2010: The Year in Sleep Top 25

2010 was another eventful year in sleep and another successful year for the Sleep Education Blog. All year the blog has been reporting on wide range of sleep-related topics, from medical breakthroughs to viral video.

Over the next five days, the Sleep Education Blog will revisit the most popular of these stories. So without further delay, the Sleep Education Blog presents the first segment of 2010: the Year in Sleep:

25. Gaines Adams’ Death: Heart Problems & Sleep Apnea in the NFL (January 25)
The cardiac arrest death of Chicago Bears Defensive End Gaines Adams came as a shock to the football community. An autopsy shows the 26-year-old former top draft pick had an enlarged heart – and several sleep medicine experts suspect sleep apnea may have been an underlying cause.

24. FDA Approves Silenor for Insomnia (March 19)
A new sleeping pill hit the market in 2010 to compete with Ambien, Lunesta and Rozerem. The drug Silenor differs from the other drugs because it takes about 3.5 hours to reach its peak concentration in the blood. The delay makes the Silenor useful for short-term treatment of sleep maintenance insomnia, which occurs when you wake up early and struggle to return to sleep.

23. Sleep Friendly Software Makes Your Computer Screen Easy on the Eyes
The free program F.lux alters the appearance of your computer screen during the evening and nighttime. By reducing the amount of blue light the screen produces, the program claims to stop the melatonin suppression that can potentially lead to insomnia.

22. Insomnia Cookies For College Students
College students can order cookies and milk to get through sleepless nights. Only 30 percent of students sleep at least eight hours per night. Students’ reasons include insomnia, all-night study sessions and partying.

21. Hypersomnia: Common Features & Effective Treatments
A Mayo Clinic study found that 65 percent of hypersomnia patients were likely to be women. Research shows the symptoms tend to begin in the late teens, but typically aren’t diagnosed until the mid-30’s.