Sleep Benefits and Sleep Deprivation Risks

Sleep issues are bad enough for a growing number of Americans, but a new study raises the question that some parents may be overdosing their own children with melatonin.

So much, in fact, that the number of melatonin ingestion cases reported to poison control centers across the U.S. increased 530% from 2012 to 2021 – and most of those were children younger than five years old. 

New research from the University of Colorado Boulder, published in JAMA Pediatrics, shows that nearly one in five school-aged children and preteens now take melatonin for sleep, and some parents give the hormone to preschoolers on a regular basis.

That word “hormone” should be taken seriously, too. Some researchers have their hand in the air, raising questions that since melatonin is a hormone, could taking melatonin theoretically affect hormonal development? Research has yet to conclusively say yes or no to that question, but the possibility still looms. 

The fact that gummies look and taste like candy also poses another risk.

A sleep doctor raises even more questions

How slippery of a slope is giving melatonin to children? The Sleep Doctor, Dr. Michael Breus shares his thoughts on the negative effects of melatonin in children with ConsumerAffairs.

“This saddens me to see these numbers because once again we are not thinking about the health of our children,” he said.

“I do not believe we should give pills to kids to sleep. It gives the wrong message, and in the case of melatonin, it's usually not doing any good. There are very few cases where a child would actually require melatonin, and all of those would fall under either having a deficiency or Autism.”

Breus also doubled down on the fact that melatonin is a hormone and parents need to realize that, in most cases, children make over four times the amount of melatonin they need, making this completely unnecessary.

Melatonin has “significant” interaction effects with other medications, too he said – including antidepressants, diabetes meds, and blood pressure meds.

“If a child is on one of these for any reason their treatment may be affected. Ninety-nine percent of parents are overdosing their kids, and we have no idea what this effect can have in the future.”

Having a hard time sleeping? You’re not alone. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a surge in sleep disorders, with two out of three Americans saying their ability to get a good night’s sleep has become a big problem.

And what do consumer innovators do with big problems? They create answers. In this case, also because they'd probably like a piece of the global sleep aids market that's well on its way to $112 billion of annual revenue. 

But it’s not just melatonin and CBD that companies are using to beat a path to the bank. Now, food innovators have decided there’s a way to make some money from the problem by bringing nighttime snacks to sleep’s rescue.

Cereal, chocolate, ice cream, drinks, and other foodstuffs are walking the fine line between the belief that late-night snacking is bad and that just a little of their product will send a user off to LaLa Land.

“Humans are hardwired to store excess calories as it gets closer to bedtime. Cravings for calorie-dense foods peak at night as does overall appetite. Willpower weakens. It’s a perfect storm, and it traps hundreds of millions of us every week,” Sean Folkson, CEO of Minneapolis-based Nightfood, told FoodDive.

And the power players in the global food and beverage world are all over this. Nestlé has its Good Night chocolate, Post has its nighttime cereal Sweet Dreams, and Pepsi has Driftwell, a product dosed with L-theanine to help promote relaxation and de-stress.

How smart – or dumb – is this?

Many being robbed of a good night’s sleep are desperate to find an answer to their problems, even having a “fourth” meal of the day. But sleep experts warn that sleep-inducing munching can be both good and bad.

Avigail Lev, Founder & Director at Bay Area CBT Center, told ConsumerAffairs that on the plus side of the equation, there are some potential health benefits.

“Sleep-friendly snacks may incorporate ingredients like tryptophan-rich foods, melatonin, rice bran, and vitamins, which have shown promise in promoting better sleep,” she said. “These products could offer potential health benefits beyond inducing sleep.”

On the other side of the equation are four things that concern Lev. The main one is sleep disruption risk.

“Some studies suggest that snacking before bed can lead to sleep disruptions, which contradicts the purpose of sleep-inducing food products. Consumers should be cautious and mindful of their individual sleep patterns and sensitivities,” she told us.

Another problem is taste challenges. As you imagine, incorporating certain sleep-inducing ingredients, such as valerian root, into food products while maintaining palatability isn’t as easy as mixing chocolate and peanut butter and can be quite the challenge.

