TikTokers say that mouth taping leads to deeper sleep, less snoring and other benefits. Here’s what the evidence says.

Taylor Leamey

Feb. 25, 2022 4:00 a.m. PT

LISTEN

– 07:49

Mouth breathers, beware. Mouth taping is the latest viral TikTok sleeping hack that’s said to help you get deep sleep. Wellness creator @lexfiish has over 4.5 million views on her mouth tape TikTok, which explains how she started putting a special tape over her mouth before bed. 

According to her video, mouth taping will make sure you “get the deepest sleep you’ll ever experience.” The comments are loaded with interest and praise, but is this just another social media fad or a dangerous one-off solution that should be ignored? 

Anecdotal evidence suggests mouth taping might not be as outlandish as you think. But the research behind the benefits is lacking, and there are safety risks. Here’s what you should know.

https://www.myfinance.com/r/77b5c0f7-8930-432f-9c0b-457b0e5959c0?utm_campaign=ad3b331869f71b12bed5529c0972c00bbe48044d&utm_medium=embed&selector=%23myfinance-top&csid=d553848d-9129-4d44-bd92-a89c07111449&caid=71702bc6-8c74-4f3f-ad0b-4c3df018fdaf&ciid=d3beedd0-0d64-4007-a5ba-133f81841967&tenant=wk_1jbobeCiGVIPZaBX3yXqhexRwuy&srckey=src_1jbobeEHGTZmBD9QsSnBOaHCzpy&cxsid=unsupported&placement=b76ec35623&imre=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25ldC5jb20vaGVhbHRoL3NsZWVwL21vdXRoLXRhcGluZy1mb3Itc2xlZXAv&_mfuuid_=f22884b0-f44c-4c61-95bd-6af54e4a5dee&width=756&subId=prod%7Cfb533c11-b098-4449-91bc-82d029ef5c80%7Csleep%7Cnull%7Cdesktop

What is mouth taping, and why would someone want to do it?

Mouth taping isn’t rocket science. By taping the mouth closed at night with a special, skin-safe tape, mouth-breathers are forced to breathe through their noses. We’re naturally designed to breathe in through our noses, according to medical experts. Nasal breathing produces something called nitric oxide. 

“Nitric oxide is something that vasodilates your blood vessels. If you dilate your blood vessels, it’s going to help out with things like hypertension, which is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease. And it improves circulation,” says Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, a pulmonary and sleep specialist.

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There are several notable benefits of breathing through your nose:

• It prevents your sinuses from drying out
• It helps filter out allergens
• It reduces anxiety 
• It lowers your blood pressure
• It gives you better breath and oral health

If you’re cringing at the thought of not being able to move your mouth, you’re not alone. However, mouth taping doesn’t involve completely taping your mouth closed. The tape is porous and you can still breathe around it. The point is that it keeps your mouth closed instead of wide open and drooling on your pillow. But you’re not in danger of being unable to force your mouth open.

Watch this: Apple Fitness Plus adds new workout routines

 1:47

The causes of mouth breathing can vary, and sometimes it’s just due to habit. But with more severe mouth breathing, the main culprits are nasal blockages, deviated septum and sleep apnea.  

Breathing through your mouth is not bad. However, it’s not the healthiest or most effective way to breathe. It also can have some pretty serious, long-term side effects. Because mouth breathing can cause low oxygen concentration in the blood, it contributes to health issues like high blood pressure and heart problems. 

Breathing through your mouth can also cause wear and fractures, caries and impacted teeth. Mouth breathers also have higher levels of gingivitis and halitosis. 

Chances are, you’re not choosing to breathe through your mouth, but it can take some retraining to switch — hence the popularity of mouth taping. 

Does mouth taping work?

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of mouth taping for sleeping — there isn’t much clinical research out there on the practice. However, there is anecdotal evidence that people are trying it and having some success. Lauren Forbes commented on the mouth-taping video, “I used to be a mouth breather but trained myself to only breathe through my nose. It’s soooo much healthier for so many reasons!!”

“My mum started doing this when I was a kid and she went from having frequent severe asthma attacks to mild, manageable asthma,” Lauren Sargeant added to the comments.

Still, there isn’t any scientific evidence to say whether mouth taping truly helps you sleep better. A 2015 pilot study found that oral patches can help people with sleep apnea. The study only included 30 participants, a sample size too small to draw significant conclusions. Another study in 2009 found that mouth taping isn’t effective for people with asthma. 

Is mouth taping safe?

Mouth taping should always be practiced with caution. It’s not safe for everyone, namely those who have trouble breathing through their noses. Don’t try mouth taping if you struggle to breathe out of your nose — because of things like allergies or a deviated septum. Taping your mouth could inhibit your ability to breathe consistent, full breaths. 

If you’d like to try this trend, check with your doctor to make sure that it’s safe for you first, and keep the following guidance in mind.

Only use skin-safe tape

First, you should only use tape that is made for human skin, and do not cover your entire mouth with tape. Avoid common household options like duct tape or scotch tape that might irritate the skin around your mouth, which tends to be sensitive. 

