Nonrestorative sleep, why is it important? As primary contact health practitioners, we were initially on the lookout for red flags (tumour, inflammation, infection, and fracture) during our subjective examination. We also have orange, blue, yellow, and black flags to consider, making a subjective exam feel a bit like a maritime flag-signalling exercise of yesteryear! Solid…
Narcolepsy is a chronic, lifelong neurological disorder characterised by the brain’s inability to properly regulate sleep-wake cycles, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and involuntary “sleep attacks” that can occur at any time. It is generally categorised into two types: Type 1, which includes cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by emotions) and low levels of the wake-promoting neurotransmitter…
Firstly, it is helpful to understand why caffeine affects sleep. Caffeine can be consumed as a food (e.g., chocolate, protein bars) or a beverage (e.g., tea, coffee, energy drinks, flavoured milk). Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that enhances mood, alertness, and thinking. It has a half-life of 4-6 hours. This means our body will have…
Many people try to make up for lost sleep on weekends, but does it help? Research shows that while sleeping in on weekends can temporarily reduce sleep debt and improve mood and performance, it doesn’t fully reverse the adverse effects of sleep restriction during the week. For example, a 2019 study by Depner et al. found that…