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.
Sleep: The Biggest Sleep Stories of 2011: Part II
Sleep was in the news throughout 2011, with breakthrough research and advances in our understanding of why we sleep, and how sleep-or a lack of it-can affect health and well being. Here are my picks for the most interesting and important sleep stories from the second half of 2011, with practical sleep suggestions you can start using today. July 2011Sleep suggestion: Your doctor's sleep matters to... Read More
Comments (0)Sleep: The Biggest Sleep Stories of 2011: Part I
The year that just ended was a big one for sleep, with lots of important, news-making stories related to sleep and sleep disorders. Here are my picks for the biggest sleep stories of 2011, and the most important sleep advice to come from this year's most compelling research into sleep. January 2011Sleep suggestion: Take your vitamins...for sleepVitamins don't just do your waking body good, they al... Read More
Comments (0)Safer Sleep for Babies: New guidelines
Moms and Dads, here's some important news: there are new guidelines you should know about that can help your baby sleep more safely. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new recommendations for sleep safety and protection against SIDS. SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome, has yet to be fully explained. Its causes remain largely unknown, and though it is relatively rare, it remains the numb... Read More
Comments (0)Rock On For Better Sleep
It's the simplest of soothing, sleep-inducing remedies, something we all naturally do: rocking a baby gently to sleep.Long after we've left childhood, we all can be deeply affected by this relaxing rocking motion. Think of the peaceful glide of a porch swing, sleeping on a boat, or the calming sway of a hammock nap. There's a new fascinating study that suggests rocking does indeed have an effect o... Read More
Comments (7)Is your BedTIME Making you Fat?
When was the last time someone told you to go to bed? Were you 8 years old? 10 years old? But in truth, it was probably the best thing for you. Many of my patients tell me that they have great plans to get in bed at 10, but before they know it, they look up and it is 11:15 and they say, oh well, and stay up for another hour! Think about it. Your bedtime is one of the few things that you can contro... Read More
Comments (3)Is Your Bedroom Making you FAT? 5 Tips for a Skinny Bedroom
The quality and quantity of your sleep can affect your ability to lose weight, and stay healthy. There are a great many things that influence your sleep, but have you ever considered your bedroom?Let me give you an example. If music is on while you are cooking in the kitchen, and you have all the right equipment, and all the right ingredients what happens? Not only do you enjoy cooking more, but... Read More
Comments (0)Sleep More, Eat Less, Lose Weight
The other day I read about yet another new diet-this one an anti-carb plan imported from France. Do you ever feel like everywhere you look there's some new fad diet? Some claim you should only eat protein, others that you should only eat raw greens, and still others think you should only consume liquids. Most of these diet plans are ineffective (and some of them seem downright dangerous), and t... Read More
Comments (3)Is Technology Stealing Your Sleep?
Have you ever noticed that in so many iPad and tablet ads people have their feet up while they use their devices? The idea must be that the product is so easy, so relaxing, you could even use it in bed.People love to use their electronic devices in the bedroom-and who can blame them, when we have so many small gadgets that offer us news articles, e-books, and games in one tiny package? And if you... Read More
Comments (1)National Sleep Awareness Week and Daylight Saving Time
It's National Sleep Awareness Week — and while I talk about sleep all the time, it's great to have a week focused on activity that just doesn't get the respect it deserves.The truth is that people aren't nearly as aware of the importance of sleep as they should be. In fact, the CDC recently released a report that says that more than a third of Americans get fewer than 7 hours of sleep a night. T... Read More
Comments (0)Get Out of Bed for Better Sleep?
Outside of giving its name to this blog, insomnia can be exceptionally difficult to live with. Insomnia is often referred to as "vague" because it is so difficult to determine what is causing your sleeplessness: Underlying medical conditions, chronic pain, depression, or even another sleep disorder like restless leg syndrome. For some, the cause could be as simple as stress.Regardless... Read More
Comments (0)The Sleep Doctor's Sleep Suggestions from the Top Sleep stories of 2010 (Part II)
As you saw from my last blog, we learned so much in 2010 about our sleep and what we should and should not do. Here is Part II of my practical sleep suggestions — based on the latest cutting edge research on sleep from the second half of 2010. JulySleep Suggestion: Problems Sleeping? Tart Cherry Juice may be helpful. • In an article published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods, researchers from t... Read More
Comments (5)The Sleep Doctor's Sleep Suggestions from the Top Sleep Stories of 2010 (Part I)
Happy New Year! As 2011 is here I wanted to look back and think about all of the amazing stories, research and clinical cases that have changed the face of sleep medicine in 2010. The amount of sleep research going on today is one of the very reasons why I got into this field, the changes are constant and exciting. While this does not encompass everything, these are what I considered some of the... Read More
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