sleep

It's tempting to think that our forebears got lots of blissful snooze time. But modern-day hunter-gatherers aren't getting more than 6.5 hours a night, researchers say. And that's without smartphones.

Controllers who were closely monitored averaged 5.8 hours of sleep a day during the workweek. The number of hours dropped to 3.25 ahead of midnight shifts.

A review of the medical evidence finds that therapy can break the cycle of chronic sleeplessness by addressing the anxieties that cause many people to stay awake.

Megadisasters like Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil spill were set off by people who were sleep-deprived. Researchers say they're able to pinpoint how lack of sleep derails decision-making.

Hospitals are notoriously difficult places to sleep, despite efforts to make them less noisy. Cheap, simple workarounds can help, a study says. Taking the sleep hormone melatonin helped the most.

Just half of parents say schools should start later so teenagers can get more sleep, a survey found. But most of the parents also weren't aware that pediatricians have called for a start of 8:30 a.m.

Lots of children have smartphones tucked under the pillow or on the nightstand. That may be enough to compromise sleep and make children feel less rested, a study finds.

During sleep, the brain locks in existing memories and can even form new ones. Scientists say they are starting to understand how that happens. A midnight snack may interfere.