The purpose of this study was to map and present how the topic of sleep is portrayed in Norwegian newspaper media. The analysis focused on the occurrence of various sleep disorders, age groups mentioned in connection with sleep problems, advice provided, described consequences of good and poor sleep, and whether coverage emphasized positive or negative aspects of sleep. We also investigated whether the articles were available without payment or login requirements. The study comprised a quantitative content analysis based on an a priori coding scheme. The sample consisted of all newspaper articles about sleep published in the three largest Norwegian newspapers covering the period 2023–2024 (N = 96). Two independent coders recorded data in Excel, and intercoder reliability was calculated as Krippendorff’s alpha. All newspaper articles were published behind paywalls. The vast majority of the articles were based on scientific sources and most concerned the sleep of adults. Insomnia and sleep apnea were the most commonly mentioned sleep disorders. Most advice provided was non-pharmacological. Stress was commonly referred to in relation to sleep. Most articles focused on both negative and positive aspects of sleep or negative aspects only. Regarding the consequences of poor sleep, the majority of articles focused on rather immediate (e.g., sleepiness and fatigue) effects. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Morphological changes in the brain cortex can disrupt central nervous system activity, often resulting from neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are linked to alterations in the thickness and volume of the cortex in adults; however, this relationship requires further investigation in children. This systematic review aims to explore the volume and thickness of gray matter and the cortex in children with sleep disorders. This systematic review was conducted based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, and the principle of non-bias was respected. All the articles from 2014 to 2024 were extracted from the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases. This study extracted sleep disorders, cortical and gray matter alterations, and alterations anatomy from children up to 18 years old. Eleven studies were identified with inclusion criteria that addressed sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), obstructive sleep apnea, and periodic limb movements of sleep. The mean age of the children involved was 8.89 ± 3.22 years, with a predominance of males in most studies. Notably, the thickness of the cerebral cortex in the right anterior caudate cingulate and right cuneiform regions was significantly elevated following obstructive SDB. The gray matter volume exhibited both increases in certain areas and decreases in others, a phenomenon that applies to all sleep disorders. Sleep disorders alter cortical thickness and gray matter volume, which, when synthesized, provided us with a pattern of point-to-point changes in children brain anatomy. Our results show that changes in cortical volume and morphological thickness are not uniform, and that there may be increases or decreases in gray matter at different points.

BackgroundTo investigate factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in young, non-obese (body mass index [BMI] < 30) Middle Eastern adults and to identify characteristics that correlate with OSA severity.MethodsA retrospective case–control study was conducted on non-obese individuals aged 18–55 who underwent sleep studies between 2021 and 2022. The case group included individuals with OSA (apnea–hypopnea index [AHI] ≥ 5 events/hour), while the control group had normal AHI (< 5 events/hour). Demographic information, clinical measurements, and comorbidities were analyzed.ResultsOf the 2,517 records reviewed, 555 patients met inclusion criteria, with 67% diagnosed with OSA. The OSA group had a significantly higher proportion of males compared to females (80.6% vs. 19.4%, p < 0.005), was older (40.7 vs. 35.3 years, p < 0.005), had higher BMI (26.7 vs. 25.3 kg/m2, p < 0.005), and larger neck circumference (38.3 vs. 35.7 cm, p < 0.005). Hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and alcohol use were more prevalent in the OSA group. Multiple linear regression identified age, neck circumference, hypertension, and lowest peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) as significant predictors of OSA severity.ConclusionsMales with a larger neck circumference are at higher risk of OSA in this cohort. Despite being non-obese, OSA patients had higher BMIs than controls. Hypertension and alcohol intake were also more common in OSA patients. Age, neck circumference, and hypertension were significant predictors of OSA severity in this young, non-obese Middle Eastern population.