Lev says consumers should also be aware that going the eat-to-sleep route is not a quick fix. “While sleep-friendly snacks may contribute to overall sleep health and well-being, they are not a guaranteed solution for sleep problems. Consumers should not rely solely on these products and should consider comprehensive approaches to improving sleep, such as maintaining a healthy diet and sleep routine,” she emphasized, adding that the effectiveness of these products can vary among individuals.”

Is CBT-I the answer?

Not everyone is buying this eat your way to a restful night's sleep. Dr. Robert Philip Lindeman, for one, told ConsumerAffairs that he's not impressed. 

"I know of no evidence that snacking before bed is beneficial for sleep. To the contrary, I suspect that regardless of the composition of the snack, eating before bed would interfere with sleep, metabolism -- hence, weight gain -- stress levels, and the ability to exercise the next day," he said.

Dr. Shelby Harris, the director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis, said the reality is that there’s zero significant scientific data behind these products.

"While they may contain certain amounts of ingredients for things that in limited studies have been shown to set the stage for sleep, there’s no regulation on the amounts in each product, and people might consume differing amounts," she said.

She thinks these products may have some value for someone with occasional sleep issues, but for someone with routine issues, they should seek help from a sleep specialist.

"If there are issues with insomnia, non-medication approaches such as CBT for insomnia [are] considered the gold standard treatment for insomnia, ahead of mediation, as it has the most solid data behind it.”

CBT-I (cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia) is a therapy that explores the connection between the way we think, the things we do, and how we sleep.

People who have trouble sleeping may also have other health conditions. The problem and potential remedies should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

A new report from the American Heart Association highlighted the importance of sleep for good heart health. Experts from the organization have added sleep to its cardiovascular health checklist, which is now called Life’s Essential 8; the resource is for consumers to improve and maintain their cardiovascular health. 

With the update, the checklist now encourages adults to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, while children should aim to get even more sleep. 

“The new metric of sleep duration reflects the latest research findings: sleep impacts overall health, and people who have healthier sleep patterns manage health factors such as weight, blood pressure, or risk for Type 2 diabetes more effectively,” said American Heart Association President Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones. “In addition, advances in ways to measure sleep, such as with wearable devices, now offer people the ability to reliably and routinely monitor their sleep habits at home.” 

Heart health benefits of sleep

The AHA launched its original cardiovascular health checklist in 2010, and the organization has continued to update it based on data in the more than 2,400 research papers on the topic published over the last 12 years. Currently, the checklist includes items on health behaviors and health factors, including diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, weight, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), blood sugar, and blood pressure. 

“We felt it was the right time to conduct a comprehensive review of the latest research to refine the existing metrics and consider any new metrics that add value to assessing cardiovascular health for all people,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones said. 

While several of the items on the checklist were updated to reflect the latest research, sleep duration was the only new addition to the list. Experts gave consumers a goal to aim for each night. Adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, while kids require different amounts of sleep depending on their age. Kids between 13 and 18 should get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night; kids between six and 12 should get nine to 12 hours of sleep; and kids ages five and under should sleep 10 to 16 hours every 24 hours. 

Other updates to the checklist include:

• A new scoring system, which averages the score of each component from 0 to 100
• A new guide to assessing the quality of diet
• Adjustments to cholesterol and blood sugar measures
• Accounting for smoke exposure 

The researchers also reviewed data on factors like stress, mental health, and social determinants of health. Leaders in the field plan to do more work in this area to see how these factors impact consumers’ heart health. 

“We considered social determinants of health carefully in our update and determined more research is needed on these components to establish their measurement and inclusion in the future,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones said. “Nonetheless, social and structural determinants, as well as psychological health and well-being, are critical, foundational factors in an individual’s or a community’s opportunity to preserve and improve cardiovascular health. We must consider and address all of these issues for people to have the opportunity for a full, healthy life as measured by Life’s Essential 8.” 

A new study explored how women’s hormone levels can impact their sleeping habits. The findings showed that postmenopausal women with lower levels of estrogen and progesterone may be more likely to experience snoring and sleep apnea. 

“The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea is higher in women after menopause,” the researchers wrote. “This is suggested to be a result of an altered sex hormone balance but has so far not been confirmed in a population-based study.”

