Time4Sleep Blog

The purpose and effects of sleep have been probed by a team of researchers at the University of Surrey and University College London. In a hypothesis published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, the educational establishments mentioned hypothesise that the biological function of sleep is to allow for "the vital repair and maintenance" of the cells in our brain. The research also found that this repair function can only occur if the individual neurons are aligned precisely at a time scale of seconds...

Researchers have warned that those suffering from breathing difficulties during the night may be experiencing early signs of Alzeimer's disease. Although it is unknown what exactly the link between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and Alzeihmer's is, evidence suggests that some people who suffer from this particular disorder may already have developed pre-symptomatic dementia. The most common of these SDB's is obstructive sleep apnea, affecting around four per cent of middle-aged men and two per...

A fun new invention means that children’s pyjamas are now able to read them stories before bed. Smart PJs were invented by Juan Murdoch, a father of six. Available in pink or blue, the 47 sets of colourful dots that cover the pyjamas are reminiscent of QR codes; when a certain set of dots is scanned with a smartphone, ...

Eating late should generally be avoided, food before bedtime can affect your sleep as well as your waistline. However when it can’t be avoided, or when you’re just craving some midnight munchies, what are the best options for helping you to drift off? Cherries Melatonin is the chemical that helps regulate your body’s...

Ever been to a modern art gallery and thought you could do better in your sleep? Well now you can. A new application called the Ibis Sleep Art App transforms your night’s sleep into a digital work of art. To use the app, users set the in-built alarm clock and place the phone on their mattress. Throughout the night, the...

We all know that dogs are a man’s best friend, but would you let them sleep in your bed? Health experts warn of the implications that can occur from letting your pets sleep in the same bed as you. According to research conducted domestic pets can cause their owners to become ill if you share a night’s sleep with ...

A woman has had to resort to dieting throughout the day in order to balance out the 2,500 calories she eats whilst she’s asleep. Lesley Cusack, 55 from Cheshire, suffers from a rare Sleep Related Eating Disorder (SRED) that means she eats up to a day’s worth of ca...

Channel 4 has announced the launch of a mobile game that will help hyperactive teenagers better understand their sleep patterns - and the importance of getting an early night. Zeds is a free app created in partnership with an Oxford University neuroscientist, which is being touted by the Independent as a more modern met...

Ahead of surgery on his throat, one thing that Nathan Sykes had difficulty securing was a good night's sleep - even though his temporary departure from his chart-topping group has been happily catered for by his bandmates. Sykes, who is part of The Wanted - a band that has experienced an impressive level of transatlantic success since hitting the scene just two years ago - confirmed that he would have to undergo surgery on his throat to avoid a "haemorrhaging nodule" on his vocal cords; without ...

A new study has concluded that the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea in the US is generally higher for those of an African-American background, and in certain age ranges, even in the face of a variety of results for body mass index (BMI). The research, conducted by Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit ...