Sleep lab studies

How much sleep is enough, and how much is too much? Not an easy question, because the need for sleep varies from person to person. Age also plays a role. Most of us know from experience that the next day at work will be rough after a late night out. But it may be surprising to hear that sleeping more isn’t necessarily better, at least for those in their middle age or older, according to a new study published in the Nature Aging journal. Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and Fuhan University in China found that seven hours of sleep at night is ideal for middle-age or older people. They also found that significantly less, but also more, sleep may lead to impaired mental health and poorer mental performance. The researchers looked at data from almost 500,000 adults aged between 38 and 73, collected in the extensive UK Biobank database. The subjects were asked about their sleep patterns, mental health and well-being, and also took part in … [Read more...] about Seven hours of sleep ideal for the middle-aged and older

Dr Michael Mosley’s Twitter bio encapsulates all that the 61-year-old stands for: science journalist, TV presenter, self experimenter, the 5:2 guy. Born in Kolkata, India, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at New College, Oxford and worked as a banker before joining London’s UCL Medical School. He started work with the BBC in 1985, going on to produce and host a number of programmes. The man behind shows like, Trust Me I’m a Doctor , Meet the Humans and The Truth about Exercise, all aired in India on Sony BBC Earth, has embarked on numerous outlandish self-experiments to come to some rather interesting conclusions, many that find their way into his books and his TV shows. Here are some of his discoveries. A healthy gut is essential to good health “There are at least a 1,000 different species of microbes down there fighting for survival in your intestines,” he says, over a Skype interview, holding out the minuscule pill camera that explored the depths of his … [Read more...] about The mysterious world of Dr Strange

The new high-tech 6G wireless technology could be hacked in five minutes using a piece of office paper, an inkjet printer, a metallic foil transfer, and a laminator. The security flaw which would allow hackers to eavesdrop on 6G wireless signals was discovered by engineering researchers from Rice University and Brown University, who will present their findings and demonstrate the attack this week in San Antonio at ACM WiSec 2022, the Association for Computing Machinery's annual conference on security and privacy in wireless and mobile networks. Study co-author Edward Knightly, Rice's Sheafor-Lindsay professor of electrical and computer engineering, said: "Awareness of a future threat is the first step to counter that threat." "The frequencies that are vulnerable to this attack aren't in use yet, but they are coming and we need to be prepared." In the study, Knightly, Brown University engineering professor Daniel Mittleman and colleagues showed an attacker could easily make a … [Read more...] about Piece of paper and metal foil is all you need to eavesdrop 6G transmissions

With therapists in high demand and long waiting lists that make it challenging to find a provider, using a mental health app might seem like a tempting and relatively inexpensive way to get help. These apps claim to help with issues as varied as addiction, sleeplessness, anxiety and schizophrenia , often by using tools like games, therapy chatbots or mood-tracking diaries. But most are unregulated. Although some are considered useful and safe, others may have shaky (or nonexistent) privacy policies and a lack of high-quality research demonstrating that the apps live up to their marketing claims. Stephen Schueller, the executive director of One Mind PsyberGuide , a nonprofit project that reviews mental health apps, said the lack of regulation has created a “Wild West,” that was exacerbated when the Food and Drug Administration loosened its requirements for digital psychiatry products in 2020 . It is difficult to pinpoint the exact number of mental health apps … [Read more...] about How to Find a Mental Health App That Works for You

Going up ▲ ▲ M&S’ LGBT sandwich Marks and Spencer launched an LGBT+ sandwich to celebrate Pride and raise money for charity – but it was met with mixed reactions. The sandwich, which is available to buy in the UK and Ireland, is filled with lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato – to fulfil the LGBT acronym – and comes in rainbow-coloured packaging. Many people praised Marks and Spencer for continuing to campaign for LGBT+ rights. “Love this from @marksandspencer Respect! Live & let live...looks delicious too,” one person wrote on Twitter. However, others responded with scepticism. “LGBT sandwich. These companies are really just taking any swing to seem ‘inclusive’,” one critic commented. The British supermarket said the sandwich was created to raise money for the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity dedicated to helping homeless LGBT+ youth, and Belong to Youth Services, an organisation supporting LGBT+ young people in Ireland. The retailer says … [Read more...] about Lifestyle Barometer: Your guide to what’s hot and what’s not this week from Keanu Reeves to the Billboard Music Awards

While there are many issues front and center for voters as they head to the polls for the primaries over the next few months, it is time for all of us to understand just what's at stake for our democracy. In Colorado, the county clerk running for Secretary of State was recently barred by a judge from overseeing the 2022 elections and is under indictment on criminal election-tampering charges . In Georgia, a candidate for governor continues to make the absurd claim that the last election was "rigged and stolen." In Michigan, a conspiracy-pushing lawyer has already earned the state Republican Party's endorsement for attorney general. All three are election deniers. They're running for top state offices that will oversee future elections by campaigning on lies and conspiracies about the 2020 election. These aren't fringe candidates, and they are far from outliers this cycle. Election deniers are running up and down the ballot this year from coast to coast, according to a … [Read more...] about Promoters of the Big Lie want to run our elections. We must stop them | Opinion