We invited Dr Neil Stanley to take a look at some of the most recent scientific publications from the world of sleep research.With so many discoveries being made in the field we take a look at just four sleep science stories that have crossed into the mainstream press.
We analyse the findings, examine how and why the results are significant and ask what the implications for these new discoveries yields for future findings.
- 1:45 Introduction
- 3:22 Study 1: Adults enjoy better sleep in a rocking bed
- 6:39 Evolutionary biology, sleeping in trees
- 9:43 Explaining sleep spindles
- 13:19 Study 2: New parents face up to six years of sleep deprivation
- 17:44 Do journalists read the actual scientific paper?
- 20:37 Study 3: How exercise can shift a person’s body clock
- 26:15 Could exercise be used to help coping with shift work?
- 29:35 Study 4: Some animals do not appear to need sleep
- 39:23 How modern humans are under less stress in evolutionary terms
Here are the links to the four news stories we looked at:
7:20 ‘Whole-Night Continuous Rocking Entrains Spontaneous Neural Oscillations with Benefits for Sleep and Memory’
Publication: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(18)31662-2
News report: https://digest.bps.org.uk/2019/02/01/rock-a-bye-adult-study-shows-grown-ups-enjoy-better-sleep-and-memory-consolidation-in-a-rocking-bed/
13:15 ‘Long-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth on sleep satisfaction and duration of first-time and experienced mothers and fathers’
Publication: https://academic.oup.com/sleep/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsz015/5289255
News report: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-parents-may-face-six-years-disrupted-sleep-180971583/
22:25 ‘Human Circadian Phase‐Response Curves for Exercise’
Publication: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP276943
News report: https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/tps-eim021819.php#
35:42 ‘Most sleep does not serve a vital function: Evidence from Drosophila melanogaster’
Publication: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/2/eaau9253
News report: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/scientists-say-every-animal-needs-sleep-these-fruit-flies-didn-t-get-memo?
This episode’s guest:
Dr Neil Stanley has been been involved in sleep research for over 30 years, and describes himself plain and simply as a ‘sleep expert’.
Dr Stanley’s website – www.sleepconsultancy.com
How To Sleep Well book – https://amzn.to/2PjTZfl
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