The Insomnia Blog
Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and both a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was one of the youngest people to have passed the Board at age 31 and, with a specialty in Sleep Disorders and Neuropsychological Testing, is one of only 163 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinction. His first book, GOOD NIGHT: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health (Dutton/Penguin), an Amazon Top 100 Best Seller, has been met with rave reviews and continues to change the lives of readers. It is now available in paperback as BEAUTY SLEEP: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep. As the subject of sleep gains greater momentum in our sleep-deprived society, Dr. Breus has become a widely recognized leader in this highly- evolving field. Dedicated to raising awareness of both sleep disorders and what he calls “disordered sleep” in the public and healthcare communities, Dr. Breus is on a mission to develop innovative education and communication programs. In addition to his private practice where he treats athletes, celebrities and the like, he also trains other sleep doctors and consults with major airlines, hotel chains, mattress manufacturers and retailers to provide the optimum sleep experience for their customers. His audio relaxation CD, distributed by Crowne Plaza Hotels and the online record store CD Baby, has been distributed to millions of listeners; and for the past 10 years, he has served as the Sleep Expert for WebMD Health, a leading Internet site for health-related information and pens “Sleep Matters” a monthly column in WebMD magazine. You can also find him on AOL where he is a Wellness Coach discussing topics from mattress choice to sleep apnea. His blogs can be found at WebMD, The Huffington Post, The Insomnia Blog and coming soon, Psychology Today.
Tic-Toc: News about Your Clock
I love a study that debunks an old theory long believed true. Scientists at the University of Michigan came out with a bold statement: everything we know about the human biological clock is wrong. According to these researchers, who hail from mathematics, the cells responsible for maintaining the clock in the part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nuclei, or SCN, don’t fire all day an ...... Read More
Comments (0)Pilot Fatigue to Blame?
If you learned upon landing that your plane’s pilots had overshot the airport by 150 miles because they fell asleep at the controls, what would you feel? Terrified? Shocked? Lucky? I’d feel a mix of the above. In this week’s latest hit to the airline industry, a Northwest flight to Minneapolis overshot its destination and pilot fatigue could be to blame. Of course, the pilots ...... Read More
Comments (0)Big Decisions Decided After All-Nighters?
Imagine having to make a huge decision that may affect the lives of millions. Your constituents have voted with confidence in your ability represent them on issues like health care and education.But after months of contentious debate, when the deadline nears, it comes time to make the critical decisions, there’s nothing left to do but pull numerous all-nighters, eat poorly, and struggle to ...... Read More
Comments (1)Attention Parents with an Autistic Child: Is a Sleep Clinic in Order?
Nothing could be more challenging, exhausting and rewarding than raising an autistic child. Not only is the situation difficult for doctors and parents alike, but it’s manifested in oh-so-many ways across a spectrum of symptoms and to varying degrees in different children. One of the most commonly experienced problems, however, is trouble sleeping. So I applaud the sleep counselors at a spe ...... Read More
Comments (0)Is Your Sleep Deprivation Leading You to Diabetes?
Pop quiz: Which of the following words does not seem to go with the others? • Obesity • Calories • Insulin • Sleep • Fat If you said sleep, you’re right. Er, you’re wrong actually. While sleep may not seem like it belongs in the same category as words that revolve around weight, it actually has everything to do with weight and whether or not you ...... Read More
Comments (1)Buying A Mattress - And The Survey Says:
October’s Consumer Reports features a review on something most people find frustrating, and almost everyone asks me about: buying a mattress. I’ve written about this chore numerous times, and offered lots of tips to making it as painless and inexpensive as possible (though my jaw still drops at the fact some retailers can sell a mattress for tens of thousands of dollars; as youȁ ...... Read More
Comments (1)Beware of Late-Night Eating
Don’t eat after 7 pm. It’s okay to eat late at night so long as you didn’t pig out during the day. Scratch that. It’s not about timing, it’s about calories. No, it’s about timing and calories. Confused? I know, the messages tend to get mixed and muddled. So let me set the record straight (for now) based on a recent finding that will have you thinking twice ...... Read More
Comments (0)Moms: A New School Year Can Spell Sleep Relief (or Not)
“A woman’s work is never done” - a phrase that will never go out of style, and its partner - a woman’s often low-quality sleep life. At least that’s what some are reporting as study after study indicate that all the multitasking in the world can’t create more time to rest and enjoy leisure time. In fact, a study that came out earlier this year in the Econo ...... Read More
Comments (0)The Secret to a Happy Marriage (and Healthy Self): Separate Beds? I Doubt it!
This topic is always popular: sleeping in separate beds for the sake of getting restful sleep and enjoying your partner even more as a result. • Have you ever been awakened by your bed partner? (snoring, thrashing, moving around) • Have you ever been the unintentional recipient of a battle by your bed partner in the middle of the night? (hit or punched as your bed partner physically ...... Read More
Comments (0)Pillow Talk
With my recent interview in Men’s Health, and my television appearance on The Doctors with the famous pillow panel, it’s clear that the consumer’s quest for the perfect pillow continues. Men’s magazines, women’s magazines, travel magazines, daytime television - everyone wants to know about pillows - how are they different? How do you choose? What is THE pillow ...... Read More
Comments (0)Off to College, Probably Not Off to Sleep-Part 2
Ah, there’s nothing quite like dorm room living: • Tight quarters. • Old, rickety furniture and carpeting. • A small, hard bed. • Thin walls and rowdy neighbors. • Late-night hallway parties. • Perhaps a humming mini-refrigerator and an annoying roommate with whom you share absolutely nothing in common. Now, that might not sound so pleasant if you&# ...... Read More
Comments (0)Off to College, Probably Not Off to Sleep - Part I
The dog days of summer are fast coming to a close. In the coming weeks, millions of college-bound students will be hitting the books again and adjusting back into university life. For first timers, this is an exciting time period. For veteran upper classmen, it’s also a thrilling time to know that you’re close to being fully independent and out in the “real” world on y ...... Read More
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