PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

How you cope with stress may increase your risk for insomnia

Study is the first to assess maladaptive coping and cognitive intrusion as mediating pathways between stress exposure and insomnia

2014-07-03
(Press-News.org) DARIEN, IL – A new study is the first to identify specific coping behaviors through which stress exposure leads to the development of insomnia.

Results show that coping with a stressful event through behavioral disengagement – giving up on dealing with the stress – or by using alcohol or drugs each significantly mediated the relationship between stress exposure and insomnia development. Surprisingly, the coping technique of self-distraction – such as going to the movies or watching TV – also was a significant mediator between stress and incident insomnia. Furthermore, the study found that cognitive intrusion - recurrent thoughts about the stressor - was a significant and key mediator, accounting for 69 percent of the total effect of stress exposure on insomnia.

"Our study is among the first to show that it's not the number of stressors, but your reaction to them that determines the likelihood of experiencing insomnia," said lead author Vivek Pillai, PhD, research fellow at the Sleep Disorders & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. "While a stressful event can lead to a bad night of sleep, it's what you do in response to stress that can be the difference between a few bad nights and chronic insomnia."

Study results are published in the July 1 issue of the journal Sleep.

The study involved a community-based sample of 2,892 good sleepers with no lifetime history of insomnia. At baseline the participants reported the number of stressful life events that they had experienced in the past year, such as a divorce, serious illness, major financial problem, or the death of a spouse. They also reported the perceived severity and duration of each stressful event. Questionnaires also measured levels of cognitive intrusion and identified coping strategies in which participants engaged in the seven days following the stressful event. A follow-up assessment after one year identified participants with insomnia disorder, which was defined as having symptoms of insomnia occurring at least three nights per week for a duration of one month or longer with associated daytime impairment or distress. "This study is an important reminder that stressful events and other major life changes often cause insomnia," said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler. "If you are feeling overwhelmed by events in your life, talk to you doctor about strategies to reduce your stress level and improve your sleep."

According to the authors, the study identified potential targets for therapeutic interventions to improve coping responses to stress and reduce the risk of insomnia. In particular, they noted that mindfulness-based therapies have shown considerable promise in suppressing cognitive intrusion and improving sleep.

"Though we may not be able to control external events, we can reduce their burden by staying away from certain maladaptive behaviors," said Pillai.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that short-term insomnia disorder lasting less than three months occurs in 15 to 20 percent of adults and is more prevalent in women than in men.

INFORMATION: The research was performed under the supervision of Thomas Roth, PhD, and Christopher Drake, PhD, in the Sleep & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The study was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

To request a copy of the study, "Moderators and mediators of the relationship between stress and insomnia: stressor chronicity, cognitive intrusion, and coping," or to arrange an interview with the study author or an AASM spokesperson, please contact Media Relations at 630-737-9700 or media@aasmnet.org.

The monthly, peer-reviewed, scientific journal Sleep is published online by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The AASM is a professional membership society that improves sleep health and promotes high quality patient centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. A searchable directory of AASM accredited sleep centers is available at http://www.sleepeducation.org.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Penn Research lends new insights on conditions for new blood vessel formation

Penn Research lends new insights on conditions for new blood vessel formation
2014-07-03
Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, is essential to the body's development. As organs grow, vascular networks must grow with them to feed new cells and remove their waste. The same process, however, also plays a critical role in the onset and progression of many cancers, as it allows the rapid growth of tumors. With lifesaving applications possible in both inhibiting and accelerating the creation of new blood vessels, a more fundamental understanding of what regulates angiogenesis is needed. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, ...

One third of dyslexic adults report being physically abused during childhood

2014-07-03
Adults who have dyslexia are much more likely to report they were physically abused before they turned 18 than their peers without dyslexia, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Thirty-five per cent of adults with dyslexia report they were physically abused before they turned 18. In contrast, seven per cent of those without dyslexia reported that they had experienced childhood physical abuse. "Even after accounting for age, race, sex and other early adversities ...

WHO targets elimination of TB in over 30 countries

2014-07-03
3 JULY 2014 | ROME, ITALY - The World Health Organization (WHO) today, together with the European Respiratory Society (ERS), presented a new framework to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in countries with low levels of the disease. Today there are 33* countries and territories where there are fewer than 100 TB cases per million population. The framework outlines an initial "pre-elimination" phase, aiming to have fewer than 10 new TB cases per million people per year by 2035 in these countries. The goal is to then achieve full elimination of TB by 2050, defined as less than ...

New study discovers biological basis for magic mushroom 'mind expansion'

2014-07-03
New research shows that our brain displays a similar pattern of activity during dreams as it does during a mind-expanding drug trip. Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and magic mushrooms can profoundly alter the way we experience the world but little is known about what physically happens in the brain. New research, published in Human Brain Mapping, has examined the brain effects of the psychedelic chemical in magic mushrooms, called 'psilocybin,' using data from brain scans of volunteers who had been injected with the drug. The study found that under psilocybin, activity ...