Your best bet is to use a tape specifically for this purpose, like Somnifix’s Mouth Strips or Sefudun Mouth Tape — they’re specially shaped to allow you to breathe, and their adhesive is gentle on the skin. You can also stop by your local pharmacy and pick up some surgical tape. 

Tell your doctor if you snore

Some people are trying mouth taping to kick their snoring habit. It seems harmless enough, but snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which can be underdiagnosed in many cases because it can present differently between people. “I can’t say enough, you must rule out if you have obstructive sleep apnea first,” says Dasgupta.

We get it; the promise of no more snoring seems appealing, but mouth tape won’t treat sleep apnea symptoms. It’s better to stick with traditional methods, like a CPAP machine. Talk to your doctor and organize a sleep study to confirm whether or not you have obstructive sleep apnea, and don’t just ignore it — sleep apnea is associated with several long-term issues like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. 

There are other ways to stop snoring that don’t involve taping your mouth shut. Dasgupta suggests you try alternatives: “I also want people to know there are other options to help out with snoring beyond taping your mouth shut. You can use a chin strap that keeps your mouth shut; it actually has more effect on your jaw. There are nasal strips that are good for some individuals. There are breathing exercises.”

Other ways to breathe better at night

Mouth taping probably won’t solve most people’s sleeping issues on its own, especially if your problem is falling asleep in the first place. And it’s not a quick fix either. “It’s not like you use it one day and get the benefits. Most people mention that they use it four to six weeks before you can start training your body to breathe through the nose without the tape,” says Dasgupta.

Like every other trend out there, it works for some people and not for others. If you don’t want to run the risk of having sticky adhesive leftover on your lips in the morning, you can try these tips to sleep better.

Change your sleeping position 

You can switch your sleeping position to reduce snoring and mouth breathing. Sleeping on your side is the best option to reduce snoring and mouth breathing. Don’t worry; it’s actually pretty easy to train yourself to sleep on your side. Just use a few well-placed pillows to keep you from rolling over. You can use specialized pillows like lumbar or multiposition pillows, but that’s not essential.

Be strategic with your allergy medicine 

As someone who suffers from allergies, when my nose is congested I become a mouth breather. Thankfully, allergy medicine exists and depending on when you take it, it can help relieve your symptoms. Common allergy symptoms like runny nose or sneezing often peak in the morning. So it’s a good idea to take your 24-hour allergy medication at night, so it’s circulating in your bloodstream and bringing you relief when you wake up. 

Short-acting allergy medication is the most effective shortly after you take it. If you generally have trouble sleeping at night because of your allergy symptoms, try taking your short-acting allergy medication before you go to sleep. 

Create a nighttime routine and stick to it

No amount of tape on your mouth will help you fall asleep if you don’t have good sleep hygiene. Your nighttime routine is crucial to ensuring you’re relaxed and your body is ready to fall asleep. The routine will vary for everyone. Some people like to read to relax; others like to take a bubble bath.

But there are a few general rules of thumb for a healthier nighttime routine. First, put away your phone and turn your TV off about a half-hour before you go to sleep. (We know scrolling through social media is fun, but trust us on this.) Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day — yes, that includes weekends. Lastly, take a look at your bedroom. Is it ready for sleep? Check the temperature and maybe add some black-out curtains.

Too long, didn’t read?

Mouth taping might be a good trick to help form a habit of breathing through your nose. There’s not enough research to support its effectiveness, but it works for some people anecdotally. Talk to your doctor before you start. You may have an underlying condition, like sleep apnea, that could be exacerbated by the inability to breathe out of your mouth.

Do a trial run during the day to make sure you can tolerate it and get used to how it feels. If you typically have trouble breathing out of your nose during the day, you should probably skip this sleep hack.

First published on Feb. 24, 2022 at 12:52 p.m. PT.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

People Are Taping Their Mouths Shut for Better Sleep. But Is It Safe?

TikTokers say that mouth taping leads to deeper sleep, less snoring and other benefits. Here’s what the evidence says.

Taylor Leamey

Feb. 25, 2022 4:00 a.m. PT

LISTEN

– 07:49

Mouth breathers, beware. Mouth taping is the latest viral TikTok sleeping hack that’s said to help you get deep sleep. Wellness creator @lexfiish has over 4.5 million views on her mouth tape TikTok, which explains how she started putting a special tape over her mouth before bed. 

According to her video, mouth taping will make sure you “get the deepest sleep you’ll ever experience.” The comments are loaded with interest and praise, but is this just another social media fad or a dangerous one-off solution that should be ignored? 

Anecdotal evidence suggests mouth taping might not be as outlandish as you think. But the research behind the benefits is lacking, and there are safety risks. Here’s what you should know.

https://www.myfinance.com/r/77b5c0f7-8930-432f-9c0b-457b0e5959c0?utm_campaign=ad3b331869f71b12bed5529c0972c00bbe48044d&utm_medium=embed&selector=%23myfinance-top&csid=d553848d-9129-4d44-bd92-a89c07111449&caid=71702bc6-8c74-4f3f-ad0b-4c3df018fdaf&ciid=d3beedd0-0d64-4007-a5ba-133f81841967&tenant=wk_1jbobeCiGVIPZaBX3yXqhexRwuy&srckey=src_1jbobeEHGTZmBD9QsSnBOaHCzpy&cxsid=unsupported&placement=b76ec35623&imre=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25ldC5jb20vaGVhbHRoL3NsZWVwL21vdXRoLXRhcGluZy1mb3Itc2xlZXAv&_mfuuid_=f22884b0-f44c-4c61-95bd-6af54e4a5dee&width=756&subId=prod%7Cfb533c11-b098-4449-91bc-82d029ef5c80%7Csleep%7Cnull%7Cdesktop

What is mouth taping, and why would someone want to do it?

