been impossible to disclaim them either. They say recalled experience surrounding death now merits further genuine empirical investigation without prejudice.

Researchers plan to present their study findings at a resuscitation science symposium that is part of the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2022 taking place in Chicago on Nov. 6.

Some 25 hospitals in the U.S. and U.K. participated in the study, called AWARE II. Only hospitalized patients were enrolled to standardize the CPR and resuscitation methods used after cardiac arrest, as well as the recordings made of brain activity. Additional testimonies from 126 community survivors of cardiac arrest with self-reported memories were also examined in this study to provide greater understanding of the themes related to the recalled experience of death.

Parnia says further research is needed to more precisely define biomarkers of what is considered to be clinical consciousness, the human recalled experience of death, and to monitor the long-term psychological effects of resuscitation after cardiac arrest.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221107083318.htm

The early bird may just get the worm

Verbal intelligence -- normally linked to evening types -- may be superior in morning risers despite previous thinking

November 4, 2022

Science Daily/University of Ottawa

Night owls may be looking forward to falling back into autumn standard time but a new study from the University of Ottawa has found Daylight Saving Time may also suit morning types just fine.

Research from Dr. Stuart Fogel, a cognitive neuroscientist, professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Psychology, and researcher at the Royal's Institute for Mental Health Research, is shedding light into how the impact of a person's daily rhythm and activity levels during both wake and sleep relate to human intelligence. Contrary to the adage "the early bird gets the worm," previous work suggests that evening types, or "owls," have superior verbal intelligence.

Yet, "once you account for key factors including bedtime and age, we found the opposite to be true, that morning types tend to have superior verbal ability," says Stuart Fogel, Director of the University of Ottawa Sleep Research Laboratory. "This outcome was surprising to us and signals this is much more complicated that anyone thought before."

Fogel's team identified individual's chronotype -- their evening or morning tendencies -- by monitoring biological rhythms and daily preferences. A person's chronotype is related to when in the day they prefer to do demanding things, from intellectual pursuits to exercise.

Young individuals are typically "evening types" while older individuals and those more regularly entrenched in their daily/nightly activities are likely "morning types." The juxtaposition here is that morning is critical for young people, especially school aged children and adolescents, who have their schedules set by their morning-type parents and their routines. This might be doing youngsters a disservice.

"A lot of school start times are not determined by our chronotypes but by parents and work-schedules, so school-aged kids pay the price of that because they are evening types forced to work on a morning type schedule," says Fogel.

"For example, math and science classes are normally scheduled early in the day because whatever morning tendencies they have will serve them well. But the AM is not when they are at their best due to their evening type tendencies. Ultimately, they are disadvantaged because the type of schedule imposed on them is basically fighting against their biological clock every day."

The study enlisted volunteers from a wide age range, who were rigorously screened to rule out sleep disorders and other confounding factors. They outfitted volunteers with a monitoring device to measure activity levels.

Establishing the strength of a person's rhythm, which drives intelligence, is key to understanding the results of this nuanced study, says Fogel, with a person's age and actual bedtime proving important factors.

"Our brain really craves regularity and for us to be optimal in our own rhythms is to stick to that schedule and not be constantly trying to catch up," adds Fogel.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221104134547.htm

Morning blue light treatment improves sleep in patients with PTSD

November 1, 2022

Science Daily/University of Arizona Health Sciences

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced better sleep, a reduction in the severity of PTSD symptoms and more effective treatments after exposure to blue light therapy, according to a new study conducted by researchers in the University of Arizona College of Medicine -- Tucson's Department of Psychiatry and recently published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Sleep is crucial for maintaining physical and mental health, and inadequate sleep over time can impact all aspects of life with serious implications for long-term health, relationships, cognitive abilities such as learning, and healing.

The influence of sleep disruption on PTSD symptom severity is well established. Those who seek treatment to allay their PTSD symptoms often face a vicious cycle where poor sleep interferes with the effectiveness of treatments, negating any lessening of symptoms, which in turn contributes to sleep disruptions. To reduce and eliminate the emotional impact of traumatic memories, the patient needs quality sleep to integrate healing mechanisms achieved through cognitive or exposure therapy treatments.

"This research is exciting and unique because it points to an easy-to-use method for helping those with PTSD to retain the benefits of therapy long after the treatment ends," said psychiatry professor William "Scott" Killgore, PhD, director of the Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Lab and senior author on the paper, "Morning blue light treatment improves sleep complaints, symptom severity, and retention of fear extinction memory in post-traumatic stress disorder."

Dr. Killgore and the SCAN Lab team conducted a comprehensive assessment of daily morning blue-wavelength light exposure on individuals with clinically significant levels of PTSD. The goal was to ascertain if blue light therapy would help improve sleep and PTSD symptoms and sustain learned fear extinction memories, an analog of therapeutic treatment for trauma.

Study participants committed to 30 minutes of morning light exposure daily for six weeks, with half of the participants using blue-wavelength light and half using amber light. Researchers examined the neurobiological, autonomic and behavioral outcome changes during the study.

