Non-depressed individuals with insomnia have double the risk of developing future depression

March 8th, 2011 | No Comments

Depression and poor sleep are known to be strongly related, and until relatively recently insomnia has tended to be viewed as secondary to depressed mood. It has been documented however, that poor sleep can also pre-date the onset of depression, hinder response to treatments for depression, and remain long after successful remission of depression. This suggests that the relationship between depression and insomnia is not a straightforward one in terms of causality, but that the two may interact, and that insomnia on its own may even predict the development of depression.

In a cutting edge article, published online in the Journal of Affective Disorders, Dr Chiara Baglioni and researchers from the University of Freiburg systematically review and quantify studies which have investigated insomnia as a predictor for the development of future depression. Studies were included in the review if they assessed the core symptoms of insomnia, namely difficulties initiating or maintaining sleep, or non-restorative sleep, and if depression was ruled out in those individuals with insomnia at time-point one. These individuals were then re-assessed for the presence of depression, at least one year later (although the average assessment point was nearly six years later).

From the 21 reviewed studies, it was found that non-depressed individuals with insomnia have double the chance of developing depression in the future, compared with those that reported no sleep difficulties. For the reviewed studies which included information on exact numbers of individuals who developed depression, it was found that 13% of those with insomnia (and no depression) at time-point one went on to report depression at the second assessment. In contrast, only 4% of those without sleep difficulties at time-point one were found to have depression at the second assessment point. One limitation of the reviewed studies is that they did not always take into account additional psychiatric and medical conditions when assessing insomnia as a predictor for developing depression.

The authors conclude that treating insomnia at the earliest opportunity may be a preventative strategy to halt the development of mood disorders. It’s yet more evidence of the importance of sleep in maintaining health and wellbeing across all areas of our lives.

Link: Journal of Affective Disorders

Posted in Insomnia Advice, Interesting..., Science, Sleep News | Tagged: , ,

Researchers shed light on poor sleep quality in patients with tinnitus

February 17th, 2011 | No Comments

A recent study may help shed light on sleep complaints in those with tinnitus. Chronic tinnitus, a disorder which may affect up to 15% of the population, is characterised by the perception of sounds (ringing, buzzing, and hissing) without the presence of external auditory stimulation. Such sounds can be distressing for sufferers and sleep is frequently reported to be disturbed and of poor quality.

Twenty two patients with tinnitus and the same number of healthy participants took part in the study. It was found that, from questionnaires, tinnitus patients reported both poorer sleep quality and sleep efficiency (the amount of time one sleeps as a percentage of the time spent in bed), as well as greater daytime impairment. A sleep diary completed every morning for seven days further supported poorer sleep quality in patients as well as reduced total amount of nightly sleep. When measuring objective sleep in the lab through recordings of electrical brain activity, researchers discovered that the two groups did not differ in key variables such as time taken to fall asleep, total sleep duration, wake time during the night, number of awakenings and sleep efficiency. However, when the team did a more fine-grained analysis of electrical brain activity – using a technique called power spectral analysis – they found that tinnitus patients had reduced power in the delta frequency band compared with healthy controls. Delta power is a marker of brain synchronization and reflects deep, restorative sleep. Having less delta power was also associated with poorer subjective sleep quality.

Such a finding is interesting given that a similar reduction in delta power has been reported in patients with primary insomnia. The work, carried out by Sylvie Hebert and colleagues, may help understand the objective underpinnings of poor sleep quality in individuals suffering from tinnitus.

Link: Journal of Sleep Research

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Brief Behavioural Treatment Improves Chronic Sleep Disturbance in Elderly Adults

February 17th, 2011 | No Comments

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have recently published a study detailing the benefits of a behavioural intervention in improving sleep in older adults.

The study team, led by Dr. Dan Buysse, randomly allocated 79 elderly patients with chronic insomnia (including those with insomnia and other co-occurring medical and psychiatric illness) to receive either the brief behavioural intervention or an ‘information control’ intervention. Although some of the information overlapped in the two therapies, the crucial ingredient in the ‘active’ treatment group (those treated with behavioural therapy) was the tailoring and prescription of a strict bed- and wake-time routine for each patient.

The group receiving the brief behavioural intervention reported, at post-treatment, robust reductions in time taken to fall asleep and amount of wake-time during the night, as well as improved ratings of sleep quality, relative to the control group. Most important, however, was that by the end of the intervention, 55% of patients receiving the behavioural intervention were considered to have ‘no insomnia’, compared with just 13% of the control group. On the whole, these sleep improvements were sustained at 6 months follow-up and significant improvements were also found for ratings of depression and self-perceived health.