Mouth taping isn’t rocket science. By taping the mouth closed at night with a special, skin-safe tape, mouth-breathers are forced to breathe through their noses. We’re naturally designed to breathe in through our noses, according to medical experts. Nasal breathing produces something called nitric oxide. 

“Nitric oxide is something that vasodilates your blood vessels. If you dilate your blood vessels, it’s going to help out with things like hypertension, which is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease. And it improves circulation,” says Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, a pulmonary and sleep specialist.

CNET HEALTH AND WELLNESS

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By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

There are several notable benefits of breathing through your nose:

• It prevents your sinuses from drying out
• It helps filter out allergens
• It reduces anxiety 
• It lowers your blood pressure
• It gives you better breath and oral health

If you’re cringing at the thought of not being able to move your mouth, you’re not alone. However, mouth taping doesn’t involve completely taping your mouth closed. The tape is porous and you can still breathe around it. The point is that it keeps your mouth closed instead of wide open and drooling on your pillow. But you’re not in danger of being unable to force your mouth open.

Watch this: Apple Fitness Plus adds new workout routines

 1:47

The causes of mouth breathing can vary, and sometimes it’s just due to habit. But with more severe mouth breathing, the main culprits are nasal blockages, deviated septum and sleep apnea.  

Breathing through your mouth is not bad. However, it’s not the healthiest or most effective way to breathe. It also can have some pretty serious, long-term side effects. Because mouth breathing can cause low oxygen concentration in the blood, it contributes to health issues like high blood pressure and heart problems. 

Breathing through your mouth can also cause wear and fractures, caries and impacted teeth. Mouth breathers also have higher levels of gingivitis and halitosis. 

Chances are, you’re not choosing to breathe through your mouth, but it can take some retraining to switch — hence the popularity of mouth taping. 

Does mouth taping work?

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of mouth taping for sleeping — there isn’t much clinical research out there on the practice. However, there is anecdotal evidence that people are trying it and having some success. Lauren Forbes commented on the mouth-taping video, “I used to be a mouth breather but trained myself to only breathe through my nose. It’s soooo much healthier for so many reasons!!”

“My mum started doing this when I was a kid and she went from having frequent severe asthma attacks to mild, manageable asthma,” Lauren Sargeant added to the comments.

Still, there isn’t any scientific evidence to say whether mouth taping truly helps you sleep better. A 2015 pilot study found that oral patches can help people with sleep apnea. The study only included 30 participants, a sample size too small to draw significant conclusions. Another study in 2009 found that mouth taping isn’t effective for people with asthma. 

Is mouth taping safe?

Mouth taping should always be practiced with caution. It’s not safe for everyone, namely those who have trouble breathing through their noses. Don’t try mouth taping if you struggle to breathe out of your nose — because of things like allergies or a deviated septum. Taping your mouth could inhibit your ability to breathe consistent, full breaths. 

If you’d like to try this trend, check with your doctor to make sure that it’s safe for you first, and keep the following guidance in mind.

Only use skin-safe tape

First, you should only use tape that is made for human skin, and do not cover your entire mouth with tape. Avoid common household options like duct tape or scotch tape that might irritate the skin around your mouth, which tends to be sensitive. 

Your best bet is to use a tape specifically for this purpose, like Somnifix’s Mouth Strips or Sefudun Mouth Tape — they’re specially shaped to allow you to breathe, and their adhesive is gentle on the skin. You can also stop by your local pharmacy and pick up some surgical tape. 

Tell your doctor if you snore

Some people are trying mouth taping to kick their snoring habit. It seems harmless enough, but snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which can be underdiagnosed in many cases because it can present differently between people. “I can’t say enough, you must rule out if you have obstructive sleep apnea first,” says Dasgupta.

We get it; the promise of no more snoring seems appealing, but mouth tape won’t treat sleep apnea symptoms. It’s better to stick with traditional methods, like a CPAP machine. Talk to your doctor and organize a sleep study to confirm whether or not you have obstructive sleep apnea, and don’t just ignore it — sleep apnea is associated with several long-term issues like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. 

There are other ways to stop snoring that don’t involve taping your mouth shut. Dasgupta suggests you try alternatives: “I also want people to know there are other options to help out with snoring beyond taping your mouth shut. You can use a chin strap that keeps your mouth shut; it actually has more effect on your jaw. There are nasal strips that are good for some individuals. There are breathing exercises.”

