Sleep
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Short sleep episodes are common in modern society. We recently demonstrated that short nights reduce phase advances to light. Here we show that short nights also reduce phase delays to light. ⋯ These results indicate for the first time that short nights can reduce circadian phase delays, that long nights can increase phase delays to light, or both. People who curtail their sleep may inadvertently reduce their circadian responsiveness to evening light.
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To describe behavioral sleep/wake patterns of young children from actigraphy and mothers' reports, assess age-group and sex differences, describe daytime napping, and investigate the impact of family demographic variables on sleep-wake measures. ⋯ Individual differences in sleep/wake measures reflect characteristics of children, parents, or parent-child interactions.
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We previously described an association between atrial fibrillation and central sleep apnea in a group of patients with congestive heart failure. We hypothesized that the prevalence of atrial fibrillation might also be increased in patients with central sleep apnea in the absence of other cardiac disease. ⋯ We conclude that there is a markedly increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation among patients with idiopathic central sleep apnea in the absence of congestive heart failure. Moreover, the high prevalence of atrial fibrillation among patients with idiopathic central sleep apnea is not explainable by the presence of hypertension or nocturnal oxygen desaturation, since both of these were more strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Insomnia is a prevalent health complaint associated with daytime impairments, reduced quality of life, and increased health-care costs. Although it is often self-treated with herbal and dietary supplements or with over-the-counter sleep aids, there is still little evidence on the efficacy and safety of those products. ⋯ The findings show a modest hypnotic effect for a valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine relative to placebo. Sleep improvements with a valerian-hops combination are associated with improved quality of life. Both treatments appear safe and did not produce rebound insomnia upon discontinuation during this study. Overall, these findings indicate that a valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine might be useful adjuncts in the treatment of mild insomnia.