by drcatherinedarley | Dec 9, 2009 | body clock, cancer, Children's sleep, shiftwork, sleep
High numbers of people in America do shiftwork – 20% of those who are employed. One definition of shiftwork is starting work after 6pm, and before 6am. “Swing shift” which often starts around 3-4pm is also included in some definitions of shiftwork....
by drcatherinedarley | Dec 7, 2009 | fatigue, health education, optimal sleep, sleep
In our American culture, many words can be used interchangeably. This is even true of sleep words. Several years ago I had the honor of speaking at the annual Association of Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) meeting on the language of sleep medicine for the...
by drcatherinedarley | Dec 4, 2009 | fall asleep, naps, performance, sleep
I get this question all the time from patients who ask “what about naps?” Let me give you a little information about naps and night time sleep. Another day we’ll look at the effect of naps on alertness and performance. There are several things to...
by drcatherinedarley | Nov 30, 2009 | PMS, sleep, Women's sleep
Women of all ages experience sleep changes in response to hormone fluctuations. Today let’s look at the sleep of women during their monthly menstrual cycle. In 1998, the Sleep in America poll by the National Sleep Foundation was all about women’s sleep....
by drcatherinedarley | Nov 26, 2009 | insomnia, melatonin, neurotransmitters of sleep, serotonin, sleep, thanksgiving, turkey, winter holidays
Many stories abound about how the tryptophan in turkey or a glass of milk before bed will help you sleep. Is this true or not? Let’s look at the information. Tryptophan is an amino acid found in foods. Many amino acids combine to make a protein. These...
by drcatherinedarley | Nov 18, 2009 | neurotransmitters of sleep, sleep, Sleep movement disorders
Do you know someone who twitches their leg all night? Or someone who feels like they just have to move their legs in the evening, or when sitting in a cramped theater? Chances are, they may be suffering from a movement disorder. What are Movement Disorders? It is...