Other ways to breathe better at night

Mouth taping probably won’t solve most people’s sleeping issues on its own, especially if your problem is falling asleep in the first place. And it’s not a quick fix either. “It’s not like you use it one day and get the benefits. Most people mention that they use it four to six weeks before you can start training your body to breathe through the nose without the tape,” says Dasgupta.

Like every other trend out there, it works for some people and not for others. If you don’t want to run the risk of having sticky adhesive leftover on your lips in the morning, you can try these tips to sleep better.

Change your sleeping position 

You can switch your sleeping position to reduce snoring and mouth breathing. Sleeping on your side is the best option to reduce snoring and mouth breathing. Don’t worry; it’s actually pretty easy to train yourself to sleep on your side. Just use a few well-placed pillows to keep you from rolling over. You can use specialized pillows like lumbar or multiposition pillows, but that’s not essential.

Be strategic with your allergy medicine 

As someone who suffers from allergies, when my nose is congested I become a mouth breather. Thankfully, allergy medicine exists and depending on when you take it, it can help relieve your symptoms. Common allergy symptoms like runny nose or sneezing often peak in the morning. So it’s a good idea to take your 24-hour allergy medication at night, so it’s circulating in your bloodstream and bringing you relief when you wake up. 

Short-acting allergy medication is the most effective shortly after you take it. If you generally have trouble sleeping at night because of your allergy symptoms, try taking your short-acting allergy medication before you go to sleep. 

Create a nighttime routine and stick to it

No amount of tape on your mouth will help you fall asleep if you don’t have good sleep hygiene. Your nighttime routine is crucial to ensuring you’re relaxed and your body is ready to fall asleep. The routine will vary for everyone. Some people like to read to relax; others like to take a bubble bath.

But there are a few general rules of thumb for a healthier nighttime routine. First, put away your phone and turn your TV off about a half-hour before you go to sleep. (We know scrolling through social media is fun, but trust us on this.) Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day — yes, that includes weekends. Lastly, take a look at your bedroom. Is it ready for sleep? Check the temperature and maybe add some black-out curtains.

Too long, didn’t read?

Mouth taping might be a good trick to help form a habit of breathing through your nose. There’s not enough research to support its effectiveness, but it works for some people anecdotally. Talk to your doctor before you start. You may have an underlying condition, like sleep apnea, that could be exacerbated by the inability to breathe out of your mouth.

Do a trial run during the day to make sure you can tolerate it and get used to how it feels. If you typically have trouble breathing out of your nose during the day, you should probably skip this sleep hack.

First published on Feb. 24, 2022 at 12:52 p.m. PT.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

‘Fantastic technology and a lousy company’: Second Sight’s ‘bionic eyes’ have gone obsolete while still implanted, report finds

By Andrea Park  Feb 17, 2022 08:48am

Second Sight Medial ProductsimplantsRetinitis Pigmentosainvestigation

Most new medical devices are designed to make their users’ day-to-day lives easier—but what happens when those devices are suddenly cut off from an initially promised level of support and technical upgrades?

The more than 350 people around the world who were implanted with Second Sight Medical’s Argus II retinal prosthesis over the course of the last decade are now finding out, according to an investigative report by IEEE Spectrum.

Second Sight began phasing out the Argus II in 2019, a process that quickly ramped up first because of dire financial issues that nearly wiped out the entire company, and then, just this month, because of a plan to shift gears and merge with drug delivery implant maker Nano Precision Medical.

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Amid this uncertainty, Argus II users say they’ve been left in the lurch. With upgrades and repairs no longer available, many patients are merely counting the days until their vision-restoring implants go dark.

“It is fantastic technology and a lousy company,” Ross Doerr, an Argus II patient, told Spectrum.

RELATED: Second Sight’s first patients receive its bionic eye

The Argus II system received European CE mark approval in 2011 and the FDA’s sign-off in 2013 to treat late-stage retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease that can cause a loss of sight.

The implant provides a form of artificial vision by collecting images through a tiny video camera attached to a pair of glasses. The system converts the images into electrical pulses to the retina, which the brain can then translate into a visual pattern of light, partially restoring a sense of functional vision.

Second Sight’s website promises that the device is “ever-improving” and offers Argus II users “the capacity for future hardware and software upgrades.”

According to the Spectrum report, however, it stopped offering upgrades in March 2020, when it announced that more than 80 of its 108 employees were being laid off ahead of an “orderly wind-down of the company’s operations.” Patients told the magazine the company didn’t inform them of this major update and that they had to find out about their implants’ imminent obsolescence second-hand.

By that time, Second Sight had already told patients of its intent to shift its focus from the Argus to the Orion implant, which is placed directly on the brain to provide artificial vision to patients with blindness caused by glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, optic nerve injury, cancer or other conditions.

“We didn’t really support the basic Argus after that,” a former engineer at the company told Spectrum. “We didn’t sell any more, we didn’t make any more, we didn’t have anything to do with it anymore.”

And while Second Sight was able to step back from the brink of bankruptcy within a few months of the “wind-down” announcement, by then, the Argus system was further from its mind than ever. In November 2020, after Second Sight had already resumed studies of the Orion system, one Argus user’s video processing unit shattered, forcing him to crowdsource his own refurbished replacement.

