Stress Management
Poor Sleep Is Associated With Lower Relationship Satisfaction in Both Women and Men...
A bidirectional association exists between couples' sleep quality and the quality of their relationship, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Results indicate that on a day to day basis, couples' relationship quality affects their sleep, and their sleep also affects their subsequent relationship functioning. For men, better sleep was associated with more positive ratings of relationship quality the next day. For women, negative partner interactions during the day were associated with poorer sleep efficiency for both themselves and their partner that night.
"When we look at the data on a day-by-day basis, there seems to be a vicious cycle in which sleep affects next day relationship functioning, and relationship functioning affects the subsequent night's sleep," explained the principal investigator at the University of Arizona. "In this cycle, conflict with one's partner during the day leads to worse sleep that night, which leads to more conflict the following day. Although these results are preliminary due to the relatively small sample size and a subjective measure of sleep quality, the woman's perception of the relationship seems particularly important, as it impacts both her own and her partner's subjective sleep quality that night."
The study involved data from 29 heterosexual, co-sleeping couples who did not have children. Each completed sleep diaries for seven days. Each partner was asked to record the quality of interactions with their partner six times a day.
Improving either quality of sleep or relationships may provide overall benefits, as the two directly impact each other. The researchers recommend that couples should resolve disputes before going to bed and avoid confrontational discussions on a day when one or both of them had a bad night's sleep.
New Evidence That Dark Chocolate Helps Ease Emotional Stress
The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial.
The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. The study found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed. This favorite treat also helped correct other stress-related biochemical imbalances.
Researchers noted growing scientific evidence that antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors for heart disease and other physical conditions. Studies also suggest that chocolate may ease emotional stress. Until now, however, there was little evidence from research in humans on exactly how chocolate offers the "stress-busting" effects.
In the study, scientists identified reductions in stress hormones and other stress-related biochemical changes in volunteers who rated themselves as highly stressed and ate dark chocolate for two weeks. "The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers," the scientists say.
Journal reference: Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects.
Journal of Proteome Research, 2009;
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Insomnia Symptoms Linked With Medical Complaints in Young School-Aged Children
A study in the December 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine indicates that significant associations exist between parent-reported insomnia symptoms and medical complaints of gastrointestinal distress (regurgitation) and headaches in young school-aged children
Results of the study show that parent-reported insomnia was 3.3 times more likely in children with gastrointestinal regurgitation and 2.3 times more likely in children with headaches. Nineteen percent of children met the criteria for insomnia, which was defined as often having trouble falling asleep and/or waking up often in the night. Gastrointestinal problems were reported in 7.5 percent of children with insomnia and two percent of children who did not have sleep disturbances. Headaches were reported in 24.4 percent of children with insomnia and 13.2 percent of children without disturbed sleep.
The research team from the department of Psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa., reported that children who have insomnia symptoms should be screened by their physician for underlying medical conditions, stating "The first and most important step in children with medical complaints and sleep disturbances would be an evaluation for underlying medical disorders and providing treatment. If the associated sleep disturbances do not improve despite improvement in medical complaints the disturbances should be further assessed and treated."
Data from 700 children between the ages of 5 and 12 years were collected from the Penn State Children's Cohort for this cross-sectional study. All children underwent a medical and psychiatric history, physical examination, overnight polysomnography and neuropsychological testing. Comprehensive sleep and development questionnaires were completed by a parent. To assess gastrointestinal regurgitation the parent was asked, "Does food or liquid come back up into your child's mouth or does your child complain of tasting food or liquid back up in his mouth?"
Children with sleep disturbances had significantly more parent-reported complaints of gastrointestinal symptoms (heartburn, pain, colic and regurgitation), headaches and bedwetting. After controlling for demographic variables; apnea-hypopnea index; learning, psychiatric and behavioral disorders; and socioeconomic and minority status, gastrointestinal regurgitation and headaches most significantly remained associated with insomnia symptoms.
The authors suggest that future studies should explore the possible underlying patho-physiological causes of the relationship between insomnia symptoms and medical complaints in children. These studies should explore whether treatment of sleep complaints improves the associated medical complaints and vice versa.
The AASM (American Academy Of Sleep Medicine) published "Practice parameters for behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children" in the journal SLEEP in 2006. About 94 percent of the studies that were reviewed reported that behavioral interventions as a whole produced clinically significant improvements in bedtime resistance and night waking.
In 2003 an AASM task force of sleep experts examined the use of medications to treat insomnia in children. A consensus meeting summary was published in 2005 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. The task force emphasized that behavioral treatment approaches to bedtime struggles and night waking in children have a well-documented empirical basis and are the mainstay of treatment, and that pharmacologic approaches should be largely considered adjuncts in the treatment of pediatric insomnia.
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Participating in Music and The Arts, Fight Depression And Promote Health
If you are fortunate enough to play a musical instrument, participate in dance, enjoy drawing, painting, sculpting; or simply enjoy going to the theatre or to concerts, it's likely that you feel healthier and are less depressed than people who don't.
A new study of nearly 50,000 individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds from Norway supports this theory about health & wellness...
The findings are drawn from the latest round of studies conducted for the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Nord-Trøndelag Health Study ( HUNT ) which used questionnaires, interviews, clinical examinations and the collection of blood and urine samples to assemble detailed health profiles of 48,289 participants.
"There is a positive relationship between cultural participation and self-perceived health for both women and men, " reported researchers who presented the findings at a Norwegian health conference in Stjørdal in late November. For men, there is also a positive relationship between cultural participation and depression; more specifically, there is less depression among men who participate in cultural activities, although this is not tnecessarily the same for women.
The medical researchers were most impressed by the fact that these findings held true no matter the individual's socio-economic status... whether the individual was a truck driver or bank president. Participating in some way in the arts, theatre or music, as player or participant, had a positive effect on that individual's sense of health and well-being.
The new findings were controlled for socioeconomic status, chronic illness, social capital, smoking and alcohol. However, the researchers also reported that the same sense of well-being in people who participate in cultural activities that seemed to protect them from depression did not appear to have the same beneficial effect on anxiety.
They cautioned that the association between health and cultural activities is not strong enough to enable him to say that culture actually makes people healthy. Nevertheless, the researchers agree the findings should challenge political leaders to think differently about health.
"We in the health services do not always have control over the most effective preventive tools given the range of today's illnesses. We need to increasingly focus on opportunities rather than on risk," the researchers concluded.
