Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is strongly committed to supporting research aimed at preventing and treating heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions and sleep disorders.

The NHLBI continues to support research aimed at learning more about sleep disorders, including insomnia. For example, the NHLBI currently is involved in research comparing two nondrug, self-help treatments for insomnia.

NHLBI clinical trials

The NHLBI also supports research that explores the factors that affect sleep, how a lack of sleep increases certain health risks, and new ways to diagnose and treat sleep disorders.

Much of this research depends on the willingness of volunteers to take part in clinical trials. Clinical trials test new ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat various diseases and conditions.

For example, new treatments for a disease or condition (such as medicines, medical devices, surgeries, or procedures) are tested in volunteers who have the illness. Testing shows whether a treatment is safe and effective in humans before it is made available for widespread use.

By taking part in a clinical trial, you can gain access to new treatments before they’re widely available. You also will have the support of a team of health care providers, who will likely monitor your health closely. ...

Summary

In this short video, Oxford University Professor Russell Foster explains that his new findings in neuroscience show that lack of adequate sleep is not just an inconvenience. Sustained sleep disruption or deprivation can now be seen as an early warning system (biomarker) of impending mental illness.

His findings overturn our current ‘knowledge’ that blindness is always associated with a broken sleep/wake circadian system. In fact, our eyes are able to sense light without seeing it. He also discusses how these findings have significant implications for future therapies.

Video

Russell Foster on how sleep science explains eye disease and mental health Published May 6, 2016 | Wired UK

Sleep is still in many regards a mystery for scientists. However, Professor Russell Foster, who spoke at WIRED Health, is working in new areas of neuroscience that are finding links between our sleep cycles and the state of our mental health, which could drastically change the way we think about sleep.

OnAir Post: Sleep science, eye disease, and mental health