Archive for August, 2007

In a detailed study that served to investigate the actual nature and content of sexual dreams across a large sample of dream reports from men and women, approximately eight percent of everyday dream reports from both genders contain some form of sexual-related activity.

The percentage of women that reported such dreams can be due to the fact that either women actually experience more sexual dreams now than they did 40 years ago, or that they now feel more comfortable reporting such dreams due to changing social roles and attitudes, or both, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, authored by Antonio Zadra, PhD, of the Universite de Montreal, focused on over 3,500 home dream reports collected from men and women. Sexual intercourse was the most common type of sexual dream content, followed by sexual propositions, kissing, fantasies and masturbation.

The study found that both men and women reported experiencing an orgasm in about four percent of their sexual dreams. Orgasms were described as being experienced by another dream character in four percent of the women’s sexual dreams, but in none of the male dream reports.

Chronic sleep restriction has a negative effect on a person’s cardiac activity, which may elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, conducted by Siobhan Banks of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was based on preliminary analyses of 39 subjects, each of whom participated in a laboratory-controlled chronic sleep restriction protocol. The subjects underwent two nights of baseline sleep followed by five hours of sleep restriction. The results showed a statistically significant decrease in the heart rate variability after five nights of sleep restriction.

"A reduction in the heart rate variability has been reported in several cardiological and non-cardiological diseases," said Banks. "If our finding is sustained by a larger group and further analysis, it may suggest why short sleep duration is associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality."

The amount of sleep a person gets affects his or her physical health, emotional well-being, mental abilities, productivity and performance. Recent studies associate lack of sleep with serious health problems such as an increased risk of depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Working an extended duration shift can pose a risk to not only the safety and well-being of medical interns, but also to that of their patients, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, authored by Laura Barger, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, was based on 2,737 physicians in their first post-graduate year, who participated in a nationwide Web-based survey, completing a total of 17,003 monthly reports. A regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the number of extended duration work shifts (greater than or equal to 24 hours in length), reported medical errors and a self-reported measure of stress.

It was discovered that the reporting of medical errors and the number of extended duration shifts worked in a month were both significant predictors of stress. Compared to months in which no extended duration shifts were worked, interns working five or more extended duration shifts had seven times greater odds of reporting at least one fatigue-related significant medical error that resulted in an adverse patient event and reported 300 percent more fatigue-related preventable adverse events resulting in the death of the patient. Moreover, interns who reported a medical error that resulted in an adverse patient outcome were more than three times as likely to report high stress in that month.

Sleep loss or disturbed sleep can heighten the risk for adolescents to take up smoking and drinking, two habits that may prove to be detrimental to their health, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, conducted by Xianchen Liu, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, was based a questionnaire survey among 1,362 adolescents, with an average age of 14.6 years, in five high schools in China.

The self-administered questionnaire collected data on sleep patterns, sleep problems, smoking and drinking behavior, behavioral and emotional problems, life stress, and demographic characteristics of the adolescent and family.

The results showed that sleeping less than eight hours at night, frequent nightmares and difficulty initiating sleep were significantly associated with drinking.

Further, smoking was related to sleeping less than eight hours, bedtime later than midnight, nightmares, difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep and hypnotic medication use.

"These findings demonstrate significant associations between sleep quantity and sleep disturbances and smoking and drinking in Chinese adolescents," said Liu. "