Are you losing sleep during the pandemic? You are not alone. Up to 19% of adults in the U.S. report not getting enough rest or sleep every day, according to the National Institutes of Health, and more Americans are taking melatonin than ever before. Why has the pandemic affected people’s sleep habits? What does current research show about the link between sleep and heart attacks, obesity and high blood pressure? What can consumers do to get better sleep or deal with a sleep disorder?

On March 9th, 2022, Mayo Clinic sleep specialist Lois Krahn, M.D., and cardiologist Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., discussed these topics and more.

Journalists who have already registered on the News Network can log into their accounts to download a recording of the Zoom briefing found at the end of this post.

Journalists who would like to access the media briefing video can register with the News Network here.

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For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date. 

The post 3-09-2022 Media Only News Briefing: Losing sleep during the pandemic? It may be affecting your weight, heart, and overall health  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My child moves around a lot at bedtime and has trouble falling asleep. She describes "bugs" on her legs. As someone who was diagnosed with restless legs syndrome, I am wondering if children can develop restless legs syndrome, too?

ANSWER: Yes, children can have restless legs syndrome. You also may hear it called Willis Ekbom disease, based on the names of the physicians who first described this condition.

Just like adults, children can have sensations in their legs that makes it hard for them to fall or stay asleep. If the sensation happens regularly, they may have restless legs syndrome, which is considered a sleep disorder.

Restless legs syndrome can occur in about 2% of school-aged children. It also can run in families. Children with symptoms may have a parent who has restless legs syndrome.

Similar to adults, restless legs syndrome can make it difficult for children to get a good night's sleep. It does not lead to other health problems in children. Treatments are available that often can reduce or eliminate restless legs syndrome.

At first, it can be challenging to diagnose children with restless legs syndrome, which is characterized by an unpleasant or uncomfortable urge to move their legs. Some people describe it as a crawling, pulling or burning sensation in the thighs, calves or feet. Children may describe "bugs" or use other such descriptors.

The sensation is temporarily relieved when they get up and move around, or when they shift or stretch their legs. Children also can have "growing pains," which typically wax and wane, and are not associated with the need for movement.

Symptoms of restless legs syndrome typically begin at night after a person has been sitting or lying down for some time. These symptoms can occur during the day, too, when a person is sitting, but they typically are worse at night. Children may sometimes have these feelings while sitting in a car or classroom.

Many people have mild leg twitches as they drift off to sleep. These movements, called "hypnic starts," are a normal part of falling asleep. They are not associated with restless legs syndrome. Restless legs syndrome is much more uncomfortable, and it often makes it hard to fall sleep and stay asleep.

Sometimes muscle and ligament strain can be misinterpreted as restless legs syndrome, too. Usually, however, a strain is relieved by rest; whereas, the symptoms of restless legs syndrome worsen when limbs are kept still.

Health care providers usually can diagnose restless legs syndrome based on symptoms. In children, symptoms can start as early as 5 to 6 years of age. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can coexist in about 30% of children who experience restless legs syndrome.

Sleep studies are not necessary unless children cannot accurately describe their symptoms. Based on how old children are developmentally, it can be difficult for them to describe the unusual feelings in their legs, so it is important to speak with a health care provider about options.

Treatment for restless legs syndrome focuses on relieving its symptoms. Taking a warm bath, massaging the legs, or applying warm or cool packs can calm symptoms of restless legs syndrome. Stretching, followed by exercise at a moderate level regularly and establishing good sleep habits also can make a difference. Caffeine, alcohol or tobacco consumption can trigger or worsen symptoms.

Research shows that too little iron in a person's diet can contribute to restless legs syndrome. Some young children or toddlers have a high consumption of cow's milk, which can lead to low iron. You may want to speak to your pediatrician about checking their blood iron level.

If the blood iron level is low, eating more iron-rich foods can help. Examples include red meat; dark green leafy vegetables; beans; and iron-fortified breads, cereals and pastas. Your health care provider also might recommend an iron supplement, which is usually the first choice to treat children.

No medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children with restless legs syndrome. Certain medications may be considered by a sleep medicine physician if children have not responded to other measures to manage symptoms.

