Wendy M. Troxel

A Good Night's Sleep, What's It Worth to You?

Most people in the developed world would fork over serious bucks—14 percent of their paycheck—to avoid the health-threatening, productivity-sapping effects of insomnia. When it comes to sleep, quality and quantity should be parallel goals. And the benefit of achieving them could be priceless.

Sleep Retreats: A Pricey Trend That Doesn't Have to Be

The growing trend toward sleep vacations reflects the increasing awareness that Americans live in a sleep-starved society. Whether embarking on a sleep vacation or creating one in your own home, making intentional steps to prioritize sleep is one of the best investments you can make in your own health and well-being.

A Four-Day Week: Is America Ready?

As alluring as a calendar filled with three-day weekends may seem, research shows that short school weeks can have educational and health risks for students, but also benefits for them and for school districts that make the change. Do the benefits of the condensed week outweigh the costs?

Think We Should Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent? Sleep Scientist Busts 5 Tired Myths

Permanent daylight saving time is widely favored by the public, and the House of Representatives may or may not follow the Senate in its recent approval of such a change in law. But that delicious extra hour of evening recreation in the spring and summer comes at a major cost to people's sleep, mood, alertness, and productivity for the remainder of the year.

For Valentine's Day, a Good Night's Sleep May Be the Best Gift

With Valentine's Day approaching, many may be pondering traditional gift-giving strategies. Maybe it's flowers, chocolates, or jewelry? But consider this: As we continue to endure the challenges of pandemic living, perhaps the greatest gift you could give to your partner (and yourself) is a good night of sleep.

Why the Best Valentine's Day Gift Is a Good Night of Sleep

There are some habits and behaviors that help promote sleep. There are some habits and behaviors that get in the way of sleep. If you and your partner are looking to improve your shared sleep together, you might start by looking at how well, or not well, your individual habits and behaviors are working for you.

How Creating a Pillow Talk Ritual Can Help You Get a Good Night's Rest

Working to bolster your sleep can bolster your relationship quality, and vice versa, and individually or collectively, they can both bolster your health. A simple technique can help build a habit around connecting with your partner.

How to Sleep Better Together (or Not): Advice for Sleep-Deprived Couples

There are many reasons why couples are increasingly choosing to sleep apart. When couples work collaboratively to find the sleep solutions that help them both get better sleep, it can improve their shared lives together in and out of bed.

Why Couples Sleeping Apart Is Sometimes a Good Thing

Sleep occupies a major part of a couples' shared experience. When we are well-slept we are happier, more empathic, better communicators, and better problem-solvers, all critical building blocks of healthy relationships.

Beyond Sweatpants: Waking Up in a Post–COVID-19 World

When it comes to morning wake schedules, adjusting to post–COVID-19 life may be a challenge. Taking small steps now may help you prepare for the shock of returning to the morning rush.

Don't Let 'Springing Forward' Set You Back in Your Relationship

When we're sleep-deprived, we're more irritable, more prone to conflict, our communication skills suffer, and we're less empathic. Here are five tips to help you protect the health of your body and your relationship as you and your partner weather the storm of daylight saving time.

The COVID-19 Bed-Spread

Sleep science has traditionally viewed sleep as an individual phenomenon. But how well (or poorly) we sleep is clearly tied to the quality of our closest relationships. COVID-19 has further highlighted the critical importance of both healthy sleep and healthy relationships.

Other Voices: Striking Rates of Food Insecurity in the Hill District and Homewood

The number of Americans experiencing food insecurity has increased since the pandemic began. And rates are higher among African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. Proactive and aggressive policy actions could help reduce the inequities in places like Pittsburgh's Hill District and Homewood neighborhoods.

When In Doubt, Do What Doesn't Come Naturally

When we are feeling anxious or depressed or otherwise bad, we experience a variety of urges toward things that we think will make us feel better, but ultimately make us feel worse. Connecting with a friend, exercising, accomplishing a task, and helping others are some things that can actually help.

School May Be Suspended, but Sleep Schedules Shouldn't Be

People sleep better when they follow consistent daily and nightly routines. These days, the school bell isn't ringing for most of our kids, and it's up to parents to ensure that children and teens get the sleep they need during these stressful and uncertain times.