The 43 participants who received blue light therapy not only demonstrated significant improvements in the severity of their PTSD symptoms, but also reported improvements in sleep and showed an increased retention of fear extinction memories. In comparison, the 39 study participants who received amber light did not show the same retention of the extinction memories, but rather showed a return of the original fear memories.

"While the limitations of the research include its modest sample size and difficulties monitoring compliance, the possibilities of utilizing a treatment that is relatively simple, drug-free and inexpensive can offer hope for the large population of people living with the intense challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder," Dr. Killgore said.

"The data are thrilling," said Jordan Karp, MD, professor and chair of the College of Medicine -- Tucson's Department of Psychiatry. "This nonpharmacological intervention is a promising life-changing and life-saving possibility for people suffering from PTSD."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221101195628.htm

Dieters may overestimate the healthiness of their eating habits

November 1, 2022

Science Daily/American Heart Association

In a small study, most adults seeking to lose weight overestimated the healthiness of their diet, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2022. The meeting, held in person in Chicago and virtually, Nov. 5-7, 2022, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

"We found that while people generally know that fruits and vegetables are healthy, there may be a disconnect between what researchers and health care professionals consider to be a healthy and balanced diet compared to what the public thinks is a healthy and balanced diet," said study author Jessica Cheng, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and in general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston. This research was conducted while Dr. Cheng was a predoctoral fellow/Ph.D. candidate in the department of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.

Nearly half of adults in the U.S. try to lose weight each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a majority attempting to eat more fruits, vegetables and salads. Healthy eating is essential for heart and general health, and longevity. Dietary guidance from the American Heart Association issued in 2021 advises adults to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables; opt for whole grains rather than refined grains; choose healthy protein sources; substitute nonfat and low-fat dairy products for full-fat versions; choose lean cuts of meat (for those who eat meat); use liquid plant oils instead of tropical oils and animal fats; choose minimally processed over ultra-processed foods; minimize foods and beverages with added sugar; choose foods with little or no added salt; and limit or avoid alcohol.

Researchers evaluated the diets of 116 adults aged 35-58 years old in the greater Pittsburgh, PA, area who were trying to lose weight. Study participants met one-on-one with a dietitian to discuss their nutrition and then tracked everything they ate and drank every day for one year on the Fitbit app. They also weighed themselves daily and wore a Fitbit device to track their physical activity.

Researchers calculated a Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score at the beginning and end of the study based on the types of foods that participants reported eating. Participants were asked to complete a 24-hour food recall for two days at each time point. The HEI is a measure for assessing how closely a dietary pattern aligns with the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A score of 0 to 100 is possible, with a higher score indicating a healthier diet. The score is based on the frequency of eating various dietary components such fruits, vegetables, whole and refined grains, meat and seafood, sodium, fats and sugars.

Participants self-scored their beginning and ending diet quality to determine their perceived scores. Their scores were also on a 0-100 scale based on the components of the HEI. The self-assessment of their beginning diet was a "look back" as they scored both their starting and ending diets at the end of the study. The difference in their starting and ending score was their perceived diet change. A difference of 6 points or less between the researchers' HEI score and the participant's perceived score was considered "good agreement."

At the end of the study, about 1 in 4 participants' scores had good agreement between their perceived diet score and the researcher-assessed score. The remaining 3 out of 4 participants' scores had poor agreement, and most reported a perceived score that was higher than the HEI score assigned by researchers. The average perceived score was 67.6, and the average HEI score was 56.4.

In judging the change in diet score over 12 months, only 1 in 10 participants had good agreement between their self-assessed change compared to the change in the researchers' HEI score. At the end of the study, participants improved their diet quality by about one point based on the researcher-assessed score. However, participants' self-estimate was a perceived 18-point improvement.

"People attempting to lose weight or health professionals who are helping people with weight loss or nutrition-related goals should be aware that there is likely more room for improvement in the diet than may be expected," said Cheng. She suggests providing concrete information on what areas of their diet can be improved and how to go about making healthy, sustainable nutrition changes.

"Future studies should examine the effects of helping people close the gap between their perceptions and objective diet quality measurements," she said.

"Overestimating the perceived healthiness of food intake could lead to weight gain, frustrations over not meeting personal weight loss goals or lower likelihood of adopting healthier eating habits," said Deepika Laddu, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and chair of the American Heart Association's Council on Lifestyle Behavioral Change for Improving Health Factors. "While misperception of diet intake is common among dieters, these findings provide additional support for behavioral counselling interventions that include more frequent contacts with health care professionals, such as dieticians or health coaches, to address the gaps in perception and support long-lasting, realistic healthy eating behaviors."