For adults, if lifestyle changes are not enough, medications are available to reduce symptoms related to restless legs syndrome. Medications that have been shown to help include several that affect a chemical in your brain called dopamine. Dopamine's job is to send messages from your brain to your body that control muscle movement. Researchers suspect that restless legs syndrome may be linked to insufficient activity of dopamine in the nervous system.

Be aware that certain medications can worsen symptoms of restless leg syndrome, including over-the-counter sleep aids that contain diphenhydramine, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and anti-nausea drugs. Review current medications with your health care provider. He or she may recommend substitutes, as needed, to manage restless legs syndrome. — Dr. Julie Baughn, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Restless legs syndrome in children appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: For the past few weeks, my 13-year-old daughter has had trouble falling asleep at night. She’s in bed at a reasonable time, but can’t seem to fall asleep until after midnight. What could cause insomnia in someone so young? Should I make an appointment for her see her doctor?

ANSWER: Many children your daughter’s age have trouble falling asleep easily at night. The reason for this often can be traced back to habits a child has developed that interfere with good sleep. Less often, it may be due to a sleep disorder.

Before making an appointment with your daughter’s health care provider, make sure her routines are sleep-friendly. One of the best ways to ensure healthy sleep is setting a consistent wake-up time and sticking to it. The wake-up time doesn’t have to be exactly the same time every day, but it should be within a one-hour window. It may seem helpful to let her sleep in on the weekends, but this actually disrupts her internal clock. That makes it much tougher to get back into a weekday sleep routine on Monday. Sleep deprivation then worsens during the week.

It’s also important to consider your daughter’s use of electronic devices before bedtime. Many tweens and teens have smartphones, tablets and TVs in their bedrooms. They keep their cellphones close by at all times. These devices can make it hard to disengage from stimulating activities.

Have your daughter turn off all electronic devices at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. This gives the brain time to relax and wind down, making it easier to fall asleep. I strongly recommend that all electronics be kept out of a child’s bedroom. It is best for cellphones to be shut down and stored in another room at night. Understandably, this can be difficult to do given how attached people are to their electronics. It’s ideal that the entire family be good role models and also consider doing the same.

Another important approach is to reduce the amount of time in bed at night lying awake. If your daughter is awake in bed for longer than 15–20 minutes during the night, encourage her to go to another room; stay in a sitting up position; and do “boring things,” such as listening to light music or practicing relaxation skills. She should try to go back to bed when she starts to feel sleepy, such as head bobbing or heavy eyes. This will help increase the likelihood that her bed and bedroom become more associated with sleep.

Avoiding food and beverages that contain sugar at least two to three hours before bedtime also is important. Try reducing caffeine use throughout the day, and preferably avoid caffeinated drinks past 3 p.m. Daily exercise and other physical activity can aid sleep, but have her finish those activities at least two hours before she goes to bed. Also, even if she is sleepy during the day, encourage her not to nap. Naps do more harm than good when it comes to getting good sleep because they often make falling asleep at night harder.

For some children, when they lie down at night worries and concerns creep into their minds, making it hard to relax and fall asleep. To help clear her mind, it may be useful for your daughter to take a few minutes before bedtime to write down anything that’s on her mind or tasks she needs to do. Once they are on paper, sometimes children are better able to let their concerns go and get to sleep more easily.

Although uncommon, the source of your daughter’s problem could be a sleep disorder related to the workings of her internal clock. The most common such problem for children your daughter’s age is called “delayed sleep phase syndrome.” Children who have this sleep disorder are “night owls.” According to their internal clock, their day is longer than 24 hours. As a result, they tend to fall asleep at progressively later and later times each night, and then have difficulty waking up in the morning.