This paper seeks to identify the factors and impact of sleep deprivation in the adolescent population and suggests pertinent preventive measures. We used diagnostic indicators and keywords to examine literature published from 2013 through bibliographic search tools. The risk of mental health problems is increasing, alongside cognitive and social impairments. Risk factors associated with sleep deprivation include circadian rhythm shifts, early school start times, and lifestyle choices. This may be catalyzed by additional factors such as excessive homework and utilization of social media, which contribute to inadequate duration and quality of sleep, leading to decreased academic and social challenges, higher risk-taking behaviors, stress, suicidal ideation, and diminished physical health. Delaying school start times, limiting electronic device usage before bed, promoting physical activity, and implementing sleep hygiene education can help improve sleep quality and overall well-being in adolescents by acting as preventative measures for this population. Parental involvement, through awareness and the implementation of consistent bedtimes, is also crucial for supporting healthy sleep habits. More research is needed to develop effective interventions within education and healthcare that can address the growing sleep and mental health crisis.

IntroductionMandibular advancement devices (MADs) increase the airway by providing a stable anterior position of the mandible, advancing the tongue and soft palate and potentially changing the genioglossus muscle activity. As such they are an accepted non-surgical treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The study aimed to investigate whether the amount of mandibular advancement impacts treatment outcomes of OSA. Secondary aims included identifying variables correlated with treatment response and assessing changes in polysomnography (PSG) parameters based on advancement.MethodsThis retrospective study included patients aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with OSA and treated with MADs. Data were collected from clinical notes, pre- and post-treatment PSG sleep studies. Amount of advancement was determined by the final titrated advancement achieved. Patients were grouped according to whether the final amount of advancement was ≤ 8 mm or > 8 mm. Treatment responses were classified as complete (symptom resolution and RDI < 5/h), partial (symptom improvement and ≥ 50% reduction of RDI but RDI ≥ 5/h) and no response (< 50% reduction in RDI and RDI remaining ≥ 5/h). Treatment responses and changes in PSG parameters (T90, LSAT and RDI) were then compared between the two groups of patients.ResultsThe study included 49 patients (42 males, 7 females) with mild (n = 9), moderate (n = 28), and severe (n = 12) OSA. No statistically significant difference was found for OSA severity between male and females. Complete response rate was 11.1% for ≤ 8 mm advancement and 19.4% for > 8 mm advancement, but this difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, changes in RDI, LSAT and T90 were not statistically significant between the two groups. There was statistically significant difference in treatment response between age groups, with younger patients (≤ 50 years) showing better response.ConclusionEffectiveness of MADs in the treatment of OSA does not depend on the final titrated advancement achieved. However, younger patients benefit more from MADs, highlighting age as a critical parameter in treatment responses.Clinical implicationsThere is strong evidence to support the use of MADs as a functional second line treatment option to CPAP, and thus understanding the factors that contribute to positive treatment of OSA is important.

BackgroundThis study aimed to identify characteristics associated with cognitive impairment in older individuals with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) that could aid in stratifying those at higher risk for impairment.MethodsWe analysed existing cross-sectional datasets that measured the performance of 89 adult patients (aged 50–85 years) with OSA on the ACE-R cognitive test. Receiver operating characteristic curves and logistic regression analysis were utilised to identify associations between impairment status and various factors, including demographic characteristics, self-reported sleepiness, cognitive complaints, and OSA severity.ResultsAccording to established thresholds (ACE-R ≤ 88), 36% of participants were cognitively impaired. When adjusted for age and education, the strongest factors associated with impairment status were prior measures of arousal index (cut-off: ≥28events/hr, OR: 5.67, p < 0.01), sleep mean SpO2 (cut-off: ≤92%, OR: 3.52, p < 0.05), 3% oxygen desaturation index (cut-off: ≥27events/hr, OR: 3.75, p < 0.05), and sleep time spent under 90% SpO2 (cut-off: ≥9%, OR: 3.16, p < 0.05). Combining these factors achieved a high sensitivity (≥ 93%) of detecting impairment within this cohort. Conversely, the apnoea-hypopnoea index, daytime sleepiness, and cognitive complaints were not associated with impairment status.ConclusionsThe ACE-R identified a significant proportion of patients with OSA as having cognitive impairment. Traditional indices of sleep fragmentation and hypoxaemia may allow clinicians to identify at-risk patients for cognitive evaluation, however further studies are needed to validate these findings and explore whether poor cognitive performance can be remediated via OSA treatment.