How hormones affect sleep

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 780 women enrolled in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey between 2010 and 2012. The women completed questionnaires about their lifestyles, respiratory health, and reproductive health; they also gave blood samples to measure their hormone levels. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a link between reproductive hormones and snoring and sleep apnea. When looking specifically at the women’s reproductive hormone levels, the team learned that higher levels of estrogen and progesterone were linked with a lower likelihood of snoring and fewer sleep apnea-related symptoms. When progesterone doubled, the women were 9% less likely to snore; when estrone (one of the types of estrogen) doubled, there was a nearly 20% lower likelihood of snoring. 

The study showed similar results for women with a history of snoring. For these women, doubling estrogen lowered the likelihood of waking with a choking sensation by 12%. Similarly, when several types of estrogen doubled, women who snored were as much as 23% less likely to have breathing troubles while they slept. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope medical professionals consider women’s reproductive hormones when thinking about ways to address their sleep struggles. 

“Female sex hormones are crucial for health and disease, and especially after menopause the hormone status should be considered to develop holistic treatment strategies,” the researchers wrote. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Bern explored how sleep can affect consumers’ mental health and well-being. The findings suggest that our brains can make negative emotions less intense while we sleep while improving the storage of positive emotions.

“Our goal was to understand the underlying mechanism and the functions of such a surprising phenomenon,” said researcher Antoine Adamantidis. 

What does our brain do during sleep?

The researchers conducted their study on mice to better understand what happens in the brain during sleep and how it affects our emotions. The mice were first exposed to different sounds – some that they linked with danger and others they linked with safety. The team then analyzed brain scans of the mice while they slept and while they were awake to see how the different emotions were processed. 

The study showed that neurons in the prefrontal cortex go through a decoupling process during REM sleep. This allows the brain to identify the difference between positive and negative emotions, or in this case, safety versus danger. 

However, this process also affects how the brain processes the different emotions. The researchers learned that the brain wants to help protect itself from feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions while improving the storage process of positive emotions. 

The team explained that this process is important when thinking about mental health. When consumers are unable to differentiate between positive and negative emotions, it may make them more susceptible to anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  The team hopes these findings can help leverage the benefits of sleep in mental health treatment. 

“We hope that our findings will not only be of interest to the patients, but also to the broad public,” said Adamantidis. 

Getting the right amount of sleep each night is something many consumers struggle with. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge explored what we should be aiming for in terms of healthy sleep. 

According to their findings, older and middle-aged consumers should be trying for seven hours of sleep each night. This is especially important when thinking about long-term cognitive and mental health. 

“While we can’t say conclusively that too little or too much sleep causes cognitive problems, our analysis looking at individuals over a longer period of time appears to support this idea,” said researcher Jianfeng Feng. “But the reasons why older people have poorer sleep appear to be complex, influenced by a combination of our genetic makeup and the structure of our brains.” 

Healthy sleep impacts cognitive and mental health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 500,000 people between the ages of 38 and 73 who were part of the U.K. Biobank. Participants completed several cognitive assessments and answered questions about their mental health, well-being, and general sleeping patterns. 

Ultimately, the team learned that there is a sweet spot when it comes to sleep. Based on this study, getting seven hours of sleep each night was found to be the best for the participants in terms of cognitive and mental health. 

Participants who slept too much and those who didn’t sleep enough had a higher risk for cognitive deficiencies and mental health struggles. They experienced difficulties with problem-solving, processing speed, visual attention, and general memory abilities. They were also more likely to struggle with overall well-being and report more symptoms related to anxiety and depression. 

Participants who were able to average seven hours of sleep each night had better cognitive and mental health outcomes. This healthy and consistent sleep routine helped improve overall well-being and was linked with better cognitive function and mental health.

The team explained that skipping or disrupting the deep sleep phase could explain this link between sleep and cognitive function. Without this phase of the sleep cycle, the brain may have a harder time releasing toxins. It could also cause a build-up of the amyloid protein, which is linked with several types of dementia. 

“Getting a good night’s sleep is important at all stages of life, but particularly as we age,” said researcher Barbara Sahakian. “Finding ways to improve sleep for older people could be crucial to helping them maintain good mental health and well-being and avoiding cognitive decline, particularly for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementias.” 

Though many consumers spend their time before bed scrolling mindlessly on their phones or watching TV, recent studies have warned about the risks associated with screen time before bed. Now, researchers from Northwestern University are warning about any kind of light disruption during sleep. 

According to their findings, exposure to even moderate lighting during sleep may increase the risk of several serious health conditions, including cardiovascular health and insulin resistance. 