Is Sleeping in Separate Beds Bad for Your Relationship? A Sleep Scientist Answers

Sleep occupies about one-third of our lives, and there isn't a one-size-fits all sleeping strategy for all couples. That said, all couples should make sleep a priority—for both of them. That could mean sleeping apart.

Why Prioritizing Sleep in the Time of Coronavirus Is So Important

The coronavirus has required many people to drastically alter their daily schedules, which can wreak havoc on sleep. But there are simple strategies that can help support sleep and well-being during this trying time.

Teens Are Sleep Deprived; Later School Start Times Could Help

Sleep deprivation among American teens is a major public health problem. Teens in school districts with later start times get more sleep and are more likely to show up for school. They do better academically, and show improvements in their mental and physical health.

Teens Are Driven to Stay Up Late, but Why?

That adolescents have a biologically driven delay in their sleep-wake schedules is uncontested. In fact, this is observed across cultures, including those with limited access to technology. But why this occurs is a tougher nut to crack. There are many issues pertaining to human biology that remain a mystery even to scientists and physicians.

How to Avoid the Season of Regret

The holiday season can bring with it not only the sting of cold air, but also the sting of regret. Regret is a slippery slope for mental health. RAND's Wendy Troxel shares simple, science-backed strategies to dodge year-end regrets.

I'm a Sleep Specialist. Here's How I Prepare My Two Teenagers for the First Day of School

Sleep deprivation has measurable negative effects on teens' behavior and health. Early school start times make it difficult for teens to get sufficient sleep. A RAND sleep expert shares how she helps her teens transition from summer back to waking up early for school.

Sleep Deprivation Could Do Long-Term Damage to Migrant Children

The challenges faced by detained children at the U.S. southern border are immense. Sleep disruption may significantly hinder their ability to function physically and mentally. Policymakers shouldn't overlook the importance of providing appropriate sleeping conditions.

Teens Are Driving Drowsy Every Day, and That's Dangerous

About 1 in 10 car crashes are caused by drowsy driving, and young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 account for more than half of them. Many parents unwittingly allow their teens to drive while tired on a daily basis.

Good Parenting or Good Policy? Both Are Needed to Curb the Epidemic of Teen Sleep Loss

More rest improves teens' well-being, public safety, and academic performance. Later school start times promote better sleep for teens. School districts, communities, and parents should consider multi-pronged strategies that start with a later school bell.

Debunking 5 Myths of Sleeping Together

About a third of American adults choose not to sleep with their partner, and evidence suggests that their ranks are growing. This decision often results in social stigma, including some dubious assumptions that sleeping apart is a sign of a sexless or otherwise unhappy marriage.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm? Probably Not, Says Science on School Start Times

School start times are becoming a hotly debated topic across the United States. Starting middle and high schools at 8:30 a.m. would improve teen health, and the economic benefits of this shift would likely outweigh the costs.

If Teenagers Get More Sleep, California Could Gain Billions

Two key effects of better-rested teens are improved academic performance and reduced motor vehicle crashes. Delaying school start times to 8:30 a.m. could result in economic benefits that would be realized within a matter of years — $10 billion in California alone.

Tired but Wired Youth: A Toxic Combination

The recent death of a South Carolina teen, reportedly of a caffeine overdose, is both tragic and avoidable. It should be a wake-up call for all Americans. Getting sufficient sleep should be a top health priority.

Why Early School Start Times Are a Threat to Public Health

Sleep-deprived teens are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle crashes and to abuse drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes — all of which are public health concerns. But delaying school start times remains challenging for many districts.

How Businesses Can Take the Lead in Getting People to Sleep More

Insufficient sleep is linked to lower productivity, which results in working days being lost each year. With a few simple measures, employers could help improve the health and well-being of staff, improve their bottom lines, and contribute to a growing economy.

Americans Don't Sleep Enough, and It's Costing Us $411 Billion

Sleep and sleep loss are often considered to be among the most intimate of personal behaviors, but sleep matters to all aspects of society, from an individual's health to the success of the global economy.