Access to such therapies for elderly adults is particularly important given the high prevalence of sleep disturbance in this population, often coupled with elevated prescription rates of sleeping pills – which have been frequently associated with increased risk of falls and hip fractures. Making Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) for insomnia deliverable in a brief manner, reducing cost and expertise associated with implementation, was also a major aim of the trial.

Sleepio’s Professor Colin Espie commented on the study: “This work provides further evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy is the treatment of choice for effectively alleviating chronic insomnia and, crucially, that it can be delivered in a cost-effective and brief manner.”

Link: Archives of Internal Medicine

Posted in Interesting..., Science, Sleep News | Tagged: , , ,

Sleep helps us store memories

February 3rd, 2011 | No Comments

A recent study has shown that the hours we are asleep help us to store important information and memories.

The study published in the Journal of Neuorscience shows that during deep sleep, the brain sorts through our memories from the day and files away the ones that we need to keep.

“Our results show that memory consolidation during sleep indeed involves a basic selection process that determines which of the many pieces of the day’s information is sent to long-term storage,” lead author Jan Born, of the University of Lübeck in Germany, said in a statement. “Our findings also indicate that information relevant for future demands is selected foremost for storage.”

The brain takes in all the information we come across each day and stores it all but most of it is soon forgotten.  Study leader Born was interested to learn how the brain decided what to keep and what to discard.

The researchers performed memory experiments on almost 200 people, getting them to perform tasks like memorising pairs of words and finger taps and then testing their recall 10 hours later.  Some participants were allowed to sleep before being re-tested and some weren’t, which had a significant impact on their results.

“The more slow wave activity the sleeping participants had, the better their memory was during the recall test 10 hours later,” Born said.

The authors believe the brain’s prefrontal cortex flags the memories it decides are important while a person is awake, and the hippocampus stores them during sleep.

“These results suggest that sleep is critical to this memory enhancement,” Gilles Einstein, a memory specialist at Furman University, said in a statement.”

What an interesting study! Just another reason why sleep is so important to our overall wellbeing!

Source – Sleep Help Humans Store ‘Useful’ Information, Study Finds

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Aussie baby who forgets to breath when sleeping

February 1st, 2011 | No Comments

Breathing comes naturally to most of us, but not for little Australian boy Joshua Herron.

Every night, his parents lie awake in a constant state of fear and panic as they listen for the alarm from Joshua’s room – the alarm that indicates he has stopped breathing.

When Susie and Damien Herron watch their son nod off for the night they are constantly alert for the beeping alarm of a neo-natal respiratory monitor, which will go off if he doesn’t take a breath for 20 seconds.

Susie said: “I just haven’t been able to sleep at night. I’m afraid that if I go to sleep and Damien doesn’t hear it, what happens?”

Last year, nine-month old Joshua had to be revived 19  times by his mother after his breathing stopped while he was sleeping!

So far doctors are unable to explain Joshua’s condition, with their best guess being “immaturity between his brain and his respiratory centre”.

After he was born, Joshua spent 11 days in hospital but doctors were unable to diagnose his condition.

The first terrifying incident came two months after he arrived home. It hadn’t gotten any easier by the end of last year when Joshua suffered six incidents in just 10 days.

Joshua’s parents Susie and Damien have just one wish for the New Year -

“That he will grow out if it, that he will be healthy and strong and grow up to be a normal kid,” Damien said.

“And that he’ll let us get a bit of sleep!”

What an incredible story! Our thoughts go out to the Herron family and we hope little Joshua gets better so the whole family can get a good night’s sleep!

Source - Parents fear for baby who forgets to breath during sleep

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Some highlights from Professor Espie’s live chat on The Guardian website

January 31st, 2011 | 2 Comments

Our very own Professor Colin Espie shared his wisdom in a live chat session on The Guardian website last week.  The Prof’s sleep advice was very much in demand – more than 200 people submitted their sleep questions!

There were some great questions, covering everything from bedding, to nightmares to severe insomnia. It was really nice to see people with sleep problems sharing their own experiences and advice with others.

Missed the live chat?  Get your free, tailored Sleep Report designed by Professor Espie by completing the Great British Sleep Survey and read all through all the Prof’s answers on The Guardian website here.