Among the study's limitations are that participants were mostly female (79%) and the majority reported white race (84%), so the findings may not apply in the same ways to other populations. In addition, the researchers assessed diet quality perceptions only at the end of the study. Assessments throughout the study may have helped to answer questions, such as whether perception became more realistic over the course of the study or whether a person's perception of their diet helps or hinders them from making dietary changes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221101111724.htm

Good sleep can increase women's work ambitions

October 31, 2022

Science Daily/Science Daily/Washington State University

A study indicated that sleep quality impacted women's mood and changed how they felt about advancing in their careers. Meanwhile, men's aspirations were not impacted by sleep quality. The researchers discovered this finding in a two-week-long survey study of 135 full-time workers in the U.S. Each day the participants first noted how well they had slept and the quality of their current mood, and then later in the day how they felt about striving for more status and responsibility at work. Both men and women reported good and bad sleep quality over the course of the study, notably with no gender difference in reported sleep quality. However, women more often reported lowered intentions to pursue more status at work on days following a night of poor sleep.

If women want to lean in to work, they may first want to lay down for a good night's rest. A Washington State University-led study indicated that sleep quality impacted women's mood and changed how they felt about advancing in their careers. Meanwhile, men's aspirations were not impacted by sleep quality.

The researchers discovered this finding in a two-week-long survey study of 135 workers in the U.S. Each day the participants first noted how well they had slept and the quality of their current mood, and then later in the day how they felt about striving for more status and responsibility at work.

"When women are getting a good night's sleep and their mood is boosted, they are more likely to be oriented in their daily intentions toward achieving status and responsibility at work," said lead author Leah Sheppard, an associate professor in WSU's Carson College of Business. "If their sleep is poor and reduces their positive mood, then we saw that they were less oriented toward those goals."

For the study published in the journal Sex Roles, Sheppard and co-authors Julie Kmec of WSU and Teng Iat Loi of University of Minnesota-Duluth surveyed full-time employees twice a day for two consecutive work weeks for a total of more than 2,200 observations. The participants answered questions about their previous night's sleep and current mood around noon every day and in the evenings answered questions about their intentions to pursue more responsibility, status, and influence at work.

Both men and women reported good and bad sleep quality over the course of the study, notably with no gender difference in reported sleep quality. However, women more often reported lowered intentions to pursue more status at work on days following a night of poor sleep.

The researchers can only speculate about exactly why sleep's impact on mood effects women's aspirations and not men's, but they suspect it may have to do with gender differences in emotion regulation as well as societal expectations -- or some combination of these forces.

Neuroscience research has shown that women tend to experience greater emotional re-activity and less emotion regulation than men, and this can be reinforced by cultural stereotypes of women as more emotional. At the same time, stereotypes of men as being more ambitious than women likely add more pressure for them to scale the corporate ladder, so perhaps poor sleep quality would be less likely to deter men from their work aspirations.

These findings hold some good news for women who want to advance their careers, though, Sheppard said. For instance, they might take some practical steps to improve work aspirations, ranging from practicing meditation to help with both sleep and emotion regulation to putting better boundaries on work hours -- and of course, simply striving to get better sleep.

"It's important to be able to connect aspirations to something happening outside the work environment that is controllable," she said. "There are lots of things that anyone can do to have a better night's sleep and regulate mood in general."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221031091359.htm

Good sleep can increase women's work ambitions

October 31, 2022

Science Daily/Science Daily/Washington State University

A study indicated that sleep quality impacted women's mood and changed how they felt about advancing in their careers. Meanwhile, men's aspirations were not impacted by sleep quality. The researchers discovered this finding in a two-week-long survey study of 135 full-time workers in the U.S. Each day the participants first noted how well they had slept and the quality of their current mood, and then later in the day how they felt about striving for more status and responsibility at work. Both men and women reported good and bad sleep quality over the course of the study, notably with no gender difference in reported sleep quality. However, women more often reported lowered intentions to pursue more status at work on days following a night of poor sleep.

If women want to lean in to work, they may first want to lay down for a good night's rest. A Washington State University-led study indicated that sleep quality impacted women's mood and changed how they felt about advancing in their careers. Meanwhile, men's aspirations were not impacted by sleep quality.

The researchers discovered this finding in a two-week-long survey study of 135 workers in the U.S. Each day the participants first noted how well they had slept and the quality of their current mood, and then later in the day how they felt about striving for more status and responsibility at work.

"When women are getting a good night's sleep and their mood is boosted, they are more likely to be oriented in their daily intentions toward achieving status and responsibility at work," said lead author Leah Sheppard, an associate professor in WSU's Carson College of Business. "If their sleep is poor and reduces their positive mood, then we saw that they were less oriented toward those goals."

For the study published in the journal Sex Roles, Sheppard and co-authors Julie Kmec of WSU and Teng Iat Loi of University of Minnesota-Duluth surveyed full-time employees twice a day for two consecutive work weeks for a total of more than 2,200 observations. The participants answered questions about their previous night's sleep and current mood around noon every day and in the evenings answered questions about their intentions to pursue more responsibility, status, and influence at work.

Both men and women reported good and bad sleep quality over the course of the study, notably with no gender difference in reported sleep quality. However, women more often reported lowered intentions to pursue more status at work on days following a night of poor sleep.

The researchers can only speculate about exactly why sleep's impact on mood effects women's aspirations and not men's, but they suspect it may have to do with gender differences in emotion regulation as well as societal expectations -- or some combination of these forces.