Students Shouldn't Lose Sleep Over the Liberty Bridge Fire

The fire and resulting closure of the Liberty Bridge is forcing some Pittsburgh high school students to sacrifice sleep to meet a new 7:11 a.m. start time. Sleep loss has consequences for adolescents' minds, bodies, behavior, and for public safety.

A New Prescription for Sleepless Americans: Take Advice, Not a Pill

New guidelines from the American College of Physicians favor behavioral therapy over meds as the first-line treatment for insomnia. However, the ACP's recommendation will not in itself raise the level of access to optimal care for insomnia patients.

When the School Bell Tolls Too Early

School schedules can bring sleep-defying stresses to kids and teens. But there are strategies for parents to get their families 'sleep-ready' for the school year.

Sleepless in the City

An alarming number of American city dwellers face sleepless nights, followed inevitably by days of productivity-sapping fatigue and, ultimately, the possibility of more serious health consequences. There are some things they can do to better their chances of falling and staying asleep.

Your Questions About Sleep, Answered

RAND's Wendy Troxel, an expert on sleep, hosted an 'Ask Me Anything' session on Reddit to answer questions about how to improve sleep health, what to do about a snoring partner, and more.

U.S. Soldiers Denied Sleep Suffer Major Health Effects

More than 60 percent of service members don't get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night. About a third get by on five hours or less. The military, and society at large, needs to recognize the importance of sleep as a crucial link to physical and mental well-being.

A Season of Bedtime Challenges

Halloween and Daylight Saving Time can wreak havoc on children's sleep schedules. But because parents know what's coming, they can prepare by monitoring what kids consume, maintaining calm, consistent schedules, and slowly shifting bedtime over a few days to accommodate the new time settings.

Quality Sleep at Sea

The U.S. Navy may be waking up to something sleep experts have known for a long time: that people function best when they follow their natural sleep rhythms.

Some Tired Myths About Sleeping with Your Valentine, or Not

Two-thirds of U.S. adults report that they regularly sleep with a partner. Yet, through 60 years or so of sleep research, scientists have tended to view sleep as an individual behavior, largely ignoring the potential impact of bedmates.

A Warm Bed on a Cold Morning: When Waking Up Is Hard to Do

As seductive as a warm bed may be on a cold morning, staying in bed too long can lead to disrupted sleep and a sleep-sapping case of the winter blues. These are the times when we need to resist the urge to hibernate and force ourselves to get going.

Deadly Aftermath of 'Microsleep'

Though “microsleep,” commonly referred to as “highway hypnosis,” may enter the public discourse most often when it's cited as the possible cause of a disaster like the Metro-North train wreck, it is responsible for fatal accidents on American highways every day.

How to Sleep in Heavenly Peace This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time when people try to do too much. And that often leads to stress and worry, which can be the enemies of a good night's sleep. Here are a few tricks to help manage the episodic bouts of insomnia that are common during the holidays.

Here's to Our Health

Atop the new mayor's agenda should be improving the health and well-being of Pittsburgh residents. With an unassailable electoral mandate in hand, Mr. Peduto is positioned to take bold steps. And the best way to do that is by applying scientific and medical evidence to shape an integrated, citywide, health-policy framework.

Sleep and Couples: For Better or Worse, Day and Night?

Compared with other health behaviors such as smoking or exercise, sleep is unique because for most adults, it is a behavior they

Journal Article

Multi-dimensional Profiles of Risk and Their Association with Obesity-Severity in Low-Income Black Women

Multi-level strategies may support low-income Black women’s resilience to obesity who face neighborhood-level and socioeconomic stressors.

Journal Article

Bidirectional Associations Between Daily Sleep and Wake Behaviors in Urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Youth

This is the first study to examine daily, bidirectional associations between sleep and wake behaviors/mood in urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adolescents.

Journal Article

Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep and BMI in a Low-Income, Predominantly Black American Sample

This study provides further evidence that, among a sample of low-income Black adults, sleep problems are not longitudinally predictive of BMI.

Report

The societal and economic burden of insomnia in adults: An international study

This study sought to examine the societal and economic burden of insomnia through a literature review, secondary database analyses and economic modelling. Findings indicate a substantial burden.

Journal Article

Examining the Cross-sectional Association Between Neighborhood Conditions, Discrimination, and Telomere Length in a Predominantly African American Sample

Disproportionate exposure to adverse neighborhood conditions and greater discrimination may contribute to health disparities among African Americans.