Question:

“I have always slept poorly, rarely getting more than about 6 hours a night. I suffer from insomnia on occasions, sometimes getting zero sleep a night. I go to bed when I feel too tired to stay up, but it takes ages to fall asleep most nights – at least an hour.  Any tips to help me relax (mentally, not physically) would be welcome.”

Prof’s Answer:

“If it’s any consolation, that’s what most of my patients experience too. It really is a problem that there is little in the way of help available on the NHS. In fact that’s one of the reasons that Sleepio and the Mental Health Foundation have teamed up to raise awareness about the importance of sleep. Try downloading the MP3 from the howdidyousleep.org website, and try using a sleep diary to help you keep a check on the direction your sleep is going.”

Question:

“I have suffered with insomnia for many years now. I have exercised, meditated, used sleep CD’s, you name it. I currently take Imovane every night to get to sleep. Every time I try to come off them I end up having at least 3 nights of no sleep and if I am lucky I will sleep on the 4th night. This leads to feelings of failure and depression and being unable to cope with three young children and a job.”

Prof’s Answer:

“Thanks for raising the link between poor sleep and how we feel. It’s really a two-way street isn’t it that its hard to sleep when we are a bit down, but also persistent poor sleep gets us down. The research clearly shows that having a long standing sleep problem makes it 3 or 4 times more likely that we can get depressed, so it is important that we can address sleep as a way of improving our mental wellbeing.  The other good news is that CBT for Insomnia has been found to be effective, even if you are already depressed.  You can do a bit of “your own CBT” by following the advice that we’ve published in the Guardian supplement on Saturday. Of course you should speak to your GP if you need further help, and ask for a referral to a sleep service.”

Question:

“Would you have any suggestions for a person like myself who doesn’t have any trouble falling asleep at the start of the night, but wakes up and cannot go back to sleep?”

Prof’s Answer:

“Let me say a word about the problem of waking up. Well actually you know, it is not so much the waking up, it is more the difficulty immediately dropping back over. A normal night’s sleep does involve what we call “micro” or mini arousals. What happens in Insomnia is that these arousals become expanded into proper wakenings, then we notice we are awake, can begin to feel anxious about that, and so it is hard to drop back over. So try not to think of your problem as waking up, instead it is more about allowing yourself to turn over and go back to sleep. I say allowing because that is really what your body and your brain really wants to do. Try to trust your sleep, rather than to force it. There are also some good tips in the Guardian supplement which I have put there to try and help you with this problem. Hope they help!”

Question:

“For the last few years I have had nightmares all night, which wake me up all the time but more importantly leave me feeling low and anxious on waking, as they can be quite disturbing nightmares. Is there anything I can do to stop the nightmares, so I don’t feel so exhausted during the day?

Prof’s Answer:

“One of the techniques that has been shown to be effective, it’s a CBT technique, is to rehearse alternative endings for nightmares. Normally you would need professional help to know how to do this, but maybe it is good to know that something can be done! If you have a major problem with nightmares, and if you have had PTSD, then you should certainly speak to your doctor and ask for a referral. On the Great British Sleep Survey, we found that these different types of Parasomnias are really quite common, so you are not alone either.”

We hope you found the Prof’s live chat helpful.  Again, you can read all the questions and answers here on the Guardian website.

Posted in Great British Sleep Survey, Insomnia Advice, Science | Tagged: , , ,

Sleepio and the Guardian create The Good Sleep Handbook and CD

January 28th, 2011 | 4 Comments

Guardian Good Sleep HandbookOver the past couple of months Sleepio has been working with the Guardian and the Observer to create The Good Sleep Handbook and The Good Sleep CD. And from tomorrow you can get your hands on them, free with this weekend’s edition of the papers.

The Good Sleep Guide in the Guardian on Saturday features advice from our own Prof Colin Espie, plus findings so far from The Great British Sleep Survey and a history of sleep science.

The companion Good Sleep CD in Sunday’s Observer contains two guided relaxation techniques to promote restful sleep – Progressive Relaxation and Imagery Training.

We’re really pleased with how they’ve both turned out, and it’s been a great pleasure working with the Guardian to create them. Hopefully they will help raise the profile of sleep problems yet further and – most importantly – help a few more people improve their sleep.

If you can, pick up a copy or two this weekend; if not extra copies will be available to buy from the Guardian Reader Offers website.

Why not join the Sleepio Community now to access a range of expert articles from Prof Espie absolutely free?