Neuroscience research has shown that women tend to experience greater emotional re-activity and less emotion regulation than men, and this can be reinforced by cultural stereotypes of women as more emotional. At the same time, stereotypes of men as being more ambitious than women likely add more pressure for them to scale the corporate ladder, so perhaps poor sleep quality would be less likely to deter men from their work aspirations.

These findings hold some good news for women who want to advance their careers, though, Sheppard said. For instance, they might take some practical steps to improve work aspirations, ranging from practicing meditation to help with both sleep and emotion regulation to putting better boundaries on work hours -- and of course, simply striving to get better sleep.

"It's important to be able to connect aspirations to something happening outside the work environment that is controllable," she said. "There are lots of things that anyone can do to have a better night's sleep and regulate mood in general."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221031091359.htm

Take Control of Your Health: How to Be an Advocate for Yourself

Guest Post by Nicole Rubin nicole.rubin at insureabilities.com

Taking care of your health is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Being an advocate for your own health means taking control, educating yourself, and asking questions. MindSpa has compiled a list of tips to help you become an advocate for your own health.

Find Your Healthcare Team

Finding the right healthcare professionals to trust and feel comfortable with is the first step in advocating for your own health. Do your research and identify different doctors within your insurance network, or ask friends and family members for their recommendations. Check online reviews to gain a better understanding of what you can expect from each doctor.

Learn About Your Condition

Once you find the right healthcare professionals, it’s important to educate yourself about any conditions that you may have. Researching information regarding treatment options and what other people are saying about them can be beneficial in choosing the best plan of action for yourself. Additionally, if there are any medications that your doctor prescribes, make sure to look up side effects so that you are aware of any potential issues.

Ask Questions

Going to the doctor can be a scary experience, especially with new doctors or follow-up appointments. Asking questions is one of the most important aspects of managing your health. Understand what steps and treatments need to be taken, as well as why certain tests are being recommended. Taking charge of your own medical care will help ensure that you get the best possible treatment and results.

Take Notes

Taking notes during appointments is a great way to remember important details and make sure all your questions are answered. Writing these notes down can help jog your memory when considering treatment plans or remembering instructions from doctors. Additionally, writing down any questions ahead of time ensures they will be addressed during the visit and makes the paperwork more straightforward at the end of the appointment.

Organize Your Medical Files

Organizing medical records into PDFs is an effective way to keep track of important information like test results, prescriptions, and treatment plans. With easy-to-use online features, users can securely sign and share documents with anyone they need, such as family members or healthcare providers, all through email. Click here for more info on how securely signing and organizing medical records in PDFs can make managing healthcare easier.

Engage Your Family and Friends

It’s also important to reach out to family and friends when going through difficult times related to physical or mental health issues. It’s okay not always feel strong enough on our own. Talking to someone else who understands can offer support when dealing with challenging times associated with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Connecting with loved ones will provide comfort during tough moments while also providing the motivation needed in order to stay focused on recovery goals.

Being an advocate for your own health requires an investment of time and effort, but it is essential for achieving ultimate physical and mental well-being. Taking control by finding the right healthcare professionals, educating yourself on conditions and treatments available, archiving medical records electronically, and taking advantage of secure online medical services can help anyone become a better advocate for their own health. With this approach, navigating through the medical world becomes more manageable and efficient.

Activities to Enhance Kids Sleep Quality: Insights from Sleep Science

Guest Post by Eliza Brooks

 https://www.radbounce.com/scottsdale/

Sleep is crucial for a child's overall well-being, growth, and development. However, many children today struggle with sleep-related issues, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, or not getting enough sleep. This can lead to fatigue, irritability, poor academic performance, and even health problems. Fortunately, there are various activities and techniques that can help enhance a child's sleep quality. In this article, we will explore some insights from sleep science and provide practical tips for parents and caregivers to help their children establish healthy sleep habits.

The Importance of Having a Regular Sleep Schedule: The Science behind It

One of the most important factors in promoting good sleep quality in children is having a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help regulate the body's internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a natural 24-hour cycle that regulates various bodily functions, including sleep and wakefulness.

Research has shown that when children have a consistent sleep schedule, they tend to fall asleep faster, wake up less often during the night, and experience fewer sleep disturbances. Moreover, consistent sleep patterns help improve the quality of sleep, resulting in better academic performance, improved cognitive function, and reduced risk of health problems like obesity and diabetes.

Tips for Creating a Calming and Relaxing Atmosphere at Home

Creating a calm and relaxing atmosphere at home can help promote better sleep quality in children. Here are some tips on how to set up a sleep-friendly environment:

·       Use blackout curtains: Darkening the room can help reduce exposure to external light, making it easier for children to fall asleep and stay asleep.

·       Keep the bedroom cool: The ideal temperature for sleep is around 68-72°F (20-22°C). Cooling down the room can help promote sleepiness and prevent night sweats.

·       Use a noise machine: Playing white noise or soothing sounds like ocean waves or rain can help drown out background noise and create a calming atmosphere.