Journal Article

Food Insecurity, Sleep, and Cardiometabolic Risks in Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth

Food insecurity contributes to racial/ethnic disparities in health. This is the first study to examine associations among food insecurity, sleep, and cardiometabolic outcomes in urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth.

Journal Article

A Latent Class Approach to Understanding Longitudinal Sleep Health and the Association with Alcohol and Cannabis Use During Late Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Persistent poor sleep health was associated with higher levels of alcohol and cannabis use and consequences, and greater increases in alcohol-related consequences during the transition from late adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Journal Article

Sleep Disturbances, Changes in Sleep, and Cognitive Function in Low-Income African Americans

In a predominantly African-American sample of older adults, worsening of sleep efficiency was associated with poorer cognitive function. Improving sleep health may support Alzheimer's prevention and reduce health disparities.

Journal Article

Loneliness and Multiple Health Domains: Associations Among Emerging Adults

We examine associations of loneliness with physical, behavioral, and health behavior outcomes, and investigate moderating effects by sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual/gender minority status.

Journal Article

Changes in Sleep-Wake Patterns and Disturbances Before and During COVID-19 in Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents

Findings demonstrate positive and negative changes in sleep during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, including simultaneous increases in sleep duration and sleep-wake disturbances.

Journal Article

Do Social Isolation and Neighborhood Walkability Influence Relationships Between COVID-19 Experiences and Wellbeing in Predominantly Black Urban Areas?

Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) pandemic.

Research Brief

Can Four Equal Five? Assessing the Four-Day School Week

This brief provides information on the implementation and outcomes of a four-day school week using quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources, including surveys of parents and students, across six states.

Report

Does Four Equal Five? Implementation and Outcomes of the Four-Day School Week

The authors provide information on the implementation and outcomes of the four-day school week using quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources, including surveys of parents and students in 36 districts in three states.

Report

Sleep Management in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves several symptoms, including sleep disturbance. This review synthesizes the evidence from randomized controlled trials on the effects that interventions for adults with PTSD have on sleep outcomes.

Journal Article

Longitudinal Associations Between Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Use, Eating Behavior, Perceived Stress, and Self-Rated Health in a Cohort of Low-Income Black Adults

We found significant longitudinal associations between smoking behavior and eating behavior, perceived stress, and self-rated health. This has implications for the development of behavior change programs and community-level interventions and policies.

Journal Article

Longitudinal Associations of Sleep Problems with Alcohol and Cannabis Use from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

This study examined longitudinal associations of sleep problems with alcohol and cannabis use across six annual waves of data from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

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Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep

Help your relationships and your body with this definitive guide on sleep for couples -- with proven strategies to improve both sleep and relationship health -- by a clinical psychologist named as one of the top experts on the science of sleep.

Journal Article

Violent Crime, Police Presence and Poor Sleep in Two Low-Income Urban Predominantly Black American Neighbourhoods

To examine violent crime in relation to sleep and explore pathways, including psychological distress, safety perceptions and perceived police presence, that may account for associations.

Journal Article

Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.

Journal Article

Improvements in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Conditions May Improve Resident Diet

Investing in neighborhoods may support resident diet through improvements in neighborhood commercial environments for renters, but mechanisms appear to differ for homeowners.

Journal Article

Does Investing in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods Improve Sleep?

While we did not observe sleep differences among residents between neighborhoods, living closer to a neighborhood investment was associated with better sleep outcomes.

Journal Article

Housing Insecurity and Sleep Among Welfare Recipients in California

The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of housing insecurity on sleep duration and sleep quality.

Journal Article

Improved Street Walkability, Incivilities, and Esthetics Are Associated with Greater Park Use in Two Low-Income Neighborhoods

Improved walkability, incivilities, and aesthetics surrounding parks in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods were associated with greater park use and may help increase visits to underutilized parks.

Journal Article

Understanding Sleep Facilitators, Barriers, and Cultural Dimensions in Native American Urban Youth

This study uses systematic qualitative methods with AI/AN youth to explore their sleep environment and sleep behaviors. Key concerns discussed were poor sleep hygiene, excessive use of electronics at bedtime, issues with temperature regulation, and noise within and outside the home.

