When mom doesn’t get enough sleep, the whole family suffers. In women, there’s a definite connection between sleep and mood. Worry, stress and anxiety can interfere with sleep, and sleep problems can increase depression and anxiety symptoms. According to a 2007 National Sleep Foundation study on women’s sleep habits, the relationship between sleep and mood is […]
Two Cookies with Love
My supervisor in residency training gave me a saying that I thought was very descriptive. When you’re a child, if you get two cookies with love, two cookies will always be enough. If you get two cookies without love, no amount of cookies will ever be enough (paraphrased). Of course, the cookies are metaphorical for […]
Why Women Have Trouble Sleeping
Less than half of American women get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis with stay-at-home moms least likely to enjoy adequate pillow time. According to a 2007 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) poll quizzing women about their sleep habits, 67% of American women experience frequent trouble sleeping and 43% report that daytime tiredness interferes […]
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
A plain English term for this would be a worrywart. This is more than concern about a specific issue such as whether you child will return home from Iraq. People with this disorder tend to worry about most things. There is usually something at the forefront of their minds that they are worried about. If […]
Routine Depression Screening Advised for Teens
With more than two million U.S. teens affected by depression, an influential medical panel is urging physicians to routinely screen their teen patients for depression. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed blue-ribbon group of medical experts that sets health guidelines for doctors on a wide range of health issues, most depressed […]
More Sleep Can Improve ADHD Symptoms
A common behavior disorder that affects 8% to 10% of U.S. school-aged children, ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — has been linked to children’s failure to get enough sleep. In a new study (see our April 29 post), researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland found that children who typically received less than […]