Subscribe to the OSS Weekly Newsletter!

Sleepy Science: Is There a Best Position to Sleep In?

27 Feb 2019

One thing is very clear. If you are a baby, you should be sleeping on your back. Infants who sleep on their back, as opposed to their stomachs, have a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome ...

When Is the Best Time to Drink Water?

20 Feb 2019

 A friend forwarded me an interesting facebook post that claimed that the best time to drink water was just before going to bed. Upon careful reflection, it seems to me that this would be the worst...

How can melatonin, a hormone, be sold without a prescription?

19 Apr 2018

Melatonin is indeed a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in the brain, mostly during the night with its secretion being impaired by exposure to bright light. It has appropriately been...

Chamomile Tea, Will You Help Me Sleep Tonight?

8 Mar 2018

We’ve all heard it: chamomile tea is what you drink if you have difficulty falling asleep. This bit of folkloric wisdom has been repeated so many times, it must be true, right?

What are Hypnic Jerks

17 Sep 2017

If you ever twitch while falling asleep, you’re not alone. In fact 70% of the population experience this phenomenon, called a hypnic or hypnagogic jerk. 

Why Do We Yawn When We Exercise?

17 Aug 2017

Am I the only one who tries to ‘swallow my head’ as my Nana used to say while exercising? For a while, I thought so! But a Google search told me I'm not alone. Many people suffer from constant...

Less salt, better sleep?

28 Mar 2017

We have long been told to cut back on salt to reduce blood pressure. That’s old hat. (But one worth wearing).  Now we learn that a low salt diet can also help us sleep better! In a roundabout way....

Before ether was a potent painkiller, it was a hit with revellers

20 Mar 2017

The marble and granite statue in the Boston Common depicts a physician in medieval clothing holding a cloth next to the face of a man who seems to have passed out. An inscription on the base of the...

Is Zenbev an effective sleep aid?

20 Mar 2017

A lot of people have asked about Zenbev, the "organic sleeping aid" available in health food stores. This combination of pumpkin seed extract and dextrose with some rice starch and guar gum was...

Pages

Back to top