Too little sleep can make it hard for a child to concentrate and pay attention at school. It also can lead to mood swings and irritability, and can increase a child’s tendency to have accidents. Therefore, it’s important to address your daughter’s sleep problem. Have your daughter try to change any habits that may interfere with her sleep. While this may take some time and practice, it’s not uncommon that sleep can improve within a couple of weeks of sticking to these healthier habits. If those changes don’t help, make an appointment to have her see her health care provider. — Dr. Craig Sawchuk, Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

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Related Articles

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips for kids to get better sleep published 8/9/19
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How much sleep do kids need? published 8/24/18

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Address habits that may interfere with child’s sleep appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

The National Sleep Foundation has named March 10 – 16, Sleep Awareness Week. Below are News Network posts that will help you learn more about the importance of sleep for good health.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkgs are in the downloads at the end of the post. Please 'Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network.'

Mayo Clinic Minute: Springing forward can affect your health (video)
When daylight saving time kicks in, you spring forward and gain an hour of daylight. But you also lose an hour of sleep. Dr. Brynn Dredla, a Mayo Clinic sleep neurologist, explains why that seemingly small change can significantly affect your body.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Lack of sleep worsens health issues (video)
Is society sleep-deprived? Adults need approximately seven hours of sleep a night, and many people aren't getting it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Virend Somers, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and sleep specialist, says not getting enough sleep can negatively affect your health.

Mayo Clinic Minute: What are the stages of sleep? (video)
Sleep is important for good health. Experts say eight hours of shut-eye is a good idea for most adults. And whether you're a sound sleeper or someone who has trouble sleeping, your body goes through sleep stages.

Mayo Clinic Minute: How much sleep do kids need? (video)
As children across the country head back into the classroom, now is the time to start easing them back into a normal sleep schedule. How much sleep kids need to maximize their learning potential depends partially on their age. But the key to getting them on a regular schedule may have more to do with what time they wake up than what time they go to sleep.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Daytime sleepiness linked to Alzheimer’s (video)
Do you catch yourself yawning during the day and yearning for an afternoon nap? You could be at more risk for Alzheimer's disease. A recent study published in JAMA Neurology found a potential link between excessive daytime sleepiness and the memory loss disease. Researchers took a look at imaging scans of the brains of several hundred patients from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs of a sleep disorder (video)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), one-third of U.S. adults don't get enough sleep. Busy lives may be the reason some people don't log the hours they need, but for others, sleep disorders are the culprit. Research shows proper sleep is essential for good health. Dr. Virend Somers, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, studies sleep because sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, are associated with issues that affect the heart.

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Insomnia — what to do when you can’t sleep 
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is the best way to eliminate insomnia? For almost a year, I’ve had trouble getting much sleep. I've tried over-the-counter medications, but they aren't very effective.
ANSWER: Although sleep medications may be useful when you have occasional trouble sleeping, they aren't meant for long-term use. A better approach is to change your behaviors to cultivate quality sleep. An evaluation with your health care provider to check for underlying issues that could be negatively affecting your sleep also could be valuable.

Housecall: 6 tips for better sleep
Sleep plays a crucial role in your health, energy level and ability to function at your best. Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel well-rested and energized. From setting a sleep schedule to paying attention to what you eat and drink, try these six tips for a good night's rest.

Housecall: Do you need a sleep study?
Do visions of sugarplums elude you as you try to get a good night's rest? Your health care provider may recommend polysomnography, also called a sleep study, which can help diagnose and treat chronic insomnia, sleep apnea and more. Polysomnography records your brain waves, heart rate and breathing; the oxygen level in your blood; and your eye and leg movements during sleep. Find out if a sleep study might be right for you.

Consumer Health: Can’t sleep?
Sleeping pills may help when stress, travel or other disruptions keep you awake. Prescription sleeping pills may help you fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer or both. Learn more about the risks and benefits of different types of sleep medications, underlying medical conditions that may be causing your sleep disruption, and which approach to treating your insomnia is right for you.

Science Saturday: Getting to the Heart of Sleep
Physician researcher, Dr. Virend Somers, directs the Mayo Clinic cardiovascular sleep research facilities. His team studies the role of the autonomic nervous system in cardiovascular regulation, especially during sleep.

The post Wake up to the importance of sleep appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ANSWER: It’s hard to say without a medical evaluation, but it sounds like you may be describing a poorly understood phenomenon called “exploding head syndrome.” Those who experience it report being startled awake by what’s often described as a loud, sharp noise, such as the crack of a whip, an explosion, a gunshot, a lightning crack, a metallic crashing noise, or an electrical noise. Some people also may experience flashes of light, mild pain, sweating or a racing heart rate.