Tool

Getting To Outcomes® Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams: Content Area Module for Air Force Sleep Health Promotion

This content area module for Air Force sleep health promotion is a companion volume to the Getting To Outcomes Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams.

Journal Article

Prevalence and Correlates of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Urban-Dwelling, Low-Income, Predominantly African-American Women

Low-income African Americans are a high-risk group for obstructive sleep apnea, but remain under-diagnosed and under-treated. The current findings show a high prevalence of OSA in African-American women.

Journal Article

Assessing the Burden of Nocturia in the Workplace: The Associations Between Nocturnal Voiding, Subjective Well-Being, Work Engagement and Productivity

Using large-scale international workplace survey data, this study assessed the burden of nocturia in the workplace by investigating associations between nocturia and subjective well-being, work engagement and productivity.

Journal Article

Broken Windows, Broken Zzs: Poor Housing and Neighborhood Conditions Are Associated with Objective Measures of Sleep Health

Sleep is a critical contributor to health and well-being. Sleep disturbances may contribute to racial and socioeconomic disparities in health. Understanding socio-environmental determinants of sleep health disparities is a public health imperative.

Journal Article

Does Large-Scale Neighborhood Reinvestment Work? Effects of Public–Private Real Estate Investment on Local Sales Prices, Rental Prices, and Crime Rates

We examine whether the substantial, combined public–private investments in Hill District, Pittsburgh, (a) increased that neighborhood's residential and commercial sales prices, (b) increased residential rental prices, and (c) reduced crime.

Journal Article

An Audit Tool for Longitudinal Assessment of the Health-Related Characteristics of Urban Neighborhoods: Implementation Methods and Reliability Results

To identify neighborhood features that are predictors of health, objective assessments of the environment are used. In this paper, we have described implementation methods, reliability results and lessons learned to inform future studies of change.

Journal Article

Changes in Perceptions of Neighborhood Environment and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Two Predominantly African American Neighborhoods

Perceived neighborhood characteristics, including satisfaction with one's neighborhood as a place to live, are associated with lower obesity rates and more favorable cardiovascular risk factor profiles.

Journal Article

Do Investments in Low-Income Neighborhoods Produce Objective Change in Health-Related Neighborhood Conditions?

This study examined the effect of neighborhood investments on neighborhood walkability, presence of incivilities, and crime in two low-income, primarily African American neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

Journal Article

Food Insecurity Is Associated with Objectively Measured Sleep Problems

Food Insecurity (FI) can be a profound source of stress, which may increase the risk for sleep disturbance. This is the first study to examine the association between FI and objectively and subjectively measured sleep.

Journal Article

Sleep Health: An Opportunity for Public Health to Address Health Equity

In this review, we describe current conceptualizations of sleep health and highlight findings linking sleep with cardiovascular disease, obesity, mental health, and neurodegenerative disease.

Journal Article

Associations Between Young Adult Marijuana Outcomes and Availability of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Storefront Signage

Among young adults in Los Angeles County, living near more MMDs is positively associated with more frequent use of marijuana within the past month and greater expectations of marijuana's positive benefits.

Journal Article

Associations of Longitudinal Sleep Trajectories with Risky Sexual Behavior During Late Adolescence

Insufficient sleep in adolescents may increase risk for sexual risk-taking and may set the stage for accelerated health risk trajectories into adulthood.

Report

How frequent night-time bathroom visits can negatively impact sleep, well-being and productivity: Examining the associations between nocturia, well-being and economic outcomes in a working-age population

Nocturia, a urinary tract condition causing numerous night-time bathroom visits, can have negative impacts on sleep, wellbeing and productivity. Our results show a set of associations between nocturia and a range of conditions, outcomes and factors.

Journal Article

A Preliminary Study of a Composite Sleep Health Score: Associations with Psychological Distress, Body Mass Index, and Physical Functioning in a Low-Income African American Community

The current study investigates associations of five sleep dimensions, analyzed separately and simultaneously, with psychological distress, body mass index, and physical functioning among a low-income, predominantly African American population.