RELATED: Second Sight eyes buyout of Nano Precision Medical and its diabetes drug implant

While the company is no longer offering repairs for the Argus implants, it told Spectrum in a statement that it has a limited number of external components available for replacements and continues to provide “virtual support” to physicians with patients using the system.

With neither replacement nor technical upgrades an option, Argus users are now forced to decide between two unattractive alternatives: They can either leave a soon-to-be-obsolete device in their eyes until it simply stops working—possibly leading to medical complications and MRI interference—or undergo a potentially risky and painful procedure to remove it.

In the meantime, Second Sight is moving increasingly further from the Argus system and possibly even the Orion system, which is still under development—opening yet another can of worms for clinical trial participants who have had the device implanted on their brains and now face an uncertain future.

The company announced this month its intent to merge with Nano Precision Medical, which makes devices that are implanted under the skin to deliver drugs for chronic diseases like diabetes and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Adam Mendelsohn, Ph.D., NPM’s CEO who has been tapped to lead the combined company, told Spectrum that it’ll focus largely on NPM’s portfolio, rather than Second Sight’s, and is “not committing to any sort of timeline with the Orion.”

While the new entity will attempt to do what is “right from an ethical perspective” regarding Second Sight’s existing devices, Mendelsohn noted that the company’s past is “simply not relevant to the new future.”

Apple Ring is the health accessory we need

BY ED HARDY • 10:00 AM, FEBRUARY 24, 2022

• NEWS
• TOP STORIES

Apple’s next new product should be a smart ring. No, not so you can scroll through Instagram on a teeny-tiny display. The Apple Ring would be packed with health sensors that allow wearers to track their exercise and fitness goals while carrying no other device.

It wouldn’t even require developing new technology. All that’s needed is for Apple CEO Tim Cook to make the decision to offer a new type of health tracker.

Apple Ring for health tracking

Apple began building health and wellness features into its products many years ago. An iPhone tracks how many steps the user takes each day. And over the years, Apple Watch added a growing collection of health sensors, to the point that wellness became the primary focus of many people wearing one of the devices.

It’s something the company’s CEO is proud of. “Apple’s largest contribution to mankind will be in improving people’s health and well-being,” Cook told Time in a 2018 interview.

The Apple Ring fits perfectly into Cupertino’s goals to make its customers healthier. It could include a steps tracker, heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, and technology for sleep tracking. None of that requires an engineering breakthrough: The Oura Ring already includes all of these features.

The look would be simple, as there’s no need for the Apple Ring to have a screen — the device would wirelessly transfer the data it collects to an iPhone. And that would help it go for up to a week on a single charge, as Oura’s wearable does.

An Apple Watch alternative, not replacement

At this point, Apple Watch wearers are surely pointing out that the smartwatch already offers all the sensors proposed for the smart ring. But while that device is as svelte as a useful wrist computer can be, it’s still fairly bulky. Apple Ring would be far smaller and less obtrusive.

Plus, Apple Watch needs frequent charging. It can go 1.5 days without needing to be juiced up. But you can’t use it all day and have it track your sleep cycle all night for days on end. By contrast, you could reasonably expect an Apple Ring to last a week on one charge.

To be clear, no one is suggesting dropping Apple Watch in favor of a health-tracking ring. It would be a second option … something the company needs if Cook is actually serious about “improving people’s health and well-being.” Apple should not limit its lineup to only one type of fitness-tracking device.

Of course, one could also argue that an Apple Ring is unnecessary because Oura Ring already exists. The hardware in the latest version of Oura gets decent reviews. But many, many users complain of terrible customer support from Oura. Apple should come in and take over the product category by doing it better. Heck, it could just buy Oura.

We know the Mac-maker has been tinkering with the idea of tiny wearables: The company holds patents for smart ring concepts. It’s time to get the Apple Ring out of the lab and onto users’ fingers.

New Information About the Effects of Sleep on the Human Brain

FeaturedNeuroscience

·February 24, 2022

Summary: Study sheds light on how various types of pulsations in the brain change while a person sleeps.

Source: University of Oulu

The University of Oulu Functional Neuroimaging research group has for the first time succeeded in describing how the various types of pulsations in the human brain change when a person sleeps. Brain pulsation changes during sleep and their role in brain clearance have not been previously studied in humans. The results of the study may also help understand the mechanisms behind many brain diseases.

Previous research has shown that the clearance of waste material accumulated in the brain is at its most active during sleep, when an increase in the so-called delta waves can be observed in the EEG, especially during deep sleep.

Three types of pulsations are involved in this brain clearance: cardiovascular brain pulsation produced by the arterial pulse, respiratory pulsation in the veins and cerebrospinal fluid filled spaces, and slow vasomotor pulsations in the arterial wall. It was previously unknown how these various types of brain pulsations related to brain clearance change when a person sleeps. This question has now been further clarified by a study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The study used fast functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of healthy subjects during sleep and in awake state.

As the subjects slept, the vasomotor and respiratory pulsations in their brain intensified and became more stable. Furthermore, cardiovascular pulsations also intensified during sleep, but these changes were visible in smaller areas of the brain.