It’s not known what causes this sensation, but it’s believed to occur as your brain is transitioning from wakefulness to sleep. It’s thought to be similar to the common phenomenon of jerking awake as you fall asleep.

Some people who experience exploding head syndrome have one event in a lifetime. Others have several a night. Episodes may occur consistently or come and go. It’s estimated to occur at least once in about 10 percent of the population and appears to be more common in women and older adults.

Exploding head syndrome doesn’t appear to cause direct physical harm. The main complication is fright and distress in those who have it, either because they fear a serious disease or because sleep is disrupted.

Diagnosis involves ruling out other possibilities, including a stroke. These possibilities usually can be distinguished easily from exploding head syndrome. For example, strokes usually have one-sided symptoms. Headaches are usually more painful, and the pain lasts longer than an episode of exploding head syndrome. Night seizures usually aren’t remembered, and panic attacks usually aren’t accompanied by a loud noise as is exploding head syndrome.

Reassurance and education on the phenomenon are often the only treatment needed. Additional treatment steps aren’t well-studied but may include management of stress or anxiety, or any known sleep disorders. In some cases, the use of one of several drugs may help, including tricyclic antidepressants, heart drugs in the calcium channel blocker class, or anti-seizure drugs.

If your wife continues to have episodes as you have described, encourage her to see her health care provider to rule out possible causes other than exploding head syndrome. If no cause is found, an appointment with a sleep medicine specialist may be recommended to determine if your wife’s symptoms are the result of a different sleep disorder. (adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter) — Dr. Eric J. Olson, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

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Related Articles

• Mayo Clinic Minute: What women should know about stroke published 10/29/18
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs of a sleep disorder published 10/1/18

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Understanding ‘exploding head syndrome’ appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ANSWER: Although sleep medications may be useful when you have occasional trouble sleeping, they aren't meant for long-term use. A better approach is to change your behaviors to cultivate quality sleep. An evaluation with your health care provider to check for underlying issues that could be negatively affecting your sleep also could be valuable.

Insomnia is defined as having problems getting to sleep or staying asleep three nights a week or more for at least three months. When dealing with insomnia, it’s important to rule out medical issues that could be driving it. For example, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea are two common problems that can lead to insomnia. Some medications also can cause sleep problems. See your health care provider to review any medications you take, and investigate whether a medical condition could be contributing to your sleeplessness.

If an evaluation doesn’t reveal an underlying cause of insomnia, you may benefit from behavioral changes. These changes get your brain to associate your bed and nighttime with sleep.

First, establish a bedtime routine. For example, about 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed, turn lights low. Turn off the TV and other electronic devices. Brush your teeth and wash your face. Change into pajamas and get into bed. A consistent routine each night gives your brain clear signals that sleep is coming.

Second, reduce the amount of wakeful time you spend in bed. If you get into bed and don’t fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get up and go to another room. Keep your surroundings quiet and dimly lit. Don’t turn on the TV or other electronic devices. That will wake up your brain, rather than getting it ready for sleep. Instead, do some light reading, listen to quiet music or engage in relaxation techniques. Perform these activities sitting up, rather than lying down.

When your eyes get heavy and your head starts to bob, get back into bed. Don’t go back to bed when you’re just feeling tired. Wait until you’re sleepy. If you can’t sleep once you get into bed, or if you wake up again and cannot fall back to sleep within 15 to 20 minutes, repeat the cycle.

By minimizing the amount of time you spend in bed awake, you’re teaching your brain to associate your bed with sleep. Sometimes, people think it's a good idea to be in bed at night — even if they are not sleeping — because they are getting some rest. But that conditions your brain to associate being in bed at night with being awake — the opposite of what you want.

Another way to condition your brain to associate your bed with sleep is to avoid other activities in your bedroom. Don’t read, watch TV or spend much time in your bedroom during the day. When your alarm goes off, get up, start your morning routine and get out of the bedroom as soon as possible. Do this even when you haven’t slept well. Dozing in bed between snooze alarms won’t provide quality sleep, and it reinforces poor sleep patterns.

