Letter from the Editor: The science of sleep
Given the unprecedented challenges of recent months, it’s perhaps unsurprising that lots of folks are experiencing sleep deprivation.
In a recently available survey conducted in the United Kingdom, around 75% of respondents said that unease around the COVID-19 outbreak has caused sleep disruption, while 77% reported that insomnia has interfered with their day-to-day functioning.
Insomnia can cause several mental and physical health issues, including depression, diabetes, coronary disease, and obesity, highlighting the importance of getting a sufficient amount of shut-eye.
With this thought, we decided to dig just a little deeper in to the world of sleep this month. We explored the science behind slumber and provided you with further information and resources to obtain a good night’s sleep.
In your news content, we investigated the bond between sleep and mental health, and examined why the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have altered our nighttime dreams.
“Definitely, persons are reporting more dream recall, more vivid dreams, more bizarre dreams, and more anxious dreams since March,” Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, told us.
We also viewed racial disparities in sleep, including why Black Americans are more likely to experience sleep deprivation than white Americans. In a follow-up piece, physicians weighed in on what might explain these disparities.
To find more information and resources on sleep, visit our dedicated hub.
Continuing our coverage of racial disparities, we recently published articles about how to be an ally. This important piece highlights the necessity for all those to be active in the fight against racism.
“The responsibility of fighting against racial inequality should never fall on Black people exclusively. The recognition of this simple truth is necessary when fighting to keep carefully the movement alive in demanding for tactical change.”
In alignment with World Mosquito Day this month, we took an in-depth look at how climate change has impacted the spread of West Nile virus in america. It’s certainly an interesting read.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com