·       Avoid bright screens: The blue light emitted by electronic devices can suppress melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid bright screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

Establishing a Calming Pre-Bedtime Ritual

Establishing a pre-bedtime routine can help children wind down and prepare for sleep. Here are some activities that can help promote relaxation and calmness:

·       Reading stories: Reading a book before bedtime can help children relax and wind down. It can also promote language development and literacy skills.

·       Playing puzzles: Engaging in quiet activities like puzzles or coloring can help children calm their minds and transition from the stimulation of the day to a more relaxed state.

·       Relaxation techniques: Breathing exercises, meditation, or simple stretches can help release tension and promote relaxation before bedtime.

Discover How to Inhibit Screen Time Before Bedtime While Still Entertaining Kids - Tips & Tricks!

Limiting screen time before bedtime is essential to promote better sleep quality in children. However, it can be challenging to find engaging activities that do not involve electronic devices. Here are some ideas for screen-free activities:

·       Play board games: Board games like chess, checkers, or memory games can be fun and engaging while also promoting cognitive development and critical thinking.

·       Play active games: Engaging in active games like tag or hide-and-seek can help children expend energy and promote healthy physical development.

·       Read books: Reading books together can be a great bonding experience while also promoting literacy skills.

·       Listen to music: Playing calming music or lullabies can help children relax and wind down before bedtime.

·       Try relaxation apps: There are various apps available that provide guided relaxation exercises or soothing sounds to help children calm down before bed. Some examples include Calm, Headspace, and Relax Melodies.

Benefits of Physical Activity during the Day for Improving Sleep

Engaging in regular physical activity during the day can help promote better sleep quality in children. Physical activity helps release tension, reduce stress, and promote healthy physical development. Moreover, it can help regulate the circadian rhythm, making it easier for children to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Some of the fun physical activities that children can engage in include playing tag, jumping rope, riding a bike, or playing sports like soccer and basketball. Additionally, outdoor activities like exploring nature or going on hikes can help promote mental well-being and relaxation.

Playing with some bounce house rentals is also a great way to get kids up and moving. You can set them up indoors or outdoors and let kids play away.

However, it is essential to note that the timing of physical activity can impact sleep quality. Engaging in intense physical activity too close to bedtime can stimulate the body and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, it is recommended to schedule physical activity earlier in the day or at least a few hours before bedtime.

Examples of Healthy Bedtime Snacks

Choosing the right bedtime snack can help promote better sleep quality in children. Here are some healthy snack options that can help:

·       Bananas: Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium, which help promote muscle relaxation and calmness.

·       Yogurt: Yogurt is a good source of calcium, which is essential for the body to produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.

·       Almonds: Almonds are rich in magnesium, which helps promote relaxation and calmness.

·       Whole-grain crackers: Whole-grain crackers are a good source of carbohydrates, which can help promote the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and sleepiness.

·       Chamomile tea: Chamomile tea is known for its calming properties and can help promote relaxation before bedtime.

Establishing healthy sleep habits is essential for promoting children's overall health and well-being. By incorporating activities that promote relaxation, establishing a consistent sleep routine, and creating a sleep-friendly environment, parents and caregivers can help their children achieve better sleep quality. Moreover, engaging in physical activity during the day, limiting screen time before bedtime, and choosing the right bedtime snacks can further enhance sleep quality. By implementing these activities and insights from sleep science, parents and caregivers can help their children establish healthy sleep habits that will benefit them for years to come.

The Beauty of Having Great Posture

Guest Post by Nicole Rubin

Good posture is important for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it helps to keep your bones and joints in alignment. This goes a long way to preventing stress and strain on your muscles and ligaments and helps to prevent long-term painful conditions such as arthritis. Proper posture aids with balance, too, meaning fewer falls.

And by having your shoulders back, you’re opening up your chest, allowing you to breathe easier. This means more oxygen, which leads to healthier cells and a lower chance of disease. Good posture gives you more energy too, which creates more opportunities for exercise.

With all these great benefits, you can see why posture is too important to ignore. Read on for some ideas from MindSpa.

Tips for Improving Your Posture

Stand up straight.

That may sound obvious, but for many of us, slouching has become our fallback way of standing. Make sure you distribute your weight evenly and avoid putting more weight on one foot.

Keep your shoulders back and relaxed.

Avoid rounding your shoulders or slumping forward. Instead, try to hold them back but not stiffly.

Be mindful of your core muscles.

Your core muscles, like those in your abdomen and back, play a big role in maintaining good posture. Try tightening those muscles several times throughout the day.

Avoid sitting too long.

Sitting too long can lead to bad posture and poor balance. Remind yourself to stand and stretch at regular intervals.

Visit a chiropractor.

A professional chiropractor can check your posture and let you know if you’re in need of alignment to help keep you standing straight. They can also offer exercises you can do to help with your core and with teaching you tips for improving posture. It’s important to bring your medical records with you. Put them all in one PDF file by using a PDF converting tool. If you have multiple files that you want to extract portions from, then click here for more info on a free tool that can help. Simply place the divider where you want to split the page and save the files separately. Then, you’ll have a completed file that is easy to share with your chiropractor. 

