We are so stressed and sleep deprived. A new studyindicates that a cool head may help us sleep. Subjects using a special cooledwater cap helped them go to sleep more quickly and have a deeper nights sleep.
Until the cap comes out on the home shopping network Ithink I will try putting a gel sleep masks from the freezer on my head tonightand see if I wake up with my whole body feeling refreshed. I am hoping thatthis new study will lead to a simple cure for insomnia.
http://theweek.com/article/index/216295/can-brain-freeze-cure-insomnia
Can brain freeze cure insomnia?
Two sleep experts say they've devised a simple way tohelp insomniacs get some shuteye: Chilling their brains. Will that really work?
posted on June 15, 2011, at 11:45 AM
Sleep experts say a cool brain can helpinsomniacs get to sleep faster. Photo: Bloomimage/CorbisSEE ALL 22 PHOTOS
Good news for the 1 in 10 Americans afflicted withchronic insomnia: According to a new study, you might be able toforgo the sleeping pills, white noise machines, warm milk, hypnosis tapes, andother slumber strategies, and simply cool your forehead to lull yourself tosleep. University of Pittsburgh sleep experts Dr. Eric Nofzinger and Dr. DanielBuysse reported to colleagues this week that a water-circulatingcooling cap helped insomniacs doze off as easily as normal sleepers.Here, a brief guide:
What is this sleeping cap like?
The 24 test subjects — 12 with natural insomnia, 12with no sleep problems — wore soft plastic caps outfitted with tubes carryingtemperature-controlled water. They slept in a lab for two nights with no cap,two nights with the caps on a "neutral" setting of about 86 degreesFahrenheit, two more with the caps set to 72 degrees, and a final two nightswith 57-degree water cooling their heads. At the higher temperatures, the capsmade no difference, but on the 57-degree nights, about three-quarters of theinsomniacs said they slept much better.
How much did these caps help?
The cooling caps helped insomniacs sleep betterthan "normal" sleepers, apparently. The insomniacs fell asleepquicker — in 13 minutes, versus 16 minutes for the control group — and spentmore of the night in slow-wave sleep, which is the deepest, most restorativesleep cycle. Both groups spent an average of 89 percent of their time in bedasleep.
Why do the caps work?
Researchers already knew that insomniacs are"hyper-aroused," with a higher level of activity in their prefrontalcortex. Nofzinger and Buysse hypothesized that "frontal cerebral thermaltransfer," or cooling the scalp above that part of the brain, would slowthe brain's metabolism and help insomniacs sleep better. This research appearsto bear that out.
When will these miracle caps be available to buy?
Nofzinger will likely bring his invention tomarket, but only after more testing. The researchers don't foresee any safetyproblems — if the cap is too cold, people will just take it off. "Butbefore crafting your own brain-cooling device, keep in mind that the researchwas conducted under controlled conditions on a small sample," cautions MarianneEnglish at Discovery News. Also, while the capspromise greater success than sleeping pills and no side effects, there are somedrawbacks. "Most of us don't find it pleasurable to have a cold head — andcertainly not in bed," says British sleepconsultant Neil Stanley.
Sources: Daily Mail,Discovery News,Geekosystem,HealthDay,Los Angeles Times
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
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