A new study presented at Sleep 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Studies, suggests that insomnia may be inheritable. The study of 1,436 eight- to 16-year-old twins found that the same genes that impact depression and anxiety affect adolescent insomnia. Study results are consistent with the results of similar studies connecting insomnia […]
Combating Dangerous Pattern Perceptions
Perceiving patterns where none exist, a psychological phenomenon called pattern perception, is a mental coping mechanism used by many people to combat uncertainty when events spin their lives out of control (see our June 10 post). It’s a phenomenon that’s on the rise in these times of economic uncertainty where rising unemployment, catastrophic investment losses, […]
Is Uncertainty Making Us More Superstitious?
The need to feel that we are in control of our lives is so basic to our sense of well being that many people may be finding safe harbor from uncertainty in superstitious thinking. When any aspect of our life spins out of control, as it has for many during these uncertain economic times, our […]
TV Watching Interferes With Sleep
Preparing the body for sleep is one of our most important daily rituals, although few people realize the importance it plays in maintaining good health. Our bodies need from seven to eight hours of sleep per night to adequately recharge. Many Americans chronically receive less sleep than they need, unwittingly increasing their health risk. Getting […]
Hypereaters Can’t Stop Craving Bad Foods
America’s love affair with unhealthy food may be more disturbing than we realized. According to research conducted by the former chief of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as many as 70 million Americans probably suffer from some degree of “conditioned hypereating.” Dr. David Kessler defines hypereating as a willpower-sapping compulsion to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods, even […]
Fidgeting Helps ADHD Students Succeed
Children seem to be in constant motion. Parents are forever admonishing their children to sit still. But for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) the constant fidgeting isn’t in their parents’ imagination. Even when other children are able to remain focused and quiet, children with ADHD are compelled to fidget and twitch and squirm. Parents […]