Cleveland Clinic researchers identify urgent need for Alzheimer's drug development

2014-07-03
THURSDAY, July 3, 2014, Las Vegas: Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health have conducted the first-ever analysis of clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease (AD), revealing an urgent need to increase the number of agents entering the AD drug development pipeline and progressing successfully towards new therapy treatments. The paper, "Alzheimer's Disease Drug Development Pipeline: Few Candidates, Frequent Failures," was published today in the journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. A comprehensive look at all clinical trials underway shows: There ...

Nutrition screenings should be regular part of geriatric health assessment

2014-07-03
As older adults typically have one or more chronic health conditions that can affect dietary intake, malnutrition has been identified as a serious problem in older adults. This has given rise to the recommendation that nutrition screenings be a mandatory part of the comprehensive geriatric analysis (CGA). The CGA, first developed in the 1930s, is a multidimensional diagnostic process that looks at a frail elderly person's medical, psychosocial, and functional capabilities in order to develop an overall plan for treatment and follow-up. While it has been used across health ...

Prolonged use of stomach feeding tubes in children may increase risk of stomach fistulas

2014-07-03
Pediatric patients with intestinal failure often need gastrostomy tubes, or feeding tubes inserted into an opening created in the stomach, for long-term nutrition. The use of such tubes can lead to persistent gastrocutaneous fistulae, or the failure of the opening to close on its own, resulting in a need for surgical closure. The causes of gastrocutaneous fistulae in pediatric patients are largely unknown, but researchers at Boston Children's Hospital looked at possible risk factors, including nutrition. Their finds are published today in the OnlineFirst version of the ...

Malnutrition screening of hospital patients common but hospitals failing on nutrition care

2014-07-03
A new study gives hospitals overall good marks for conducting nutrition screenings within 24 hours of a patient's admission, but finds that many need to improve other practices to be more effective. The study, conducted by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) and published today in A.S.P.E.N's Nutrition in Clinical Practice journal, found that while most respondents said that screening patients for malnutrition was being done in compliance with The Joint Commission mandate of 1995, fewer than half were familiar with the 2012 Consensus ...

Movement disorders in young people related to ADHD

2014-07-03
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen University Hospital have identified a particular genetic mutation that may cause parkinsonism in young people. The mutation interferes with the brain's transport of the important signal substance dopamine and may also plays a role in mental diseases, e.g. ADHD. The findings have just been published in the scientific Journal of Clinical Investigation. Being one of the most important signal substances in the brain, dopamine is particularly important for the control of movements and reward mechanisms in the brain. ...

Hypertension, antihypertension medication, risk of psoriasis

2014-07-02
Bottom Line: Women with long-term high blood pressure (hypertension) appear to be at an increased risk for the skin condition psoriasis, and long-term use of beta (β)-blocker medication to treat hypertension may also increase the risk of psoriasis. Author: Shaowei Wu, M.D., Ph.D., of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues. Background: Psoriasis is an immune-related chronic disease that affects about 3 percent of the U.S. population. The authors suggest prospective data on the risk of psoriasis associated with hypertension is lacking. Antihypertensive ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Masonic Medical Research Institute publishes breakthrough study on combating heart disease linked to obesity and high-fat diet

How our body keeps time in the heat

Not just a messenger: Developing nano-sized delivery agents that also provide therapeutic treatment

AI used for real-time selection of actionable messages for government and public health campaigns

Sorting without comparators: The rise of intelligent memory systems

Access to green spaces may be linked to lower risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children

Teens are using dating apps more than you’d think. It may not be a bad thing.

AI chatbots remain overconfident -- even when they’re wrong

From hydrogen bonds to high performance: The future of aqueous batteries

Ancient brachiopods used tiny bristles to maintain “social distancing,” study reveals

320 million trees are killed by lightning each year — Considerable biomass loss

Research alert: Gene signature an early warning system for aggressive pancreatic cancer, study finds

The Covid-19 pandemic may have aged our brains, according to a new study

Pitt study uncovers how the immune system fends off gut parasites

Tiny fossil suggests spiders and their relatives originated in the sea

Psychological and physical health of a preterm birth cohort at age 35

Leading the way comes at a cost for feathered friends

Psychedelics and cannabis offer treatment hope for people with eating disorders

Answer ALS launches AI drug development collaboration with GATC Health, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and Tulane to advance ALS treatment discovery

Restricted diet triggers individualized microbiome shifts without community convergence

How tickling builds trust: Scientists identify oxytocin’s role in human-rat bonding

LAHB: A bioplastic that may solve marine plastic pollution problem

The Holobiont Revolution: How wheat is becoming more climate-resilient through nature-based plant breeding and machine learning

International radiology consensus outlines best practices for post-COVID CT

Yellowstone aspen showing signs of recovery following 1995 reintroduction of wolves to park

Post-COVID-related lung abnormalities almost always regress

City of Hope research spotlight, June 2025

SwRI completes 8-year-long NEXTCAR energy efficiency project

Investigational anti-cancer DNA therapy eases chronic osteoarthritis pain in dogs—pointing to a new non-opioid path for humans

US adolescents with cannabis use disorder failing to complete rehabilitation

[Press-News.org] How you cope with stress may increase your risk for insomnia
Study is the first to assess maladaptive coping and cognitive intrusion as mediating pathways between stress exposure and insomnia