2010 The Year in Sleep Top 5

All week long the Sleep Education Blog has been counting down the top stories of 2010. This year viral video content was king, with an unlikely - and unconscious - Englishman taking the spotlight.

5. Tart Cherry Juice Won’t Cure Insomnia (July 14)
A widely reported pilot study involving tart cherries was the subject of controversy within the sleep community last summer. Most headlines claimed tart cherry juice could outright cure insomnia, but in reality the beverage isn’t a magic bullet for sleep. If you read the full study you’ll find that you may see slight improvements, similar to valerian or melatonin supplements.

4. Fatal Familial Insomnia: A Genetic Death Sentence (April 28)
A National Geographic special put the world’s rarest sleep disorder in the spotlight last spring. Fatal Familial Insomnia is a prion disease caused by a genetic mutation carried by only about 40 families in the world. At advanced stages of the disease, the boundary blurs between sleep and wakefulness. A person can live for months or years in this stage before dying of the rare disease.

3. The Real Freddy Kreuger, “Nightmare on Elm Street” and Sudden Unexplained Deaths (April 30)
You may not believe it but “A Nightmare on Elm Street” was inspired by a real-life story ripped from the headlines. Director Wes Craven dreamed up Freddy Kreuger after reading about a group of Cambodian refugees who all refused to sleep after sharing terrifying nightmares of a single boogeyman. Each refugee ended up dying in their sleep a short time later. On a side note, this blog post inspired some unusual comments from horror movie fans.

2. Tips for Sweet Slumber in the Summer (May 24)
After no-show last year, summer weather returned in 2010. Sleep problems associated with longer days and hot weather also made a comeback. This guide on how to better your sleep in the summer months proved to be a hit, and hopefully helped some people get better sleep along the way.

1. Sleep Talking Man is the Talk of the Internet (January 16)
This series of viral videos became an internet sensation early in 2010, even ending up on The Today Show. With quotes like "You can't be a pirate if you don't have a beard. I said so. MY boat, MY rules," its clear why the videos were a hit. Though like anything of this nature it could be a hoax.

2010 The Year in Sleep #6-10

The year 2010 brought plenty of memorable moments in pop culture. Two films about sleep & dreaming opened #1 at the box office. A former Oprah medical expert saw his daytime television hit renewed for a second season, after drawing an audience with relatable advice on everyday health issues such as sleep and sleep hygiene. Entries 6-10 in the top 25 stories in sleep mainly relate to sleep in the media and in popular entertainment:

10. Energy Pods Let Google Employees Snooze in Style (June 25)
Few companies can match Google when it comes to employee perks. The tech giant allows workers to sneak in a quick nap in one of their futuristic sleep pods. The energy pod features a large visor with a built-in music player and alarm clock.

9. The Facts on Lavender Soap for Restless Leg Syndrome (July 12)
Talk show host Dr. Oz recommended an unusual remedy for restless leg syndrome – placing a bar of lavender soap beneath the bed sheets. His advice may be off base. So far there is no peer-reviewed evidence supporting the use of lavender soap to alleviate restless leg syndrome.

8. “Ambien Zombies”, Sleepwalking Fears and Facts (April 20)
An uncommon but well-publicized side effect of the sleeping pill Ambien continued to gain notoriety in 2010. Don’t let the headlines fool you. Millions of people regularly take Ambien without ever experiencing bizarre sleepwalking episodes. Always take the drug as directed and never combine it with alcohol.

7. Fighting Freddy Krueger, “Nightmare on Elm Street” and Nightmare Disorder (May 2)
2010’s “Nightmare on Elm Street” reboot brought renewed interest in understanding the nature of nightmares. Like the movie, some people have nightmares every night, and may avoid going to sleep as a result. Nightmare disorder is rare and tends to run in families, and can be treated through cognitive-behavioral therapy.

6. Dr. Oz Wrong on Melatonin Supplements (July 23)
“Melatonin is the most misused sleeping aid in America,” Dr. Oz rightly declared in July. Then he continued to preach how well melatonin works. However, the scientific evidence is mixed. It can help reset your circadian rhythms, but may have little effect on insomnia.

2010 The Year in Sleep: #11-15

The top 25 stories in sleep continues with a series of articles on noteworthy research published in 2010:

15. Study Finds Video Games Cause Only Mild Effect on Sleep (April 15)
The adrenaline-fueled firefights in the Call of Duty game series have about the same effect on teenagers’ ability to fall asleep as glacially-paced nature documentaries, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found. Parents still may want to encourage their teenage children to put down the controller at a decent hour.

14. How Much Sleep Do I Need? (January 30)
One sleep size doesn’t fit all, the Sleep Education Blog reported last January, but there are a few clues to your sleep needs. If you struggle to remain alert and attentive during the day or need alcohol, caffeine or other drugs to fall asleep and wake up, you may need more sleep.

13. Ear Tubes, Snoring & Sleep Apnea in Children (March 31)
Sleep-disordered breathing is common in children who had ear tubes inserted, an Israeli study reported. Ear tubes are usually inserted to help relieve fluid buildup behind a child’s eardrum, so that the ears can function normally. The authors of the study reported that sleep-disordered breathing shares common mechanisms with ear tube dysfunction.

12. Teen Depression & Suicide: Sleep, Early Bedtimes Protect Adolescents (January 4)
Adolescents who prioritize sleep tend to be happier and less likely to have suicidal thoughts than their sleep-deprived peers, a study published on New Year’s Day 2010 found. Inadequate sleep is a risk factor for depression, for both males and females. Girls are twice as likely to have a major depressive episode by age 15 while boys are more likely to commit suicide.

11. Stanford NCAA Football Players Sleep Longer, Perform Better (June 8)
The Stanford Cardinal is heading to the Orange Bowl January 3rd thanks to a training regimen that emphasizes sleep. A study displayed at SLEEP 2010 shows that the team ran faster and had quicker response times when they slept an additional two hours of sleep per night. Sleep seems to be on its way to replacing early-morning 2-a-day practices in team sports – even pro basketball is starting to take notice.

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.

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.