In the areas where the pulsations intensified, an increase in delta waves was also observed in the EEG, which is indicative of increased brain clearance.

The increase in respiratory pulsation was at its greatest in areas of the brain that we use a lot during the day. These include the visual cortex, auditory cortex and sensorimotor cortex. “The clearance of these areas of the brain is what is needed the most during the night,” says head researcher Heta Helakari.

Previous studies have shown that the clearance of waste material from the brain becomes particularly accelerated during deep sleep. However, the results now obtained reveal that the intensification of pulsation activity already begins during lighter sleep and that deep sleep may not be needed.

The results of the study may help in the understanding not only of brain clearance but also the mechanisms behind many brain and memory diseases. “Now that we know how the pulsations work in healthy subjects during sleep, we can study how these pulsations are disrupted in various brain diseases. We have already been working on this topic with the data collected from subjects who are awake,” Helakari says.

Sleep disorders are known to be associated with many common brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but the actual cause and effect relationships are not yet known. It has been shown that the deterioration of brain pulsations and clearance precedes the accumulation of a beta-amyloids in the brain, which is typical of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Helakari, the currently published study and the available functional magnetic resonance imaging open the way to new and more feasible brain research.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 55 million people worldwide suffer from various types of memory disorders.

About this sleep research news

Author: Press Office
Source: University of Oulu
Contact: Press Office – University of Oulu
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Closed access.
“Human NREM Sleep Promotes Brain-Wide Vasomotor and Respiratory Pulsations” by Heta Helakari et al. Journal of Neuroscience

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Abstract

Human NREM Sleep Promotes Brain-Wide Vasomotor and Respiratory Pulsations

The physiological underpinnings of the necessity of sleep remain uncertain. Recent evidence suggests that sleep increases the convection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and promotes the export of interstitial solutes, thus providing a framework to explain why all vertebrate species require sleep.

Cardiovascular, respiratory and vasomotor brain pulsations have each been shown to drive CSF flow along perivascular spaces, yet it is unknown how such pulsations may change during sleep in humans. To investigate these pulsation phenomena in relation to sleep, we simultaneously recorded fast fMRI, magnetic resonance encephalography (MREG), and electroencephalography (EEG) signals in a group of healthy volunteers.

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We quantified sleep-related changes in the signal frequency distributions by spectral entropy analysis and calculated the strength of the physiological (vasomotor, respiratory, and cardiac) brain pulsations by power sum analysis in 15 subjects (age 26.5 ± 4.2 years, 6 females).

Finally, we identified spatial similarities between EEG slow oscillation (0.2–2 Hz) power and MREG pulsations. Compared with wakefulness, nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep was characterized by reduced spectral entropy and increased brain pulsation intensity.

These effects were most pronounced in posterior brain areas for very low-frequency (≤0.1 Hz) vasomotor pulsations but were also evident brain-wide for respiratory pulsations, and to a lesser extent for cardiac brain pulsations.

There was increased EEG slow oscillation power in brain regions spatially overlapping with those showing sleep-related MREG pulsation changes. We suggest that reduced spectral entropy and enhanced pulsation intensity are characteristic of NREM sleep.

With our findings of increased power of slow oscillation, the present results support the proposition that sleep promotes fluid transport in human brain.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

We report that the spectral power of physiological brain pulsation mechanisms driven by vasomotor, respiration, and cardiac rhythms in human brain increase during sleep, extending previous observations of their association with glymphatic brain clearance during sleep in rodents.

The magnitudes of increased pulsations follow the rank order of vasomotor greater than respiratory greater than cardiac pulsations, with correspondingly declining spatial extents. Spectral entropy, previously known as vigilance and as an anesthesia metric, decreased during NREM sleep compared with the awake state in very low and respiratory frequencies, indicating reduced signal complexity.

An EEG slow oscillation power increase occurring in the early sleep phase (NREM 1–2) spatially overlapped with pulsation changes, indicating reciprocal mechanisms between those measures.

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Science of sleep: Why a good night’s rest gets harder with age

It’s well known that getting a good night’s sleep becomes more difficult as we age, but the underlying biology for why this happens has remained poorly understood.

A team of US scientists has now identified how the brain circuitry involved in regulating sleepfulness and wakefulness degrades over time in mice, which they say paves the way for better medicines in humans.

“More than half of people 65 and older complain about the quality of sleep,” Stanford University professor Luis de Lecea, who co-authored a study about the finding published Thursday in Science, told AFP.

Research has shown that sleep deprivation is linked to an increased risk of multiple poor health outcomes, from hypertension to heart attacks, diabetes, depression and a build up of brain plaque linked to Alzheimer’s.

Insomnia is often treated with a class of drugs known as hypnotics, which include Ambien, but these don’t work very well in the elderly population.

For the new study, de Lecea and colleagues decided to investigate hypocretins, key brain chemicals that are generated only by a small cluster of neurons in the brain’s hypothalamus, a region located between the eyes and ears.

Of the billions of neurons in the brain, only around 50,000 produce hypocretins.

In 1998, de Lecea and other scientists discovered that hypocretins transmit signals that play a vital role in stabilizing wakefulness.

