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Sometimes, the pace of modern life barely gives you time to stop and rest. It can make getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis seem like a dream. But sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart…, Sleep for Repair, Why do we need to sleep? People often think that sleep is just “down time,” when a tired brain gets to rest, says Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester. “But that’s wrong,” she says. While you sleep, your brain is working. For example, sleep helps prepare your brain to learn, remember, and create. Nedergaard and her colleagues discovered that the brain has a…, Sleep Myths and Truths, How much sleep you need changes with age. Experts recommend school-age children get at least nine hours a night and teens get between eight and 10. Most adults need at least seven hours or more of sleep each night. There are many misunderstandings about sleep. One is that adults need less sleep as they get older. This isn’t true. Older adults still need the same amount. But sleep quality can get…, Sleep Disorders, Some people have conditions that prevent them from getting enough quality sleep, no matter how hard they try. These problems are called sleep disorders. The most common sleep disorder is insomnia. “Insomnia is when you have repeated difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleep,” says Brown. This happens despite having the time to sleep and a proper sleep environment. It can make you feel…, Getting Better Sleep, If you’re having trouble sleeping, hearing how important it is may be frustrating. But simple things can improve your odds of a good night’s sleep. See the Wise Choices box for tips to sleep better every day. Treatments are available for many common sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help many people with insomnia get better sleep. Medications can also help some people. Many people…

Life is busy before a baby arrives. There are many things to do to prepare. One of the most important is to visit your health care provider regularly. Check-ups before your baby is born are called prenatal visits. They help make sure you and your baby are healthy. Your health care provider will look for certain problems that can happen during pregnancy. Some issues are best treated early. Others…

After having COVID-19, most people’s bodies develop antibodies to help fight it off. These are special molecules made by the body’s disease defense system, the immune system. A study found that people with these antibodies were less likely to get COVID-19 again. Researchers looked at more than 3 million people who had an antibody test for SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.…

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to vision loss and blindness. It’s usually caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye. This can damage a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve. Glaucoma may not cause any early symptoms. Many people don’t know they have it. That’s why it’s important to have regular eye exams. There, your eye doctor will check for signs of…

Your blood is an amazing, multi-purpose substance. It flows continuously through the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to your cells. But if you get a scrape or cut, some of this flowing liquid quickly turns to a protective clot. Clots are tangles of molecules and blood cells that clump together. They help prevent blood loss when the skin breaks open. They also help stop infections from getting…, Clogs in the System, Three main things can lead to dangerous blood clots, explains Dr. Mitchell Elkind, an expert on stroke at Columbia University. “One is an abnormality in the blood that makes it more likely to clot. For example, [qtip:genetic|Having to do with genes. Genes are stretches of DNA you inherit from your parents. They define features like your risk for certain diseases.] causes, cancer, or damage from…, Symptoms of a Clot, Blood clots can occur anywhere in the body. That makes it difficult to find them before they cause a problem, Elkind explains. The symptoms of a blood clot depend on where they are. A clot blocking blood flow to the brain can lead to a stroke. Strokes can cause sudden difficulty seeing, speaking, or walking. They can also make you feel weak, numb, dizzy, or confused. A clot that blocks blood flow…, Busting Blockages, Treatment depends on where a clot is and how long you’ve had symptoms. Certain drugs can break up and dissolve some types of clots. But they have to be given within a few hours of when symptoms start. A type of surgery called a thrombectomy can be used to remove clots in large blood vessels. It can be used even if people don’t get to the hospital in time to receive clot-busting drugs. “That’s…, Stopping a Clot, If you have a clot that’s forming, certain medications may help shrink it or stop it from growing. These drugs are called anticoagulants. They’re more commonly known as blood thinners. Sometimes, people with certain heart conditions are given blood thinners to prevent blood clots from forming. But blood thinners can have side effects, including an increased risk of bleeding. So doctors don’t give…

A study found that the drug teplizumab helped people at risk for type 1 diabetes. The drug delayed the average time to the start of the disease. Some who were treated in the trial have yet to develop symptoms. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin to control their blood sugar. Insulin is a hormone that helps blood sugar enter the body’s cells, where it’s used for energy. If not well…

COVID-19 vaccines are a key part of overcoming the pandemic. Fully vaccinated people can start doing some of the things they had to stop. This includes visiting friends and loved ones who are also fully vaccinated. You might still have questions about vaccines. How do they work? How do scientists know they’re safe? It’s important to know these answers and share them with others. Vaccines are the…

Paying attention to what’s going on right this second can be hard. We often spend more time thinking about what’s coming up in the future. Or dwelling on things in the past we can’t change. We can miss out on experiencing the present. It’s possible to train yourself to focus on the present moment. You become aware of what’s going on inside and around you—your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and…, Health Benefits of Mindfulness, Studies suggest that focusing on the present can have a positive impact on health and well-being. Mindfulness-based treatments have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. There’s also evidence that mindfulness can lower blood pressure and improve sleep. It may even help people cope with pain. “For many chronic illnesses, mindfulness meditation seems to improve quality of life and reduce…, Developing Healthy Habits, Being mindful may also help you make healthier choices. Loucks’s team at Brown created an eight-week mindfulness program for people with high blood pressure. They studied whether the program increased participants’ awareness of their habits. This included how they ate. The study found that participants chose a healthier diet after taking the course. You can bring mindfulness to your eating habits…, Learning To Be Mindful, If you want to practice mindfulness, there are many online programs and apps. But they’re not all created equal. Experts suggest looking for resources from medical schools and universities. Check to see if they’re evidence-based. Dimidjian’s team developed an eight-week self-guided online mindfulness program. Her studies showed that the program helped reduce symptoms of depression more than a…

Not sleeping enough can harm your health. It raises your risk of many diseases and disorders. A new study found this may include dementia. The study looked at data from about 8,000 people in Britain starting at age 50 who were in a long-term health study. Participants were asked how many hours they slept per night. They reported on their sleep six times over a 30-year period. Some also wore a…

Scoliosis is a disease that causes the spine to curve. It can result in an abnormal s-shaped or c-shaped curve. Anyone can get scoliosis. But it’s most common in children age 11 and older. Many children and teens with mild scoliosis have no symptoms or pain. They may have changes in their posture. Their shoulders or hips may look uneven. Scientists don’t know what causes the disease, but think…