Journal Article

Do Sleep and Psychological Distress Mediate the Association Between Neighborhood Factors and Pain?

Understanding how sleep problems, psychological distress, and neighborhood characteristics contribute to pain can help shape interventions to reduce pain-related disparities.

Research Brief

Community Development Can Improve Resident Health

Community improvements -- primarily a new supermarket and new housing -- were associated with health and economic gains among the residents of an underserved, primarily African-American neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Journal Article

Embracing the School Start Later Movement: Adolescent Sleep Deprivation as a Public Health and Social Justice Problem

This commentary sums up the public health rationale for later school start times as a way to improve adolescent health.

Journal Article

The Power of Social Networks and Social Support in Promotion of Physical Activity and Body Mass Index Among African American Adults

African Americans are still disproportionately affected by lower levels of physical activity and higher levels of obesity; social networks and social support are critical for engaging this community in physical activity.

Journal Article

The Association Between Discrimination and PTSD in African Americans: Exploring the Role of Gender

Discrimination may contribute to the disparate rates of PTSD experienced by African Americans in two lower-income Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

Journal Article

Neighborhood Disadvantage Is Associated With Actigraphy-Assessed Sleep Continuity and Short Sleep Duration

This study is among the first to examine objective and perceived assessments of neighborhood conditions in relation to objectively measured sleep in a high-risk sample of predominantly low-income, African American residents.

Journal Article

Pathways Through Which Higher Neighborhood Crime Is Longitudinally Associated with Greater Body Mass Index

Among African-Americans in urban, low-income neighborhoods, lack of perceived safety because of high crime rates is associated with higher body mass index (BMI).

Journal Article

The Intersection Between Sleep Science and Policy: Introduction to the Special Issue on School Start Times

This introduction to a special issue of Sleep Health highlights key themes in the growing literature on sleep and adolescent health.

Journal Article

The Economic Implications of Later School Start Times in the United States

The long-term economic and public health benefits of later school start times for adolescents far outweigh the immediate costs.

Journal Article

Individual, Peer, and Family Factor Modification of Neighborhood-Level Effects on Adolescent Alcohol, Cigarette, E-Cigarette, and Marijuana Use

Supporting more social connections between neighbors and monitoring of adolescent deviant behaviors by neighbors may be effective in reducing cigarette, e-cigarette, and marijuana use.

Report

Later school start times in the U.S. An economic analysis

RAND Europe investigated the economic implications of later school start times in the U.S. through the first-ever economic analysis (in 47 U.S. states) of a state-wide universal shift to 8:30 a.m.

Journal Article

Commentary on Keller Et Al, 2017: The Problem with Interpreting Low Base Rate Behaviors

Some opponents of changing start times for high school students may be relying on results that could, with appropriate clarification and interpretation, actually support later start times for adolescents.

Journal Article

Commentary on Healthy School Start Times

Given the available evidence on the powerful and sustained benefits of later school start times for middle and high school students, "to do nothing is to do harm."

Journal Article

Deployment Length, Inflammatory Markers, and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Military Couples

Longer deployments are associated with changes in a range of health-related markers in military veterans as well as their spouses.

Journal Article

Does Improving Marital Quality Improve Sleep? Results from a Marital Therapy Trial

Improving a marriage leads to better sleep, especially for husbands.

Journal Article

Observed Relationship Behaviors and Sleep in Military Veterans and Their Partners

Associations between the relationship behaviors of young veterans and their spouses and measured sleep quality suggest that interventions to decrease hostility could improve both marital and physical health.

Journal Article

Examination of Neighborhood Disadvantage and Sleep in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort of Adolescents

Greater perceived neighborhood-level social cohesion and lower neighborhood-level poverty were associated with better sleep outcomes in adolescents.

Journal Article

Affiliative Interpersonal Behaviors During Stress Are Associated with Sleep Quality and Presleep Arousal in Young, Healthy Adults

Feelings of interpersonal security are important for healthy sleep.

Research Brief

Why sleep matters: The economic costs of insufficient sleep

Improving individual sleeping habits has huge implications. Small increases in sleep can make big differences to national economies. RAND Europe's novel study quantifies the economic and social costs of insufficient sleep among the global workforce.

