Sleep Well Clinic

28/05/2026

Something to consider as you go into the weekend: This study suggests that catching up on sleep on the weekend may harm your glucose control.
Seven hours of sleep may be the optimal duration for maintaining metabolic health, with both short and excessive sleep associated with increased insulin resistance, according to a new cross-sectional study. This study found a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between how long people sleep on weekdays and their insulin resistance. They also discovered that the effect of weekend catch-up sleep is conditional — for those who don’t get enough weekday sleep, modest ‘catchup’ of 1-2 hours was beneficial, but for those who already sleep enough or for anyone engaging in excessive catch-up sleep, weekend catch-up sleep was associated with negative metabolic effects.
The goal should be consistency and adequacy rather than extremes. Aim for around 7-7.5 hours of sleep on weekdays as a reasonable target for metabolic health.
For people who chronically under sleep during the week, catching up an extra hour or 2 on weekends may offer a real, measurable, metabolic benefit. However, for patients who already get sufficient sleep, or for anyone sleeping in for more than 2 extra hours, we should counsel against it, as this ‘social jetlag’ and circadian disruption may actually be harmful.
https://drc.bmj.com/content/14/2/e005692

27/05/2026

Stressed-out teen? Sleep and sports may be the cure:
A study examined the role of sleep and sports participation in reducing stress among adolescents. The study, which used a 30-day diary method, found that quality sleep before and after stressful events helped teens cope better, while positive sports experiences provided emotional and social support. Sleep acts as a preparation mechanism, which provides adolescents with a stronger starting point so that they can better handle stress they encounter.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jora.70139

26/05/2026

The role of parenting in associations of weight status with sleep duration and timing for children with mild sleep-disordered breathing:
This study demonstrates that both shorter sleep duration and later timing relate to higher waist circumference and body mass index z-scores among school-aged children. Parenting factors (i.e., stress, parent–child dysfunctional relationships, and less use of an authoritative parenting style) may moderate sleep pattern-weight status relationships and therefore identify children most vulnerable to obesity because of insufficient sleep.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44470-026-00066-y

25/05/2026

Longer and more frequent daytime napping is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among older adults, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. Older individuals who nap for more than 30 minutes or take multiple naps a day have a higher risk of mortality than those who nap less frequently and for shorter periods of time. Metrics from wearable devices may be useful in identifying people at high risk, study authors said.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2847953

24/05/2026

The effect of hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS), a novel and promising therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), on neurocognitive deficits remains underexplored. This study evaluated whether HGNS therapy improves cognitive performance using the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) and digit symbol substitution test (DSST), along with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) related to sleepiness, snoring, insomnia, and sleep-related function. In the modified intention-to-treat analysis, no significant differences in PVT or DSST outcomes were observed between active and control (partially therapeutic) HGNS therapy; however, in a subset of participants with ≥ 50% reduction in AHI with active HGNS, improvement in DSST reaction time was noted. All PROs significantly improved with active HGNS, suggesting benefits in subjective measures without substantial changes in objective cognitive measures.

Purpose The effect of therapeutic versus partially therapeutic levels of hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) therapy on cognitive measures and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) was evaluated in patients with moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods In a 10-week, double-blind, randomize...

21/05/2026

Following on from yesterday, today we discuss the unique sleep challenges women face throughout their lives and the influence of their societal role.
Traditional social roles of women as caregivers and household managers combine with work and family life to produce stress-related sleep issues.
Sleep is scheduled socially and shaped by your cultural trends, ecological contexts, personal beliefs, economic forces and family structure. And it is not equally prioritised across all cultures.
In some countries where afternoon siesta is practiced, sleep may be tied to important family and spiritual traditions, whereas in others it may be seen as lazy. All of these factors, plus the cognitive load of family life and unpaid labour, play a role in how well women sleep.
Women tend to prioritise the family’s sleep needs over their own, however, this trend diminishes with age and life stage. Also, women of colour tend to have shorter sleep durations than their white counterparts. Racial microaggressions and discrimination likely feed into insomnia, as does the cultural expectation that a woman of colour should be strong and self-sacrificing at all times.
This can have a detrimental impact on her mental health and sleep quality, and lead to more daytime sleepiness. If we’re to improve sleep among women across the globe, intervention should consider all of these different contextual factors.