Since many species experience fragmented sleep as they grow old, it’s hypothesized that the same mechanisms are at play across mammals, and prior research had shown degradation of hypocretins leads to narcolepsy in humans, dogs and mice.

The team selected young (three to five months) and old mice (18 to 22 months) and used light carried by fibers to stimulate specific neurons. They recorded the results using imaging techniques.

What they found was that the older mice had lost approximately 38 percent of hypocretins compared to younger mice.

They also discovered that the hypocretins that remained in the older mice were more excitable and easily triggered, making the animals more prone to waking up.

This might be because of the deterioration over time of “potassium channels,” which are biological on-off switches critical to the functions of many types of cells.

“The neurons tend to be more active and fire more, and if they fire more, you wake up more frequently,” said de Lecea.

Identifying the specific pathway responsible for sleep loss could lead to better drugs, argued Laura Jacobson and Daniel Hoyer, of Australia’s Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, in a related commentary article.

Current treatments, such as hypnotics, “can induce cognitive complaints and falls,” and medicines that target the specific channel might work better, they said.

These will need to be tested in clinical trials—but an existing drug known as retigabine, which is currently used to treat epilepsy and which targets a similar pathway—could be promising, said de Lecea.

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Explore further

Brain neurons identified in pre-sleep routine

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More information: Shi-Bin Li et al, Hyperexcitable arousal circuits drive sleep instability during aging, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abh3021

Journal information: Science

How Sound Machines Can Promote Sleep & 9 Of The Best Options For Snoozing

mbg ContributorBy Julia Guerra

Expert review byAshley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN

Image by Studio Firma / Stocksy

Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may earn a small commission.

February 24, 2022 — 13:05 PM

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Sometimes falling asleep feels like a math equation; only a specific formula will get you from point A to point Zzz.

Your bedroom might be too hot or too cold. Maybe you’re on a sugar high from dessert or have been overexposed to blue light from your devices. The culprit could also be various noises keeping you up at night, and if that’s the case, you might want to consider investing in a sound machine to drown out any unwanted commotion disrupting your ability to snooze.

How sound machines can benefit sleep.

Sound machines are devices that mask disruptive noises in your environment. They’re often used to help lull newborns and little ones to sleep but have the same effect on adults, too.

That being said, there isn’t enough research to definitively say whether or not the specific sounds and frequencies emitted by these machines improve the quality of sleep. But, placebo effect or not, according to co-founders of The Happy Sleeper and authors of Generation Sleepless, Heather Turgeon, MFT, and Julie Wright, MFT, some people just prefer to fall asleep to some sound.sleep support+The deep and restorative sleep you’ve always dreamt about*★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (234)SHOP NOW

“Some people would rather not sleep in a completely quiet room,” Turgeon and Wright tell mbg. “For others, [turning on their sound machine] becomes a habit or a cue that it’s time for sleep.” 

Depending on the device, sound machines can emit a myriad of noises to suit the user’s preference. These typically include nature and ambient sounds, like rain falling or city traffic, as well as white, pink, brown, or blue noise.

Sleep expert and head of content at Saatva Christina Heiser notes that white noise is a “sound that remains consistent across all hearable frequencies” and “creates a masking effect, blocking out the sudden changes in noise—like snoring, or the dog barking, or a truck rumbling down the street.” Pink, brown, and blue noise are all slightly different sound frequencies used for the same purpose: to mask the noises in your environment that might keep you from falling asleep.

Generally speaking, there’s little risk in trying a sound machine to get some quality shut-eye, despite the misconception that falling asleep to white noise or ambient sounds isn’t healthy.

According to co-owner of Nolah Mattress and certified sleep science coach, Stephen Light, some people think it’s best to sleep in silence, but this doesn’t take into account the diversity of people’s living situations and how they affect their ability to get a good night’s sleep.

“If ambient noise blocks out a loud street, a noisy roommate, or simply your anxious thoughts as you lie in bed, the benefits likely outweigh any risks,” he tells mbg. And as long as your sound machine emits sound at the appropriate decibel level (60 decibels or less), CEO and certified sleep specialist at My Sweet Sleeper Rachel Mitchell adds “there are no known issues with its long-term use,” either.

British Columbia has spent more than $1 billion so far in COVID-19 health care costs

By Richard Zussman  Global News

Posted February 22, 2022 2:37 pm

 Updated February 23, 2022 12:12 pm

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The COVID-19 pandemic has cost B.C.’s taxpayers more than $1 billion in health-care funding.

For the first time, British Columbians are getting a broader look at how much managing the pandemic has cost taxpayers.

The federal government has provided COVID-19 vaccines free of charge to the provinces. But British Columbia spent $550 million to rent out clinic space, hire staff and build infrastructure to administer more than 11 million vaccines.

The price tag on vaccination is still an estimate and is expected to be higher when the fiscal year ends.

“We have been really focused on having a robust health response,” BC Finance Minister Selina Robinson said during the budget on Tuesday.

“I think my surprise is mostly back in March 2020 when we were faced with the pandemic and not knowing what to expect.”