Journal Article

One Size Doesn't Fit All: Cross-Sectional Associations Between Neighborhood Walkability, Crime and Physical Activity Depends on Age and Sex of Residents

“Walkability” appears to increase physical activity in low-income, urban neighborhoods, most notably for women under 65.

Journal Article

Sleep-Wake Concordance in Couples Is Inversely Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Markers

The degree to which couples are awake or asleep at the same time throughout the night affects nighttime blood pressure and systemic inflammation, two putative markers of cardiovascular disease.

Journal Article

Is the Association Between Neighborhood Characteristics and Sleep Quality Mediated by Psychological Distress? An Analysis of Perceived and Objective Measures of 2 Pittsburgh Neighborhoods

Perceptions of a neighborhood's characteristics, such as safety, were associated with sleep quality among low-income African American adults, but objective characteristics, such as crime rates, were not.

Report

Why sleep matters — the economic costs of insufficient sleep: A cross-country comparative analysis

This report examines the economic burden of insufficient sleep across five different OECD countries. The findings of this study suggest that insufficient sleep can result in large economic costs in terms of lost GDP and lower labour productivity.

Journal Article

Marital Conflict and Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping in Military Couples

Marital conflict among veterans and their partners may "blunt" the dip in blood pressure that normally occurs during the night, and this may lead to a higher risk of CVD.

Journal Article

Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks: Associations with Risky Drinking and Functioning in High School

High school students who mixed alcohol with energy drinks were more likely to report drinking often and heavily and to experience negative consequences in school than students who did not.

Journal Article

Preparing for Deployment: Examining Family and Individual-Level Factors

Deployment can be a significant source of stress for military families. Understanding how families prepare in the face of such stress, and which families are less likely to prepare, is a priority of the Department of Defense.

Journal Article

Sleepy Teens and Energy Drink Use: Results from an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Youth

The prevalence of energy drink use in a diverse sample of adolescents was low (18%), but use of energy drinks was associated with a higher risk of sleep disturbance.

Journal Article

Prevalence and Consequences of Sleep Problems in Military Wives

Sleep problems among spouses of military service members were reported at rates higher than the general population and were associated with more symptoms of depression.

Research Brief

How Military Families Respond Before, During and After Deployment: Findings from the RAND Deployment Life Study

This overview of the findings from the RAND Deployment Life Study describes the effects of deployment on marital relationships, family environment, psychological and behavioral health, child well-being, and military integration.

Report

The Deployment Life Study: Longitudinal Analysis of Military Families Across the Deployment Cycle

In 2009, RAND launched the Deployment Life Study to study military family readiness. This report presents analyses on marital relationships, family environment, psychological and behavioral health, child well-being, and military integration.

Journal Article

Insights from the OppNet Initiatives on Psychosocial Stress and Sleep: Themes for Multidisciplinary Team Science Research

We report here on the first gathering of the National Institutes of Health Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Opportunity Network grant recipients in the separate but interrelated topics of psychosocial stress and sleep.

Journal Article

Say "GDNT": Frequency of Adolescent Texting at Night

This study uses descriptive analysis of objectively recorded outgoing text message data in a sample of adolescents to examine nighttime texting behavior.

Journal Article

Chronic Stress Is Prospectively Associated with Sleep in Midlife Women: The SWAN Sleep Study

This study evaluates whether levels of upsetting life events measured over a nine-year period prospectively predict subjective and objective sleep outcomes in midlife women.

Report

Evaluating the Impact of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) on Fatigue and the Implications for Driver Safety

Summarizes findings from a review of the literature on whole-body vibration (WBV) and fatigue, in addition to looking at study designs and methodology for providing more rigorous investigations of the impact of WBV on fatigue and driver safety.

Journal Article

Sleep Concordance in Couples Is Associated with Relationship Characteristics

Sleep concordance provides a unique measure of couples' cosleep and varies depending on attachment style and relationship satisfaction.

Journal Article

Examining Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Association Between Adolescent Sleep and Alcohol or Marijuana Use

The current study examines the association between self-reported measures of trouble sleeping, total sleep time (TST), and bedtimes and odds of past month alcohol and marijuana (AM) use in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents.