20/05/2026

Sleep is an area of health where symptoms differ widely depending on your s*x and life stage. Data from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine show that women are more likely than men to experience trouble sleeping, excessive daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating due to tiredness.
It’s estimated that 90% of female patients with sleep apnoea may go undiagnosed. Women also may face a lack of understanding from care providers, causing them to dismiss their own symptoms and feel discouraged about seeking help.
There are no particular s*x differences in sleep during childhood, but as girls reach puberty and adolescence, reproductive hormones start to increase, and total sleep time is reduced.
During the reproductive years, there is a higher risk of sleep-disordered breathing, particularly during pregnancy and in patients with obesity. There are numerous factors, including musculoskeletal discomfort, nighttime urination, nasal congestion, fetal movement and heartburn, that can interfere with sleep during pregnancy, and the first and third trimesters can be especially trying. Perimenopause and menopause tend to be when clinicians hear most from women about sleep problems and vasomotor symptoms.
The presentation of sleep apnoea is very different compared to men, which can lead to underdiagnosis in women. Women are more likely to report morning headaches, depressive symptoms, frequent awakenings and nocturia rather than sleepiness and snoring.
Women also report more fatigue than men, while men say they feel excessive daytime sleepiness more often. However, many OSA screening questionnaires focus on male-typical symptoms, underscoring a need to adjust them to better represent women’s experiences. Insomnia and RLS are significantly more common in women than men.

19/05/2026

A newly published study found that morning sleep inertia (longer post-awakening grogginess) in adults was significantly associated with anxiety and short sleep duration, among other effects. The study, which analysed data from the Korean Sleep Headache Study, found that individuals with shorter sleep duration and an evening chronotype experienced longer sleep inertia. The study suggests targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of sleep inertia on adults' daily functioning.
Reference:
Kim JR, Park HJ, Paik SM, et al. Morning sleep inertia and its associated factors: Findings from a nationwide study. PLoS One. 2026;21(1):e0337992. Published 2026 Jan 2. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0337992

A recent population-based data analysis of Korean adults reported those with anxiety and certain sleep disturbances experienced longer durations of morning grogginess, known as sleep inertia.

18/05/2026

The Artemis II astronauts, who returned from their history-making trip around the moon on April 10, had to get used to some unusual sleeping arrangements while they were travelling through space. A video report explains what it was like for the four-person crew to rest inside the Orion spacecraft.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-will-artemis-ii-astronauts-sleep-in-space/

17/05/2026

Many adults suffer from insomnia. Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia is the recommended treatment option, but access to it is not readily available. Digital interventions have the potential to close the treatment gap by offering scalable and cost-efficient options. The present randomised controlled trial aimed at investigating the effectiveness and safety of somnovia, an interactive internet-based intervention for patients with insomnia.
After 3 months, the intervention group showed lower insomnia, depressive, and anxiety symptoms, as well as improved overall functioning compared with participants in the control group.
The effects stayed stable after 6 months. The results indicate that next to a therapeutic effect on insomnia symptoms, somnovia might potentially help to prevent the onset of other psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.14409

14/05/2026

Sleep-Aligned Overnight Fasting Linked to Cardiometabolic Benefits:
An overnight fasting regimen commencing at least 3 hours prior to bedtime led to significant improvements in key cardiometabolic measures including nighttime blood pressure, heart rate dipping, and glucose regulation, results from a small but intriguing new study showed.
The findings underscore that it’s not only how much and what you eat but also when you eat relative to sleep that is important for the physiological benefits of time-restricted eating.
Importantly, the intervention group had a nearly 90% adherence rate, suggesting that sleep-aligned fasting represents a feasible, nonpharmacological intervention for cardiometabolic disease risk reduction. The consumption of food late in the day, in the hours close to bedtime, is known to be associated with a variety of adverse health effects, including weight gain, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose regulation. Conversely, overnight fasting and time-restricted eating have recognized cardiometabolic health benefits.

BACKGROUND: Time-restricted eating has gained attention for its potential cardiometabolic health benefits. Existing time-restricted eating approaches may have limited adherence and sustainability due to fixed fasting windows with prolonged fasting duration before sleep, or they involve self-selected...