BackgroundTo determine whether objective markers of sleepiness can be collected passively using voice data to detect sleepiness in individuals undergoing testing in situations where sleepiness is not the focal point of assessment. We assessed verbal reaction time (VRT) as a vocalic marker of subjective sleepiness in middle aged and older adults with history of insomnia and benzodiazepine-receptor-agonist (BZRA) use.MethodsAdults aged ≥55 without a diagnosis of dementia were recruited from a BZRA deprescribing clinical trial and enrolled in the present study that tested the feasibility of cognitive testing using out-of-office, self-directed mobile apps. Participants’ working/episodic memory were assessed through recorded verbal responses to Verbal Paired Associates (VPA) tests, and ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of self-reported sleepiness (1[not at all] to 4[more prominent]). Using a generalized additive model, we examined the association between VRT during VPA testing and self-reported sleepiness, adjusting for demographic, test parameters, caffeine intake, cognition, mood, and BZRA-use (p≤0.05 was considered significant). A stratified k-fold cross-validation/random forest (SKCV/RF) was performed to classify sleepiness levels, adjusting for other variables.ResultsWe analyzed 1,513 observations from 16 patients. VRT was operationalized as the time duration between recording start time and first speech epoch. Longer VRTs were positively associated with greater EMA sleepiness (p≤0.05). The SKCV/RF model yielded a mean F1-score of 0.80 ± 0.08 across folds.ConclusionsLonger VRTs correlated with greater self-reported sleepiness, indicating that voice data can be used as a marker of sleepiness in patients undergoing cognitive testing in out-of-office settings.

IntroductionIdiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) can affect quality of life (QOL) for both patient and bed partner; has been less well-studied. Utilizing the Neuro-QOL, we aimed to investigate QOL complaints in subjects with iRBD, and whether QOL changes were associated with phenoconversion to neurodegenerative illness.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled subjects from the “REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Associations with Parkinson’s Disease Study (RAPiDS)” cohort and evaluated them via the NeuroQOL, both at baseline and then at follow-up evaluations. Determination of phenoconversion was ascertained from physical examination and medical chart review.ResultsOf those who completed both evaluations, there were 33 subjects with iRBD, with an average age of 61.9 ± 13.0 years, with 13 women and 26 men. Various QOL changes were found among those who phenoconverted versus those who did not; but following correction, none of these changes were significant.ConclusionsThis is the first time the Neuro-QOL has been studied in iRBD. QOL can be affected in this condition, but other screening tools will likely be needed for future studies.

BackgroundNight eating syndrome (NES) is an eating disorder in which at least one-third of one’s daily caloric intake is consumed after the last meal of the day or throughout the nocturnal evening on at least two consecutive occasions each week. In the literature, the prevalence of NES among university students ranged from 4.2 to 15%.AimThe purpose of this study was to find out how common NES is among Palestinian university students, as well as the association between NES, sleep quality, BMI, socioeconomic factors, and lifestyle factors.MethodsStudents from An-Najah National University completed an online questionnaire. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) were employed.ResultsA total of 333 participants took part in the study. The average age of the participants was 21.66 years (range: 16 to 33). The presence of NES was identified in 82.6% of the study subjects. There was no evidence of a link between NES and BMI, sociodemographic variables, or lifestyle factors. Higher scores on subjective sleep quality (p < .01), sleep latency (p < .01), and daytime dysfunction (p < .05) scores were found to be linked with NES. Additional to this, the NEQ scores were shown to be substantially connected with these scores, as well as the sleep duration scores (p < .05). Subjective sleep quality (p < .01) and sleep latency (p < .01) were revealed to be significant predictors of the NEQ score.ConclusionNES was significantly related to sleep quality subscales among Palestinian university students. Moreover, subjective sleep quality and sleep latency predicted NEQ score.