Research shows that parents lose sleep for a surprising number of years after their children are born and kids notoriously struggle with everything from bedtime routines to nightmares. Who knew sleep ...

A recent study observed sleeping participants' pupils during sleep, using a new method that could have implications for studying sleep disorders.

AbstractStudy Objectives. Sleep is vital for health and development, yet inadequate sleep among children and adolescents has risen in recent decades, const

Having trouble losing those last 10 pounds? Maybe you need more sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect your health. In fact, lack of sleep causes weight gain.

Background: Sleep holds promise as a modifiable risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. Clinical trials to modify sleep in people at risk of or in the early stages of dementia are needed. Monitoring natural sleep from home could support pragmatic and decentralized large-scale clinical trials. However, whether longitudinal sleep research can be successfully delivered remotely in this population has not been established yet. Objective: We investigated the feasibility of remote longitudinal research using wearable devices, web-based cognitive tasks, and a smartphone app to record sleep and cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Methods: Older adults with MCI or dementia due to Alzheimer disease or Lewy body disease and cognitively healthy participants completed at-home sleep and circadian monitoring (digital sleep diaries, actigraphy, wearable sleep electroencephalography, and saliva samples) and digital cognitive assessments for 8 weeks. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, and data completeness. Results: In total, 41 participants consented (n=10, 24% participants with Alzheimer disease; n=11, 27% participants with Lewy body disease; and n=20, 49% controls). There were predominantly male and White British participants, with a mean age of 70.9 (SD 5.9) years. Retention was very high, with 40 (98%) participants completing 8 weeks of remote monitoring. Data completeness for sleep electroencephalography was 91% and ranged from 79% to 97% for all remote tasks and was overall high across all participant subgroups. In total, 30% (12/40) of participants reported receiving external support with completing study tasks. Conclusions: High rates of retention, data completeness, and data quality suggested that longitudinal multimodal sleep and cognitive profiling using novel and remote monitoring technology is feasible in older adults with MCI and dementia and healthy older adults, even without study partner support. Remote monitoring should be considered for mechanistic and interventional trials. Careful consideration should be given to how to ensure remote monitoring technologies reduce burden and enhance inclusivity, particularly in communities traditionally underserved by research and those with lower digital literacy.

Series: 12 Weird Nights Episode: 3 of 12 🎙️ EPISODE DESCRIPTION Shared dreams have always lived in that strange borderland between science and the unexplained. Are they real? Just coincidence? Or something we simply don’t have the tools to understand yet? In this episode, we explore the phenomenon of shared dreams through three lenses: - what modern science currently knows, - the most compelling anecdotal and paranormal reports, and - how cultures and spiritual traditions have viewed dream connections across history. From dream telepathy experiments to Indigenous dream-sharing practices, from couples with parallel dream narratives to ancient beliefs about divine messages, this episode breaks down how shared dreams became one of humanity’s most persistent mysteries. We also look at the psychological explanations that might be hiding in plain sight, and we end with a personal reflection on why dream coincidences can feel so meaningful. If you’ve ever wondered whether two minds can meet in the same dream, this one’s for you. 📝 SHOW NOTES Topics Covered: - What shared dreams are and how people describe them - How dreams form in the brain (REM sleep, memory, and neural activity) - Scientific attempts to test dream communication - Maimonides dream telepathy studies - REMspace’s 2024 lucid dream experiment - Psychological explanations for dream similarities - coincidence, memory blending, emotional closeness - Documented anecdotal accounts of shared dreams - Reports collected by the Society for Psychical Research - Cultural and historical interpretations - Ancient Greece and Egypt - Iroquois dream-sharing practices - Aboriginal Dreamtime - Tibetan Buddhist dream yoga - Why shared dreams continue to fascinate us - Personal reflection on dream coincidences Key Takeaways: - There is no verified scientific mechanism that allows two people to literally share the same dream. - Many shared-dream stories can be explained through psychology, but others remain unexplained. - Numerous cultures historically treated dreams as communal experiences or messages. - The phenomenon persists because it sits at the crossroads of memory, emotion, symbolism, and human connection. Recommended For: Listeners who enjoy: - dream analysis - psychology and neuroscience - folklore and cultural beliefs - mysteries that blend science and the unexplained A gentle note: This episode of LilWeird Podcast is a blend of researched facts, folklore, personal reflection, and creative storytelling. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this episode is intended for curious exploration, not as a scientific or academic resource. Listener discretion is encouraged when interpreting historical or cultural content. If this episode sparked your curiosity, made you feel a little more enchanted, or reminded you of the stories hiding in plain sight—I’d love for you to stay connected with the LilWeird Universe. You can support the podcast, explore more curious content, and help keep this little world growing, glowing, and wonderfully weird.

Yawning Too Much? It Might Be More Dangerous Than You Think, Experts Warn Do you find yourself yawning constantly? Or

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