Exposure to light at night may be linked to potentially harmful changes in the heart’s structure and performance, according to a study involving more than 11,000 people. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal on September 9. The research was led by Professor Lu Qi of Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. He said: [...]

One sleepless night can blur the brain, but just 20 minutes of exercise or a well-timed nap may help new memories survive for days. In a McGill University-led study, participants who exercised for 20 minutes or slept for 90 minutes after prolonged wakefulness performed about 22 percent better on a delayed memory test than those [...]

A steady daily routine may quietly protect the body from pain, depression, and the damaging effects of disrupted sleep. A University of Missouri study suggests that a predictable routine may support physical and emotional health by helping the body keep time. Rather than focusing only on sleep, the researchers examined the broader pattern of activities [...]

The dreaming brain surges with energy, yet its neurons may consume it faster than they can replenish it. A new mouse study from Tohoku University has uncovered a surprising energy imbalance during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. As the brain entered this dream-rich stage, blood volume increased across the cortex, and astrocytes accumulated more metabolic [...]

Brain immune cells appear to drive reversible sleep loss in mice with Alzheimer’s-like disease. A fire starts in one room, but instead of containing the danger, the sprinkler system floods the entire house. The response causes far more damage than the original threat. Something similar may happen in Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid plaques, the sticky protein [...]

Even modest sleep loss may quietly lead to weight gain and raise the risk of chronic disease over time. People who reduced their nightly sleep by about 80 minutes for six weeks gained an average of one pound and spent more time being sedentary, according to researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and [...]

Struggling to sleep in the heat? The good news is that a handful of easy cooling tricks can help your body stay comfortable and make hot nights far more bearable. When temperatures rise, sleep often suffers. Hot nights can make it harder to fall asleep, increase waking during the night, and leave people feeling less [...]

A wearable bioelectronic device increased REM sleep in real-world trials without invasive surgery or medication. A restless night can leave more than fatigue behind. REM sleep plays a central role in emotional processing, stress adaptation and mental recovery, and persistent disruptions to this stage have been linked to conditions including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress [...]

A new study suggests that sleep habits may influence how certain genetic variants affect early brain and cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep may do more than help the brain recover from a busy day. New research suggests it could also influence how certain genes shape the earliest brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. [...]

A new study suggests that reproducing a crucial sleep-like brain pattern in awake animals may help preserve memory and learning abilities. What if part of the brain could get some of the benefits of sleep without the rest of the brain ever going offline? A new NIH-funded study suggests that may be possible. Researchers found [...]

EEG studies suggest caffeine can reduce deep, restorative sleep even when sleep duration appears normal. Its effects vary by individual, and relying on caffeine for energy may come at the cost of nighttime recovery. Evening coffee has long been debated. Some people can drink it and fall asleep with no trouble, while others struggle to [...]

Researchers have identified a potential biological signature of sleep loss in saliva, bringing scientists closer to an objective test for detecting dangerous fatigue. A driver who has been awake for an entire day can be as impaired as someone who is legally intoxicated. Yet unlike alcohol, there is no roadside test that can objectively determine [...]

A large phase 3 clinical trial has revealed promising results for a once-nightly pill designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea by targeting the biological mechanisms that cause airway collapse during sleep. A once-nightly pill significantly improved obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms in a large phase 3 clinical trial presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference. [...]