The Relationship Between Sweat and Sleep

January 17, 2014 by

Jan. 10, 2014

By Medical Discovery News

Sweat and sleep

If only getting to sleep were really as easy as counting sheep. Over half of Americans admit to struggling with insomnia a few nights a week. And the loss of sleep doesn’t just make a person tired, it can affect how long they live. People who an average of six or fewer hours of sleep each night had higher mortality rates than those who slept seven or more. New research has provided more insight into how people can overcome or prevent insomnia.

Problems falling asleep initially, waking up during the night and then having problems getting back to sleep, feeling tired upon waking in the morning, and waking up before the alarm all count as insomnia – it’s both the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. There are two different types: primary, a direct issue with sleep, and secondary, sleep issues caused by an underlying medical condition like depression, asthma, and overuse of alcohol. Insomnia can lead to other serious medical issues including memory problems, depression, heart disease, and car accidents. 

Common causes of insomnia include stress, emotional issues, physical discomfort, medications, disruptions in a person’s schedule, and environmental disturbances like light, noise, and temperature. Many suffering from insomnia rely on medications such as sleeping pills and sedatives, the most common being over-the-counter antihistamines. But these drugs can come with significant side effects, particularly for the elderly. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which changes ways of thinking to improve behavior, is recommended for insomnia.

Evidence shows the best ways to prevent insomnia are to maintain a regular schedule, avoid caffeine for the eight hours before bed, and especially get some exercise. While research has long shown the positive relationship between exercise and sleep, a recent study has led scientists at Northwestern University to conclude that sleep may influence exercise more than exercise influences sleep.    

This experiment involved a group of women diagnosed with insomnia, divided into two groups: an exercise and an inactive group. The exercise group performed 30 minutes of moderate exercise several times a week for 16 weeks while the other group was inactive. The results were encouraging, since those in the active group slept 45-60 minutes longer each night, woke less frequently, and felt more energized during the day. 

The surprise came when the scientists took a detailed look at the diaries the women kept of their exercise and sleep. The effect of exercise seemed to take longer than expected – a full four months. Also, most did not report sleeping better on the nights after they exercised, but that a good night’s sleep helped them exercise better the next day. 

People without sleep issues typically experience a more restful night’s sleep after exercising, so why is this not the case for people with insomnia? It may be that those with sleep disorders are different neurologically. They may have hyper-arousal of the stress system, which takes a prolonged regular exercise regime to overcome. Further research will be able to answer remaining questions about the timing or intensity of exercise, the effect of different types of exercise, and whether this is the case in men as well.

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Thinking with your Stomach

May 31, 2013 by

May 31, 2013

By Medical Discovery News

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” New research might amend this common proverb to “the way to a man’s brain is through his stomach.” An article in the “New Scientist” argues that the enteric nervous system (ENS), found in the tissues of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, functions as a second brain of sorts.

Spanning the mouth to anus, the GI system is approximately 30 feet long and can be divided into the upper (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum) and lower (large and small intestine) tracts. This is where digestion occurs, providing metabolic functions and energy to the body. With this complex role, it is not hard to imagine why it needs its own nervous system.

Like the brain, the ENS consists of different types of neurons as well as glial cells, which provide support and protection for the neurons. The human ENS contains upward of 500 million neurons and an equal number of glial cells, more than all of those in a rodent’s brain. However, the human brain contains 90 billion neurons. The ENS communicates with the brain to control unconscious or autonomic processes, like peristalsis, the wave-like motions that push food through the GI tract. 

To accomplish this, the ENS produces hormones and neurotransmitters much like the brain. In fact, the ENS produces as much dopamine (which triggers feelings of reward and pleasure) as the brain and most of the serotonin (which controls mood, appetite, and sleep) within the body.

So, if the ENS truly acts as a second brain, then the GI system can affect a person’s moods and sense of wellbeing. The ENS causes this by transmitting signals to the brain through the vagus nerve. This makes sense, since people typically feel good after enjoying a meal. For example, when rich foods are digested they release fatty acids. The gut detects this, prompting the ENS to send certain signals to the brain. According to brain imaging studies, the brain then releases pleasurable sensations, altering a person’s mood. So it’s no wonder that people crave rich, fatty foods!

On the other hand, people usually eat differently when stressed. Stress can lead to the production of a GI hormone called ghrelin, which causes feelings of hunger and leads to a reduction of anxiety and depression. In experiments, mice subjected to stress sought out fatty foods, which elevated the production of ghrelin. The link between chronic stress and obesity is then a no-brainer.

The main function of the ENS is to monitor the digestion of food and identify threats in what is eaten, such as toxins or infections. So, perhaps listening to the stomach when it comes to choosing meals isn’t all bad. After all, that’s the second brain at work.

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Stress-Relieving Gene

October 29, 2012 by

By Medical Discovery News

Oct. 20, 2012

Stress can lead to high blood pressure, mood disorders, and can have other negative health effects

One word serves as an instant conversation starter: stress. It’s inescapable, and comes from common experiences like deadlines and demanding bosses, a spouse who doesn’t understand and children who don’t obey, or bills to pay and endless chores to do. The added burden of a health crisis or relative’s death can cause stress to become acute. Though people throw the word around, unchecked stress takes a physiological and psychological toll.

Research shows chronic stress leads to mood disorders such as depression, which has enormous effects on the brain. It changes brain cell behavior and the structure of brain tissues. For example, the hippocampus, which is the brain’s memory center, can shrink in people with a history of depression. And neurons, which are cells that transmit brain signals, can slow down.

A new report further supports this causal link between stress and mood disorders. It shows chronic stress blocks a gene called neuritin that normally protects the brain from such disorders. A research team from Yale University studied how rats, which also possess the neuritin gene, responded to 35 days of stress induced by isolation, no food or play, and a change in their light and dark cycles.

As expected, the rats showed signs of depression. They lost interest in food, sweetened drinks, and didn’t swim when placed in water. An analysis showed these rats had significantly lower neuritin gene activity compared with rats in a control group. While some of the depressed rats were given antidepressants to recover, others were injected with a genetically engineered virus to increase neuritin gene activity. These rats recovered just as well as those given antidepressants, which suggests neuritin is effective at blocking stress and mood disorders.

To further prove neuritin can protect the brain from depression, researchers blocked the neuritin gene in healthy rats and saw them exhibit the same depressed states as rats exposed to chronic stress. The study supports past evidence that already began to link stress to the development and progression of mood disorders.

Past studies show a person suffering depression has lower levels of something called brain-derived growth neurotrophic factor (BDNF).  This protein factor is important in keeping neurons active and healthy. Other findings also suggested low neuritin gene activity diminished the coding of a protein that protects the brain’s ability to adapt to new experiences.

The findings will help scientists target a new method for treating the one in four Americans affected by mood disorders in any given year, according to the National Institute on Mental Health. Though antidepressants are currently available, only 30 percent of people taking them fully recover. Finding a new therapy that can promise better results can be life changing.

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