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Mental Health Foundation report reveals impact of poor sleep on health and happiness

January 27th, 2011 | 1 Comment

A new study released by the Mental Health Foundation and based on figures from our Great British Sleep Survey, shows that up to 30% of Brits suffer from insomnia.

While sleep problems are often considered a “minor irritation”, this report highlights that sleep disorders put sufferers at significantly greater risk of developing health problems ranging from depression to heart disease.

And it’s not just health problems – the impact of insomnia on overall wellbeing and happiness is staggering, as shown by figures from our Great British Sleep Survey.

People with sleep insomnia are:

  • Four times as likely to have relationship problems
  • Three times as likely to experience low mood
  • Three times as likely to lack concentration during the day
  • Three times as likely to struggle to ‘get things done’ at work or elsewhere in their lives
  • Over twice as likely to suffer from energy deficiency

Sleepio’s Professor Colin Espie, Director of the Glasgow University Sleep Centre, commented on these findings:

“The Great British Sleep Survey data show the extent to which sleep disorders can inhibit the very essence of who we are: our relationships, our mood, our ability to complete day-to-day tasks,” he said.

“We can no longer just ignore the impact of sleep problems in this country. They are affecting our health, our economy, and our everyday happiness”.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, agrees that sleep problems need be taken seriously:

“Whilst great emphasis is rightly placed on the importance of diet and exercise, sleep has for too long been neglected as a major influence on the physical and mental health of the nation,” he said.

“Up to a third of the population currently suffers from insomnia, and with stress and longer working hours on the rise in the current economic climate, it is crucial that we now treat the issue of sleep problems as the major public health concern it is”.

The Mental Health Foundation has some recommendations for dealing with the nation’s sleep problems, including:

  • Public health campaigns in schools and workplaces to highlight the importance of sleep
  • Provide GPs with information and training about the importance of sleep and evidence-based sleep therapies
  • The government’s new Public Health Outcomes Framework should include specific outcomes on reducing sleep problems
  • Further research into low cost CBT-based interventions for sleep problems, such as self-help books and online courses, should be carried out

Sleepio is proud to partner the Mental Health Foundation’s campaign, and welcomes mainstream recognition for the damage and distress that sleep problems cause.

A note on the survey data: although the sample size of the survey is large, there may be a bias towards those who suffer from sleep problems since they are likely to be more motivated than good sleepers to find out about the state of their sleep. As such absolute prevalence figures for each problem should be interpreted carefully. However, the comparative impact of sleep problems on different areas of sufferers’ lives will not be affected by prevalence, and the overall findings of the survey are echoed by those established in the broader body of research on the topic.

To download a copy of the report visit the campaign website here: www.HowDidYouSleep.org.

Or, to help add to our picture of the nation’s sleep and receive a free tailored sleep report, you can take the Great British Sleep survey yourself.

Posted in Great British Sleep Survey, Insomnia Information, Sleep News | Tagged: , , , , ,

Sleepio’s Prof Espie answers your questions in The Guardian live Q&A

January 26th, 2011 | No Comments

Got a burning question about sleep? Sleepio’s Professor Colin Espie knows a thing or two about the subject…and now you’ve got the chance to ask him yourself.

Going to miss the chat? Take the Great British Sleep Survey to get a tailored sleep report from Sleepio & Professor Espie

Prof Colin will be participating in a live chat on The Guardian website on Thursday 27 January at 3pm.  If you have a question about sleep science or sleep problems, you can leave your question in the comments section and Professor Espie will share his wisdom with you during the chat session.

> Join the The Guardian’s live chat here

Posted in Great British Sleep Survey, Insomnia Information, Sleep News | Tagged: , , ,

Sleep is the secret to success

January 23rd, 2011 | 2 Comments

Famed journalist Arianna Huffington (co-founder of The Huffington Post news website) has revealed her secret to success.  And it’s more simple than you would think – sleep!

In a recent speech at a TEDWomen event, Arianna spoke of the time she fainted from exhaustion and hit her desk on the way down, breaking her cheekbone – and how that was the wake up call she needed to start making sleep a priority.

Arianna is passionate about the positive affect that good sleep can have:

“The way to a more productive, more inspired, more joyful life is getting enough sleep.”

She also believes that sleep-deprived women will be at the forefront of this attitude shift, stating ”…we women are going to lead the way in this new revolution, we are literally going to sleep our way to the top!”

Arianna has some really great ideas about sleep and her talk will inspire you to take sleep more seriously.

Watch the video here:

Posted in Sleep News, Sleep in Culture | Tagged: , ,