“The results from this study demonstrate that just a single night of exposure to moderate room lighting during sleep can impair glucose and cardiovascular regulation, which are risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome,” said researcher Dr. Phyllis Zee. “It’s important for people to avoid or minimize the amount of light exposure during sleep.” 

Light disruptions may worsen health

The researchers had 20 young adults participate in a sleep experiment that tested out how exposure to different levels of light affected health outcomes. For two consecutive nights, they slept in a room with dim lighting (3 lux). They then slept in a room with brighter overhead lighting (100 lux) for another night. In both instances, the team tracked their sleep quality, melatonin levels, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular health. 

The study showed that when the participants slept in the brighter room, it significantly impacted their heart rates. Not only did the participants’ heart rates increase, but the light disruption affected how fast the blood pumped to the heart and the force of the heart pumping. 

“We showed your heart rate increases when you sleep in a moderately lit room,” said researcher Dr. Daniela Grimaldi. “Even though you are asleep, your autonomic nervous system is activated. That’s bad. Usually, your heart rate together with other cardiovascular parameters are lower at night and higher during the day.” 

The researchers also learned that insulin resistance was higher when the participants slept in the brighter room. When insulin resistance is high, the body can’t use glucose to make energy; over time, this can increase blood sugar, which can also increase the risk for diabetes. 

The researchers noted that the participants didn’t report feeling any of these physiological changes throughout the night or the next morning.

“But the brain senses it,” Dr. Grimaldi said. “It acts like the brain of somebody whose sleep is light and fragmented. The sleep physiology is not resting the way it’s supposed to.” 

In terms of sleep quality, exposure to any kind of light prevented the participants from ever going into a deep sleep. This light exposure made it more difficult for the participants to enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or slow wave sleep, both of which are critical for a healthy sleep cycle. 

Keeping the light out at night

Though many consumers may be tempted to sleep with a light on nearby or leave the TV on overnight, the researchers hope these findings encourage them to do otherwise. 

The team has very explicit advice for consumers who may have questions about how to set up their sleeping space. “If you’re able to see things really well, it’s probably too light,” Dr. Zee said. 

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 11,00 model year 2022 MATRYX RMK, INDY, SWITCHBACK, VOYAGEUR, and NORDIC PRO snowmobiles.

The throttle release switch (TRS) can fail to disengage when the throttle lever is released. If a stuck throttle condition occurs when the TRS fails to disengage, it can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.

Additionally, on certain MATRYX RMK snowmobiles, the throttle cable can be kinked during installation. This can lead to damage of the throttle cable during operation and impairment of the throttle function, posing a crash hazard.

The firm has received four reports of kinked throttle cables and three reports of a stuck throttle. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves certain VINs of Model Year 2022 MATRYX RMK, INDY, SWITCHBACK, VOYAGEUR, and NORDIC PRO snowmobiles.

The recalled snowmobiles were sold in the following color combinations: black/titanium, red/black, blue/white/red, black/gray/blue, gray/lime, red/black/white, navy/silver/white, white/black/plum, tan/black/orange, gray/black/lime, gray/black/red, orange, black, and jade.

Polaris and the snowmobile's model name are printed on the chassis on both sides of the vehicles. The model year and VIN are stamped on the right side of the tunnel.

The snowmobiles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from December 2019, through January 2022, for between $13,300 to $19,700.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection. If needed, an adjustment of the throttle control assembly and/or a repair to replace the throttle cable (MATRYX RMK only) will be made.

Polaris has notified consumers to stop riding the snowmobiles, and it is contacting all registered owners directly to provide more details about the repair.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com. Consumers can click on “Off Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the company's webpage and enter their vehicle identification number “VIN” to see if their vehicle is included in any recalls.

Many studies have looked at how screen time may disrupt consumers’ sleep, and now a new study has explored how using different forms of media may affect sleep quality. 

While watching movies, listening to music, or watching TV can affect the duration of consumers’ sleep, the study findings show that overall quality of sleep wasn’t disrupted by using media before bed.

 “If you are going to use media, like watching TV or listening to music, before bed, keep it a short, focused session and you are unlikely to experience any negative outcomes in your sleep that night,” said researcher Morgan Ellithorpe, Ph.D. 