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2:00B.C supports employees returning to the workplaceB.C supports employees returning to the workplace

READ MORE: Many of B.C.’s COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. Here is what you can and still can’t do

COVID-19 testing has cost an additional $100 million so far based on costs associated with lab time.

The costs are significantly lower than vaccination because the province already owned the lab space where the testing is done and testing facilities were in some places coupled with vaccination clinics.

Personal protective equipment for health care workers has cost between $100 and $120 million for the health-care system.

The move to restrict staff to a single long-term care facility cost an estimated $140 million. Screening procedures at long-term care facilities cost an estimated $160 million.

The overtime costs for the system were about $300 million but are similar to typical years due to chronic understaffing and postponing surgeries.

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The B.C. Hospital Employees’ union is in the midst of bargaining with the province around a new contract and questions the tallying of the financial toll of offsetting chronic understaffing.

“The government needs to do everything in the budget to support recruiting and retaining health care workers. That is going to include significant compensation increases and we will deal with that at the bargaining table,” B.C. Hospital Employees’ Union spokesperson Mike Old said.

“It is hard to imagine overtime costs have not gone up especially over the last few months during the Omicron wave.”

5:08Omicron puts pressure on already strained health care workersOmicron puts pressure on already strained health care workers – Jan 14, 2022

The province has earmarked $875 million in contingencies for COVID-19 management. There are $915 million in unallocated COVID dollars for additional recovery and health measures.

There is also $25 million, on top of the money already spent, to support the tourism sector severely affected by the pandemic.

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Greater Vancouver Board of Trade CEO Bridgitte Anderson says earmarking money in contingencies creates uncertainty for businesses battered by COVID.

“The pandemic has really been uneven, especially for small and medium-sized businesses,’ Anderson said.

“Half the money is set aside in contingencies. We know the cost of business is going up and we were hoping measures were taken to make it easier.”

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj9782#

The #1 Snack to Buy at Costco for Better Sleep, According to a Dietitian

Costco has plenty of snacks to offer, but kiwis is a delicious and nutrition snack that can help support quality sleep.

Lauren Manaker M.S., RDN, LDFebruary 23, 2022

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Getting quality, restful, and adequate sleep is one of the most important things we can do to support our overall health and wellness. From helping people cope with stress more effectively to support the immune system, getting enough sleep can offer a slew of health benefits.

But unfortunately, a whopping 1 out of 3 Americans are not getting enough sleep every night, setting many of us up for feeling sluggish and less focused than we could be feeling. Even worse, consistently skimping on restful shut-eye may set your body up for developing conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and certain cardiovascular risks later in life, according to the American Heart Association.

Related: What Happens To Your Body When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

How To Support Quality Sleep

If you are one of the many people who have a hard time catching those 7-8 hours of zzz’s every night, while there is no magic bullet to getting your shut-eye, there are some steps you can take to support achieving quality sleep, including:

• Avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime
• Keeping your bedroom dark and cool
• Removing electronics from your bedroom
• Going to bed at the same time every night, and set a bedtime that allows you to sleep for 7-8 hours

Along with implementing these tried-and-true tips, if you are a bedtime snacker, eating certain foods may help you stop counting sheep and actually get that sleep you so desire.

Among the sea of snack choices out there, one of the best options that may help you get some sleep is the humble kiwi. If you are a Costco shopper, thankfully, these fuzzy fruits are available at your favorite warehouse store, allowing you to stock up and enjoy a serving before you brush your teeth and turn in.

The Best Snack To Buy At Costco For Better Sleep

Costco is no stranger to delicious snacks. From chocolates to crunchy trail mix to those cute frozen sorbets served in fruit shells, Costco can be a snacker’s dream come true. But if you are an evening snacker, instead of noshing on chips or candy, opting for two fresh kiwis may be your best bet if you want to support your sleep.

In fact, research shows that eating two kiwis before bedtime may result in improved total sleep time and sleep efficiency among people with sleep problems. The results of this study, which were published in Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, highlight how among a small sample size (24 subjects), those who ate two kiwis an hour before bed every night for four weeks experienced an almost 30% reduction in waking time after they went to sleep and over a 35% reduction in the time it takes to actually fall asleep once they officially “went to bed.”

According to the investigators, the high antioxidant levels of kiwis may contribute to the positive effect these fruits have on sleep. Plus, kiwis naturally contain serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays an essential role in achieving quality sleep.

Of course, more well-designed studies are needed to support the idea that eating two kiwis before bed can help people get better sleep. But considering the very minimal risks associated with eating these naturally sweet and vitamin-rich fruits are, including two of them a day doesn’t come with much of any downside. Buying them at Costco prices can also help you save money compared to other grocery stores. Including a daily dose of kiwis will give your body a boost of important nutrients like immune-supporting vitamin C and satiating fiber, all with no added sugars and a delicious taste. If eating these fruit don’t truly impact your sleep, at the very least, you will get a nutrient boost from the little green or golden powerhouses.

If you need a little more zing in your evening snack and you don’t want to eat plain kiwi, there are many kiwi-forward recipes you can try that include this nutritional powerhouse. From a Clean Breeze Smoothie to a Banana-Kiwi Salad, the options to include kiwis in your diet are endless.