Also, pay attention to other health habits. Sometimes when you are not sleeping well and feel tired the next day, you’ll increase your caffeine intake. While this may help you during the day, it can complicate sleep at night. Work to reduce or eliminate caffeine in your diet. If you continue to use caffeine, consider gradually reducing the amount over time or try switching to half-caffeinated beverages. It is also a good rule of thumb not to consume caffeinated drinks after 3 p.m. or six to eight hours before bedtime.

Finally, don’t rely on sleep medication to cure insomnia. Prescription and nonprescription sleep medications are only intended for occasional, short-term use — typically no longer than four to five weeks at the most. Over longer periods of time, these medications can contribute to sleep problems and lower the quality of your sleep.

If you continue to have insomnia after trying behavior modification for several weeks, talk to your health care provider or consider consulting with a health care provider who specializes in sleep disorders. — Dr. Craig Sawchuk, Integrated Behavioral Health, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Insomnia — what to do when you can’t sleep appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: The most restorative, restful sleep usually occurs between 3 and 7 a.m.

Listen to the program on Saturday, March 19, at 9:05 a.m. CDT and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

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Myth or Matter-of-Fact: The most restorative, restful sleep usually occurs between 3 and 7 a.m.

Listen to the program on Saturday, March 19, at 9:05 a.m. CDT.

Miss the show?  Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 79 years old. Lately I have had trouble sleeping, and I would like to try a sleeping pill. Are they safe for someone my age?

ANSWER: An inability to sleep can be exhausting and frustrating. It saps your energy and goes hand in hand with problems such as depression, chronic pain, susceptibility to illness, high blood pressure and increased risk of accidents. Sleeping pills can at times be an effective component of sleep therapy. However, they need to be used cautiously, especially among older adults.

Often, the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition contributing to poor sleep. This can include chronic pain, coughing, heart problems, difficulty breathing, digestive problems, acid reflux, thyroid problems and sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea or leg movement disorders. Alcohol or medications such as certain antidepressants, caffeine, decongestants, asthma drugs or pain medications also can contribute to insomnia. Because of this, it’s important that you first have a thorough medical evaluation.

When considering taking any sleeping pill, it’s crucial for you and your doctor to weigh the benefits against the risks. Certainly, good sleep is important. However, taking a drug to assist with sleep can cause side effects such as dizziness or lightheadedness and a risk of dependence. Sleeping pills also suppress breathing — which can worsen breathing problems such as sleep apnea — and may increase infection risk.

Problems with thinking and body movement also can occur. You may remain drowsy after waking up or have daytime memory and physical performance problems. These side effects may be annoying, unsettling or even dangerous. Sleeping pill use may increase the risk of falling and fracturing bones or causing head injuries — particularly at night. Sometimes, sleepwalking — or even driving, shopping, eating or making phone calls while not fully awake — can occur.

When a sleeping pill is prescribed, short-acting, newer generation drugs are common first line choices. Side effects with these drugs are still relatively common, but they tend to occur less frequently and with less severity than with older generation sleep medications. A longer acting drug also may be considered, but its effect on older adults can be much longer lasting. Low doses of antidepressant drugs that cause sleepiness may be an option for those who also have depression, or as a second line option for those who don’t.

Due to increased risk of side effects, many doctors recommend avoiding older generation benzodiazepines, and triazolam (Halcion) in particular. Benzodiazapines, especially the longer acting ones, are generally not recommended for older adults. In addition, a 2014 study found that risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increased by up to 51 percent in those who have used benzodiazepines, with highest risk among those who used them more frequently or who used the long-acting ones.

The choice to use sleeping pills is a nuanced decision to be made in close cooperation with your doctor. In general, Mayo Clinic sleep experts recommend that older adults keep sleeping pill use to a minimum, as an occasional sleep aid or over the short term of a few weeks while other avenues to improved sleep are explored. Regular follow-up with your doctor is important. (adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter) — Eric Olson, M.D., Center for Sleep Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

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Myth or Matter-of-Fact: Sleep apnea occurs only in adults, not in children.

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