How media affects sleep quality 

The researchers had nearly 60 adults keep a diary for the duration of the study that had them track what kinds of media they were using before bed, where they were using it, and whether or not they were multitasking while using media. The team then measured the participants' sleep quality with electroencephalography tests that tracked when they fell asleep, their sleep quality, and how long they slept. 

The researchers identified different patterns when it came to how the participants used media before bed and how it affected their sleep. Overall, sleep quality wasn’t significantly affected by using different types of media before bed. 

Avoiding multitasking and using media while in bed were linked with longer sleep for the participants. Additionally, the group was more likely to fall asleep earlier when using media in the hour before bedtime. On the other hand, when participants spent extended time using media before bed, they weren’t likely to get as much sleep.

“The findings present a complex picture, where media use before bed appears to be less detrimental for sleep than suggested by other research – as long as that use is not accompanied by multitasking, is conducted in bed, and the session is short,” the researchers wrote. “This has implications for research on sleep and traditional media use and points to the likelihood that there is more nuance to the issue of media use before bed than previously assumed.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of South Florida explored the heart health risks associated with poor sleep. According to their findings, having poor sleep habits can have serious implications for long-term heart health, increasing the risk of heart disease by three times. 

“These findings show the importance of assessing ‘co-existing sleep health problems’ within an individual to capture the risk of heart disease,” said researcher Soomi Lee. “This is one of the first studies showing that, among well-functioning adults in midlife, having more sleep health problems may increase the risk of heart disease.” 

The link between sleep health and heart health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 7,000 adults around the age of 53 who reported on their typical sleeping habits and their heart health. They answered questions about how alert they felt while awake, how long they typically slept, their satisfaction with their sleep, what their sleep schedule looked like, and the regularity of their sleep patterns. Additionally, over 630 participants also wore a device on their wrists that tracked their sleep data.

The study showed that the risk of heart disease was higher among those who reported more sleep health problems. For those who reported on their sleep health, the researchers found each additional risk factor increased the overall risk of heart disease by nearly 55%. However, when looking at both self-reported information and data from the sleep tracker, the risk of heart disease was nearly three times as high, at 141%; the researchers believe this figure is more accurate. 

The team also looked at how different demographic factors may play a role in the relationship between sleep health and heart health. They learned that Black participants were more likely to struggle with both heart disease and sleep health issues. Men also had a greater prevalence of heart disease, while women were more likely to have poorer sleep health. However, in both instances, race and gender weren’t found to significantly impact the relationship between sleep and heart disease. 

Because consumers’ sleep routines can be adjusted and modified, the researchers hope these findings create more awareness about these health risks and help professionals identify those who have a higher risk of developing long-term heart health issues. 

“The higher estimated risk in those who provided both self-report and actigraphy sleep data suggests that measuring sleep health accurately and comprehensively is more important to increase the prediction of heart disease,” Lee said. 

While many studies have reported on the negative ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected young people, a new study conducted by the University of Zurich found some positive results. Their work showed that school closures related to the pandemic gave teens the opportunity to sleep more and improve their general health and well-being. 

“Although the lockdown clearly led to worse health and well-being for many young people, our findings reveal an upside of the school closures which has received little attention until now,” said Jenni. 

Sleep is important for teens’ well-being

The researchers surveyed over 3,600 high school students during the COVID-19 lockdown and compared those results with similar surveys from over 5,300 high school students in 2017. The participants answered questions about their sleep habits, general well-being, mental health, and dietary patterns. 

Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from the study is that the students reported sleeping significantly more during the week while on lockdown. Attending virtual school allowed the kids to sleep an hour and a half longer during the week on average, but they were still going to bed around the same time that they normally did on school nights. Overall, this translated to more sleep each night. 

“The students got about 75 minutes more sleep per day during the lockdown,” said Jenni “At the same time, their health-related quality of life improved significantly and their consumption of alcohol and their consumption of alcohol and caffeine went down.” 

The researchers believe that finding ways for teens to get more sleep during the week should be emphasized moving forward. The team’s findings highlighted the ways that getting just an hour more of sleep benefited teens’ general wellness. By giving kids the chance to sleep later with a later school start time, it may improve their mental health and their overall performance in school. 

“Our findings clearly indicate the benefit of starting school later in the morning so that youngsters can get more sleep,” Jenni said.