Sufficient sleep associated with life satisfaction in parents, new study finds
Sep 22, 2022
New research findings from a multi-university research team that includes Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology and associate director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, show that for new and established parents getting sufficient sleep…
Healthy sleep habits before kindergarten help children adjust to school
Jul 25, 2022
The transition to kindergarten is a notable milestone for children and families, who typically prepare by gathering school supplies and meeting the teacher. New research suggests that one important way to prepare for the transition to first-time schooling is to develop a bedtime routine in which…
Helping babies to sleep more
Jun 23, 2022
Over the last decade, researchers and staff working on Penn State’s INSIGHT study have trained new mothers in skills that — among other things — help newborns sleep more during the night. New research from Penn State’s Center for Childhood Obesity Research (CCOR) shows that second children in these…
Coupled brain activity, cerebrospinal fluid flow could indicate Alzheimer's risk
Jun 2, 2021
Penn State researchers may have discovered a potential marker to clinically evaluate patients’ risk for Alzheimer’s disease through non-invasive imaging tests, according to a study published today (June 1) in PLOS Biology. The finding may have implications for diagnosis and treatment of the disease…
Think pink: Getting a good night's sleep in difficult times
Jul 7, 2020
White noise is a popular solution for drowning out unwanted sounds, but there is actually an entire rainbow of sounds. New research from Penn State suggests that "pink noise" might enhance the quality of a person’s sleep. According to research, Americans sleep an hour less each night than they did…News Topics: Biobehavioral HealthSleep
College students may get health benefits from less than one extra hour of sleep
Nov 20, 2019
College life can be rigorous and exhausting, but new research suggests that just one extra hour of sleep a night is not only possible, but can also have significant health benefits for college students. In a study led by Penn State, researchers found that when asked to extend their sleep, college…
Penn State research informs PA report on school start times
Oct 17, 2019
Later school start times improve educational and health outcomes by giving students more sleep, according to a new reportfrom the Pennsylvania Joint State Commission on School Start Times, released today (Oct. 17). Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, was asked to serve on…
Sleep deprivation may lead to slower metabolism, weight gain
Sep 22, 2019
Restricting sleep for just several days alters how we metabolize fats and changes how satisfied we are by a meal, according to new research conducted at Penn State and published in the Journal of Lipid Research. According to Orfeu Buxton, researcher on the project and professor of biobehavioral…
AI in action: Seminars to explore artificial intelligence research possibilities
Sep 4, 2019
Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are already integrated into most of the electronic devices that we use and are powering the global economy’s transformation. But, analysts also warn that AI may have negative effects. For example, American market research company Forrester…
Penn State professor promoted to editor-in-chief of Sleep Health journal
Jun 6, 2019
Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health and Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) co-funded faculty member at Penn State, was recently named the next editor-in-chief for the journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Health. Buxton was promoted after serving as an associate editor…
Exercise may help teens sleep longer, more efficiently
May 22, 2019
Getting more exercise than normal — or being more sedentary than usual — for one day may be enough to affect sleep later that night, according to a new study led by Penn State. In a one-week, micro-longitudinal study, the researchers found that when teenagers got more physical activity than they…
Sleep and exercise affect new moms differently than new dads
May 2, 2019
Sleep and exercise are vital to the wellbeing of new parents, but these essentials affect new moms differently than new dads, according to researchers. In a study looking at the daily lives of new parents, a team led by Penn State researchers found that in general, getting more physical activity…
Just 16 minutes of sleep loss can harm work concentration the next day
Apr 30, 2019
This article was co-written by Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health, and David Almeida, professor of human development, for The Conversation. Have you had a less-than-stellar performance review lately? Do you daydream, or are you making bad decisions? It might not be about your job but…
Regular bedtimes and sufficient sleep for children may lead to healthier teens
Dec 6, 2018
Having a regular, age-appropriate bedtime and getting sufficient sleep from early childhood may be important for healthy body weight in adolescence, according to researchers at Penn State. The researchers identified groups of children by bedtime and sleep routines and tested longitudinal…
Shorter sleep can lead to dehydration
Nov 6, 2018
Adults who sleep just six hours per night — as opposed to eight — may have a higher chance of being dehydrated, according to a study by Penn State. These findings suggest that those who don’t feel well after a night of poor sleep may want to consider dehydration — not simply poor sleep — as a…
Kids’ sleep may suffer from moms’ tight work schedules
Oct 17, 2018
It may be tough for working moms to get a good night’s sleep, but working tight hours may affect their children’s sleep, too. After studying the sleep habits of children from ages five to nine, researchers found that when mothers reported less flexibility in their work schedules, their children got…News Topics: SleepEmployment
Moms who co-sleep beyond six months may feel more depressed, judged
Feb 27, 2018
Recent trends and popular advice telling moms not to sleep with their babies may make mothers who do choose to co-sleep with their infants more likely to feel depressed or judged, according to Penn State researchers. After analyzing moms’ sleeping patterns and feelings about sleep for the first…
Buxton quoted in Reader Digest article on sleep sounds
Jan 9, 2018
By Caitlin Reynolds If you regularly struggle with insomnia, make sure you're aware of these easy fixes. And if you're trying to sleep in a loud environment, white noise might help you nod off more easily. A mixture of all sound frequencies at once, at the same level of intensity, white noise does…