Sleep problems and insomnia are common in those suffering with lupus and I have previously written about this here and here Recently studies (1,2,3) have suggested that drinking tart cherry juice might help to improve the quality and duration of sleep.  Getting to sleep has been a problem for me in the past so I started to take a cherry juice supplement and I have to say I think it has been helping me. The most recent study (1,4) was carried out by scientists at Nothumbria University using tart Montmorency cherry juice concentrate.  The researchers found that drinking the juice aided quality and duration of sleep via the action of a hormone called melatonin, which is important in the body for sleep regulation.  The study was small and preliminary but the results were interesting.  20 healthy participants drank a 30ml serving of either a commercially available tart cherry juice concentrate or a placebo juice twice a day for seven days.  Urine samples were collected from all participants before and during the investigation to determine levels of melatonin, a naturally occurring compound that heavily influences the human sleep-wake cycle. During the study the participants wore an actigraphy watch sensor which monitored their sleep and wake cycles and kept a daily diary on their sleeping patterns (4). The researchers found that when participants drank tart cherry juice concentrate for a week there was a significant increase in their urinary melatonin (15-16%) compared to the control group.  The actigraphy measurements of participants who….

Previously I wrote about some of the links between sleep and health including weight.  There is evidence which suggests that there is a relationship between short sleep duration and obesity and a new study (1) aimed to find out some of the possible reasons for the link.     The study took place in men and women who were not overweight.  The daily energy intake and sleep was assessed in the participants who were aged between 30 and 49 years old.  The individuals in the study all reported sleeping between 7 – 9 hours per night.  During the study their sleep patterns were changed so that they slept for 4 hours for 5 nights and 9 hours for 5 nights.  Interestingly the researchers found that the participants consumed more energy from food when they had short sleep duration than when they slept for 9 hours.  The change in energy intake was mainly due to an increased consumption of fat on the days they slept less.  The energy expenditure (through exercise and movement) did not change during the study.     The authors of the study conclude that “Our data show that a reduction in sleep increases energy and fat intakes, which may explain the associations observed between sleep and obesity. If sustained, as observed, and not compensated by increased energy expenditure, the dietary intakes of individuals undergoing short sleep predispose to obesity”     The study was small and preliminary and would need repeating with greater numbers of participants but….

Sometimes I don’t sleep too well.  It is a long term pattern that I have recently been attempting to resolve.  I used to think and worry too much and then thoughts would buzz at night and sleep would be difficult.  I learned over the years that caffeine, even early in the day can impact me and that meditation, exercise and journaling helped.  The counselling I had to have as part of my training in psychosynthesis also helped to clear out old ‘hurts’.   Sleep is important for a number of reasons and sleep is something we all need in order to function effectively!  Not getting enough sleep can leave us feeling irritable, unable to perform tasks properly and generally unwell. Aiming to get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night is usually recommended by health professionals. Last December saw the publication of two studies (1,2) linking adequate sleep to heart health. The relationship has been previously explored and it really does seem that sleep is vital for our health and wellbeing, not just in order to prevent tiredness. The second study (2) found that either too little sleep, 5 hours or less, or too much sleep, 9 hours or more, was associated with an increased risk of heart disease.  Not getting enough sleep has also been linked to weight gain and anxiety issues.  Recently two studies (3,4) were presented at a sleep conference, SLEEP 2011 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC (APSS).  One study….