Articles related to INSOMNIA/SLEEP DISORDERS

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a health advisory on September 25, 2022, encouraging parents to seek medical advice before giving melatonin to children. Although melatonin can be useful in treating certain sleep-wake disorders like jet lag, there is much less evidence it can help healthy children or adults fall asleep faster. Symptoms of melatonin overdose can include headache, dizziness, and irritability.

News, comments, and analysis from the field of psychiatry, including the FDA’s clearance of a new neuromodulation device for people with significant depression, a phase III safety and efficacy trial of an injectable subcutaneous formulation of olanzapine for schizophrenia, melatonin dependence, and much more.

“Eszopiclone and lemborexant work for insomnia despite adverse events, while prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines, daridorexant, suvorexant, and trazodone can be effective but are associated with poor tolerability, according to this systematic review and meta-analysis.”

In 2021, melatonin was the most frequently reported substance involved in pediatric substance ingestions, resulting in 4,000 hospitalizations, 287 ICU admissions, and 2 deaths in children under the age of 2. Melatonin supplements can have 500% more melatonin than indicated on the label and about 30% of OTC products tested had serotonin as well.

The findings were presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The researchers gathered the data from eight different studies that explored the safety profile of ashwagandha — an herb also known as Indian Ginseng, winter cherry, or poison gooseberry — as well as the clinical significance of its beneficial effects.

Scientists have made a breakthrough when it comes to triggering lucid dreams. Building on their previous work, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Lucidity Institute in Hawaii wanted to investigate how acetylcholinesterase inhibitors might promote lucid dreaming. A common drug used to treat memory decline in Alzheimer’s disease – galantamine – is a fast-acting AChEI with only mild side effects, so researchers recruited 121 participants to see what effect the drug had on their ability to have and recall lucid dreams. The findings were surprising.