2010 The Year in Sleep: #16-20

All week the Sleep Education Blog is revisiting the most popular stories published in the past year. The countdown to the top stories in sleep of 2010 continues:

20. Have Sleep Apnea? See a Sleep Dentist (May 13)
Oral appliances continue to gain mainstream attention as more sleep apnea patients seek treatment from dental sleep specialists. In May, an Atlanta news outlet introduced countless television viewers to the growing treatment.

19. Early Bedtime Benefits: Young Children Who Sleep More Score Higher in School (June 7)
Academic success begins with an early bedtime, according to a study based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics. American children with regular, early bedtimes scored higher on language, reading and math assessments. The findings premiered in San Antonio during the first day of SLEEP 2010, the largest annual gathering of sleep professions.

18. Green Light Also Alters Sleep (May 13)
Turning off the television well before bedtime is central to healthy sleep hygiene because the light from the screen can keep you from feeling sleepy. A study published in May shows that green light prevents melatonin secretion, just like blue light. That means that sunglasses and screen filters designed for nighttime viewing may not work as advertised.

17. Running on Empty: Marathon Runner Tera Moody’s Struggle With Insomnia (May 3)
This past Spring, the New York Times ran a series of articles called “All Nighters” about sleep, sleep disorders and shift work. Among the articles was a guest editorial about insomnia by the well-known marathon runner Tera Moody. As it turns out, the world-class athlete has struggled with sleep maintenance insomnia for years, and uses the time awake to train on the treadmill.

16. Dr. Oz: Snoring Solutions for Women (April 6)
Dr. Oz’s syndicated talk show became a daytime TV hit in 2010 with segments about all kinds of common health issues. Sleep became a recurring theme for Dr. Oz, with literally dozens of segments about snoring, insomnia, sleep disorders and sleep hygiene. In April, he offered some unusual advice to a woman in the audience with snoring problems.