Working and Better Posture

Poor posture at work can make you sluggish, tired, uncomfortable, and unproductive. Sitting for long periods of time in front of our computer screen is bad for your back, neck, joints and muscles, and circulation.

The first step you should take is to invest in an ergonomically designed chair and desk. An ergonomic chair will give you lumbar support, which prevents slouching and strain on the lower back. The backrest should be 12-19 inches across. It should have sufficient padding, adjustable armrests, and the ability to swivel. Your desk should have enough leg room for you to cross your legs, and you should be able to sit at your desk with both feet on the floor though a footrest can be used too. Teeter notes that a sit-stand desk is highly recommended since being sedentary for too long can lead to back strain, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

Download an app to your smartphone to remind you to sit or stand straight or to get up from your chair. It’s easy for time to get away from you when you’re working on a project that demands your attention, so having a reminder can keep you from slouching over your keyboard.

Women’s Health recommends purchasing a posture-correcting device, like a posture brace to wear under your clothes. Though they aren’t recommended for more than an hour per day since your core muscles may get sluggish, they can help remind you of how it feels to stand straight.

How well you sleep can also affect your posture. If you are tired, you are more likely to slump or slouch. Try using MindSpa to control your light and sound experience at bedtime and wake up feeling relaxed and ready to go!

How Posture Affects Your Confidence

Correct posture will make you appear more confident and self-assured, while poor posture can make you appear lazy, unsure of yourself, and weak. And poor posture lessens your ability to breathe properly, which can lead to anxiety.

Focus on Your Poster and Feel Better Overall

Your posture is so much more important than you give it credit for. It affects your health both in the short and long term, as well as your own sense of self and how others perceive you. Commit right now to improving your posture, both sitting and standing, working and relaxing. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel.

Program to increase performance and well-being

September 19, 2022

Science Daily/University of Bonn

Am I over the hill? This question comes up regularly among workers over 50. A common prejudice is that older people's efficiency and stress-tolerance are continuously decreasing. But mental performance, self-confidence, psychological resilience and well-being can be improved in the 50-plus generation. This is shown in a study by researchers from the Section of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Bonn, which was published online in advance in the European Journal of Ageing. The print version is expected to be released in December.

Corporate executives are concerned that older professionals will no longer be able to keep up with technological innovations. "In the working world, for a long time, employees were frequently offered no opportunities for further training after the age of 45," Prof. Dr. Una Röhr-Sendlmeier of the Developmental and Educational Psychology Department at the University of Bonn reports from previous studies. "It was assumed that such an investment would not be worthwhile." This was contradicted by the results of research in developmental psychology, which show that lifelong learning is generally quite possible.

More than 800 participants

In the "Learning in Everyday Work" ("Lernen im Arbeitsalltag," LiA) project, Röhr-Sendlmeier's team studied the impact of particular training sessions on mental speed and concentration, perception of one's own competence, self-efficacy, and stress management in more than 800 women and men aged 50-plus during the years 2013 to 2019. "It was important to us that in each of the training sessions, the content on the different training areas was offered in a varied and interlocked way," reports first author Tanja Hüber. For instance, physical activation was followed by cognitive training, then skills reinforcement, and after a break, information on stress development and relaxation exercises.

The complete training course consisted of five modules administered during two and a half hours per week for 15 weeks: In the skills training, participants visualized the skills and professional strengths they have acquired over the course of their lives. Stress management training was about finding individual strategies for dealing with stressful situations. The group trained mental abilities and problem-solving skills with the strategy game "Go," which was largely unfamiliar to most of them. Memory strategies were part of another module. Coordination exercises for activation and relaxation exercises to gain strength in everyday life rounded off the program. The control group received no training.

While 397 participants began with the five modules, other groups focused on specific training contents combined with physical activation. "We wanted to find out what effects the cognitive training, the skills training or the stress management training each had on their own," explains co-author Dr. Udo Käser. The individual training sessions comprised two hours per week and took place for seven weeks.

Statistically measurable improvements

Immediately after completion of the training courses and after another 6 months, the team evaluated the effects of the five-module training course and the specific trainings with questionnaires and tests. The results show statistically highly significant improvements. For instance, participants' information processing speed increased on average from 2.42 bits per second before training to 2.65 bits per second six months after training. In contrast, the control group changed little. The training group's self-assessment of inner calm also showed an increase from 4.75 before training to 5.28 on a scale of one to nine. The tendency to give up when facing failure decreased from 5.12 before training to 4.53.

A survey after participation showed that over 97 percent of participants would recommend the training to others. The team has further inquiries from companies about the "Learning in Everyday Work" project. The researchers intend to continue the project beyond the funded period. They are also invited to present their findings at the International Conference on Future of Preventive Medicine and Public Health in Barcelona, Spain, in March 2023.

