Sleep : The Right Prescription for Your Health

WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 -- Getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night is essential for your good health, according to sleep experts.

Too little sleep not only makes you tired and cranky all day, it also has other unwanted side effects, including decreased creativity and accuracy, increased stress, tremors, aches and memory lapses or loss.

Is Your Mattress Releasing Toxins While You Sleep?

WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 -- Most people consider their bed a safe haven, but new research suggests your body heat might trigger the release of potentially harmful chemicals from your mattress.

Mattresses are known to release minute amounts of gaseous chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs come mainly from the polyurethane used in the mattress, but also from other chemicals used in flame retardants and plastics, the researchers said.

Sleep Troubles Help Drive High U.S. Firefighter Burnout Rate

FRIDAY, June 21, 2019 -- Almost half of American firefighters have some form of physical and emotional burnout, with sleep problems and mental health disorders as major factors, a new study finds.

Researchers surveyed more than 6,300 firefighters from 66 fire departments nationwide and found that 49% had high levels of physical and emotional burnout in at least one area.

The Health Benefits of Sleeping on Your Side

THURSDAY, June 20, 2019 -- You know how important getting enough restorative sleep is for facing each new day refreshed and ready to take on the world. Now research suggests that your sleep position may have an impact on brain health, too.

For a study done on animals, researchers used dynamic contrast magnetic resonance imaging to see the brain's glymphatic pathway. That's the system that clears waste and other harmful chemicals from the brain, much like the way the lymphatic system clears waste from organs.

Women With Sleep Apnea May Have Higher Cancer Odds Than Men

WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2019 -- Some people with sleep apnea have an increased risk of cancer, and the odds may be higher for women than men, researchers say.

"Recent studies have shown that low blood oxygen levels during the night and disrupted sleep, which are both common in [obstructive sleep apnea], may play an important role in the biology of different types of cancers," said study leader Athanasia Pataka.