Research Brief

Improving Sleep Health for U.S. Servicemembers: Policies, Programs, Barriers to Implementation, and Recommendations

Sleep problems can have consequences for servicemembers' health and for force readiness and resiliency. This first-ever comprehensive review of sleep-related policies and programs led to recommendations for improving sleep across the force.

Report

Sleep in the Military: Promoting Healthy Sleep Among U.S. Servicemembers

Sleep problems can have long-term consequences for servicemembers' health and for force readiness and resiliency. This first-ever comprehensive review of sleep-related policies and programs led to recommendations for improving sleep across the force.

Research Brief

Sleep Problems and Their Impact on U.S. Servicemembers: Results of a Cross-Service Survey

Sleep problems can have consequences for servicemembers' health and for force readiness and resiliency. Findings from a large-scale survey of servicemembers offer guidance for policies and programs to identify, treat, and prevent sleep problems.

Journal Article

Increasing Resilience Through Promotion of Healthy Sleep Among Service Members

Sleep health research, development of sleep health policies, and evaluation of sleep health programs should focus on promoting sleep health throughout the deployment cycle and in training environments to aid in prevention efforts.

Journal Article

OXTR Polymorphism Predicts Social Relationships Through Its Effects on Social Temperament

Humans have a fundamental need for strong interpersonal bonds, yet individuals differ appreciably in their degree of social integration.

Journal Article

The Role of Perceived Partner Alliance on the Efficacy of CBT-I: Preliminary Findings from the Partner Alliance in Insomnia Research Study (PAIRS)

Despite cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) being effective, barriers to adherence have been documented.

Journal Article

Implications of Sleep and Energy Drink Use for Health Disparities

In this review, a brief introduction to the issue of health disparities is provided, population-level disparities and inequalities in sleep are described, and the social-ecological model of sleep and health is presented.

Journal Article

Interpersonal Distress Is Associated with Sleep and Arousal in Insomnia and Good Sleepers

The authors examined the associations among interpersonal distress, objective and subjective sleep in people with and without insomnia.

Journal Article

Acculturation and Sleep Among a Multiethnic Sample of Women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

US-born Hispanic/Latina, Chinese, and Japanese immigrants were more likely to report sleep complaints than their first-generation ethnic counterparts, a finding largely explained by language acculturation and unmeasured factors associated with language acculturation.

Journal Article

Single-parent Family Structure and Sleep Problems in Black and White Adolescents

Sleep is critical for adolescent health and is influenced by the family environment. In our study, we examined if family structure defined as single- vs 2-parent households affected adolescent sleep.

Journal Article

Sleep Disturbances and Nocturnal Symptoms: Relationships with Quality of Life in a Population-Based Sample of Women with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Sleep problems make life for women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome even more uncomfortable.

Journal Article

Predictors of Treatment Response to Brief Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia (BBTI) in Older Adults

Patients with insomnia who have greater distress at baseline or prolonged sleep latency are more likely to show positive response to BBTI.

Journal Article

Primary Care Intervention for Primary Insomnia

Insomnia is a highly prevalent and debilitating sleep disorder, with prevalence estimates ranging from 10 to 15% in the general population and up to 20-30% in primary care medical settings.

Journal Article

Negative Emotionality Moderates Associations Among Attachment, Toddlers Sleep, and Later Problem Behaviors

The authors used path analysis to examine the direct relationship between attachment security and maternal reports of sleep problems during toddlerhood and links with subsequent teacher-reported emotional and behavioral problems.

Journal Article

Insomnia and Objectively Measured Sleep Disturbances Predict Treatment Outcome in Depressed Patients Treated with Psychotherapy or Psychotherapy-Pharmacotherapy Combinations

Insomnia and objectively measured sleep disturbances predict poor treatment outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Journal Article

Clinical Management of Insomnia with Brief Behavioral Treatment (BBTI)

Insomnia is a highly prevalent and debilitating sleep disorder. It is well documented that psychological treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), are efficacious treatments, with effect sizes of comparable magnitude to that of pharmacologic treatment.

Journal Article

Insecure Attachment Is an Independent Correlate of Objective Sleep Disturbances in Military Veterans

This study examines the association between interpersonal attachment styles and sleep in a high-risk cohort of military veterans with PTSD symptoms.