A win-win for employees and companies

"Professionals over 50 gain quality of life, and companies gain the opportunity to offer these professionals a perspective for longer," Röhr-Sendlmeier concludes. This is a win-win situation for both sides -- and in view of demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers, it is also of great importance to society as a whole.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220919103106.htm

Nightmares in middle age linked to dementia risk

September 21, 2022

Science Daily/University of Birmingham

People who experience frequent bad dreams in middle age are more likely to be diagnosed with dementia later in life, according to research at the University of Birmingham.

A new study, published in The Lancet journal, eClinicalMedicine, suggests nightmares may become prevalent several years or even decades before the characteristic memory and thinking problems of dementia set in.

Dr Abidemi Otaiku, of the University of Birmingham's Centre for Human Brain Health, said: "We've demonstrated for the first time that distressing dreams, or nightmares, can be linked to dementia risk and cognitive decline among healthy adults in the general population.

"This is important because there are very few risk indicators for dementia that can be identified as early as middle age. While more work needs to be done to confirm these links, we believe bad dreams could be a useful way to identify individuals at high risk of developing dementia, and put in place strategies to slow down the onset of disease."

In the study, Dr Otaiku examined data from three community-based cohorts in the USA. These included more than 600 adult men and women aged between 35 and 64; and 2,600 adults aged 79 and older. All the participants were dementia-free at the start of the study and followed up for an average of nine years for the younger group and five years for the older participants.

The study started collecting data between 2002 and 2012. Participants completed a range of questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which includes a question on how often individuals experienced bad dreams.

This data was analysed using statistical software to find out whether participants with a higher frequency of nightmares were more likely to go on to experience cognitive decline and be diagnosed with dementia.

The research shows that middle-aged people (35-64) who experience bad dreams on a weekly basis are four times more likely to experience cognitive decline over the following decade, while older people were twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Interestingly, the study found that the associations were much stronger for men than for women. For example, older men experiencing nightmares on a weekly basis were five times more likely to develop dementia than older men reporting no bad dreams. In women, however, the increase in risk was only 41 per cent.

Next steps for the research will include investigating whether nightmares among young people could be associated with future dementia risk, and whether other dream characteristics, such as how often we remember dreams and how vivid they are, could also be used to identify dementia risk. Using electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers also plan to investigate the biological basis of bad dreams in both healthy people and people with dementia.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220921093009.htm

Daily multivitamin may improve cognition and possibly protect against decline

September 14, 2022

Science Daily/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Could taking a daily multivitamin help maintain cognitive health with aging and possibly prevent cognitive decline? According to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, conducted in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, taking a daily supplement may improve cognition in older adults, but additional studies are needed to confirm these findings before any health recommendations are made. The study also showed that daily use of a cocoa extract supplement does not benefit cognition.

The findings were recently published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and 1 in 3 seniors die with the disease or another form of dementia.

"There's an urgent need for safe and affordable interventions to protect cognition against decline in older adults," said Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the trial, along with Mark Espeland, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study for the Mind (COSMOS-Mind), funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health, was an ancillary study to the COSMOS trial led by Brigham and Women's Hospital that randomized 21,442 men and women across the U.S. The study investigated whether taking a daily cocoa extract supplement or a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer and other health outcomes.

According to Baker, cocoa extract is rich in compounds called flavanols, and past research suggests that these compounds may positively impact cognition. Baker also said that several micronutrients and minerals are needed to support normal body and brain function, and deficiencies in older adults may increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

In COSMOS-Mind, researchers tested whether daily administration of cocoa extract versus placebo and a multivitamin-mineral versus placebo improved cognition in older adults. More than 2,200 participants, ages 65 and older, enrolled and were followed for three years. Participants completed tests over the telephone at baseline and annually to evaluate memory and other cognitive abilities.

"Our study showed that although cocoa extract did not affect cognition, daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation resulted in statistically significant cognitive improvement," Baker said. "This is the first evidence of cognitive benefit in a large longer-term study of multivitamin supplementation in older adults."

The researchers estimated that three years of multivitamin supplementation roughly translated to a 60% slowing of cognitive decline (about 1.8 years). The benefits were relatively more pronounced in participants with significant cardiovascular disease, which is important because these individuals are already at increased risk for cognitive impairment and decline.

"It's too early to recommend daily multivitamin supplementation to prevent cognitive decline," Baker said. "While these preliminary findings are promising, additional research is needed in a larger and more diverse group of people. Also, we still have work to do to better understand why the multivitamin might benefit cognition in older adults."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220914102010.htm

Older adults with regular activity routines are happier and do better on cognitive tests

September 12, 2022

Science Daily/University of Pittsburgh

Older adults who consistently get up early and remain active throughout the day are happier and perform better on cognitive tests than those with irregular activity patterns, according to a new study led by University of Pittsburgh researchers.

The findings, published online in JAMA Psychiatry, suggest that patterns of activity -- not just activity intensity -- are important for healthy aging and mental health.

"There's something about getting going early, staying active all day and following the same routine each day that seems to be protecting older adults," said lead author Stephen Smagula, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at Pitt. "What's exciting about these findings is that activity patterns are under voluntary control, which means that making intentional changes to one's daily routine could improve health and wellness."

To learn more about daily activity patterns in U.S.-based older adults and identify links with mental health and cognition, Smagula and his team recruited 1,800 senior citizens aged over 65. Participants wore accelerometers -- movement-detecting devices often found in smartphones and exercise trackers -- on their wrist for seven days to measure activity, and they completed questionnaires to assess depression symptoms and cognitive function.

The analysis showed that 37.6% of participants rose early in the morning, stayed active throughout the day and had consistent daily routines.

"Many older adults had robust patterns: They get up before 7 a.m. on average, and they keep going; they stay active for 15 hours or so each day. They also tend to follow the same pattern day in, day out," said Smagula. "Lo and behold, those same adults were happier, less depressed and had better cognitive function than other participants."

Another group comprising 32.6% of participants similarly had consistent daily patterns but were active for an average of just 13.4 hours each day because they rose later in the morning or settled down earlier in the evening. This group had more depression symptoms and poorer cognition than the early risers.

"People often think about activity intensity being important for health, but it might be the duration of activity that matters more," said Smagula. "This is a different way of thinking about activity: You may not need to be sprinting or running a marathon but simply staying engaged with activities throughout the day."

The remaining 29.8% of participants had disrupted activity patterns in which periods of activity were erratic throughout the day and inconsistent across days. These adults had the highest rates of depression and performed worst on cognitive tests.

According to Smagula, the relationship between mental health and activity patterns likely goes both ways: Depression or cognitive impairment can make it harder to follow a consistent routine, and conversely, having a disrupted activity rhythm may worsen these symptoms.

"Our findings suggest that activity pattern disruption is very common and associated with health problems in older adults," explained Smagula. "The relationship is likely bi-directional, so the good news is we think that simple changes -- things everyone can try -- can restore regular activity patterns and doing so may improve health."

Now, Smagula and his team are developing interventions to test their hypothesis that modifying behaviors to develop more consistent daily routines will boost cognition and improve mental health in older adults.

Smagula said that the first step to developing a consistent routine and getting better sleep is waking up at the same time each day -- no matter how tired you are.

"The other thing is having a realistic plan to keep active through the whole day. This can be really hard -- especially if you're in a slump or recovering from an injury -- so it's important to be reasonable with yourself," he added. "A plan could include making a list of activities you enjoy and scheduling time to meet a friend or neighbor."

Time cues, called "zeitgebers," which help set the body's internal clock, can also assist in creating a stable routine. These include sunlight, exercise and eating. Pets, which often demand meals and walks at the same time each day, can be important social zeitgebers.

"Most people are aware of the importance of good sleep and exercise, but I think what's missing from this picture is the daily, or circadian, pattern of activity," said Smagula. "Having something to wake up for each morning and having a full day that you find purposeful and rewarding might be what's important for us sleeping well at night and aging well."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220912163802.htm

New clues into how the circadian clock helps the brain recover after injury

September 19, 2022

Science Daily Children's National Hospital

A type of brain cell that can renew itself is regulated by circadian rhythms, providing significant insights into how the body's internal clock may promote healing after traumatic brain injuries (TBI), according to new research from Children's National Hospital.

Released in the latest issue of eNeuro, the findings open new avenues of investigation for future TBI therapies. These injuries are currently managed only with supportive care and rehabilitation, rather than targeted drug treatment options. The findings also underscore the importance of addressing circadian disturbances to help injured brains heal.

Many of the body's cells follow a 24-hour rhythm driven by their genes known as the circadian clock. The Children's National research team found that a relatively newly discovered type of brain cell - known as NG2-glia, or oligodendrocyte precursor cells - also follow a circadian rhythm. This cell type is one of the few that continually self-renews throughout adulthood and is notably proliferative in the first week after brain injuries.

"We have found evidence for the role of this well-known molecular pathway -- the molecular circadian clock -- in regulating the ability for these NG2-glia to proliferate, both at rest and after injury," said Terry Dean, M.D., Ph.D., critical care specialist at Children's National and the lead author of the paper. "This will serve as a starting point to further investigate the pathways to controlling cellular regeneration and optimize recovery after injury."

Sometimes called "the silent epidemic," TBI afflicts an estimated 69 million people worldwide each year, with injuries ranging from mild concussions to severe injuries that cause mortality or lifelong disability. In the United States alone, approximately 2.8 million people sustain TBI annually, including 630,000 children. TBI is the leading cause of death in people under age 45, and those who survive are often left with persistent physical, cognitive and psychological disabilities.

Yet no targeted therapies exist for TBI, creating a critical need to uncover the mechanisms that could unlock the regeneration of these NG2-glia cells, which are the most common type of brain cell known to proliferate and self-renew in adult brains.

"It is essential for researchers to know that cell renewal is coordinated with the time of day," said Vittorio Gallo, Ph.D., interim chief academic officer and interim director of the Children's National Research Institute. "With this knowledge, we can dig deeper into the body's genetic healing process to understand how cells regulate and regenerate themselves."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220919144017.htm