Top 5 Most-Viewed Sleep Coverage of 2024

This year, our top 5 most-read sleep disorder articles covered novel developments for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the beneficial impacts of magnesium-L-threonate supplements, the relationship between gut and overall sleep health, and more emerging data bolstering support regarding negative associations between mobile phone use and insomnia.

To follow our sleep disorder coverage in its entirety, and stay up to date in the new year, check out our dedicated sleep page.

Check out our top sleep coverage for 2024, including the topics of magnesium supplementation and the negative effects of phone addiction. | image credit: © DavidPrado - stock.adobe.com

5. Nasal Spray Alleviates Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Study Finds

This study, published in the spring of 2024, showcased the potential of BAY2586116 nasal spray, a TASK1/3 potassium channel antagonist, to alleviate symptoms of OSA while having a positive effect on blood pressure the following day. The drug’s primary mechanism works to activate pharyngeal muscles and improve upper airway collapsibility. In a cohort of 10 participants, researchers witnessed a 25% to 45% improvement in multiple markers of OSA severity that coincided with reduced blood pressure the morning after, which was believed to be linked to increases in sleep duration.

Read the full article here.

4. Dr Mark Bleackley: New Medication to Benefit Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Here, Mark Bleackley, PhD, chief scientific officer, Incannex, discusses a novel cannabinoid pharmacotherapy for patients with OSA. The phase 2/3 RePOSA study, championed by Incannex Healthcare Inc, evaluated the efficacy of IHL-42X, a medicinal cannabinoid pharmacotherapy, to improve patient quality of life. Bleackley shares insights into the significant benefits the drug has on the apnea-hypopnea index as he looked ahead to the trial’s next steps to gather long-term safety and efficacy data.

Watch this interview here.

3. Study: Magnesium-L-Threonate Improves Objective, Subjective Sleep Quality

Literature has long suggested the potential of magnesium as a sleep aid; however, new research hints at the more concrete benefits of taking a new magnesium salt, magnesium-L-threonate (MgT). In this placebo-controlled study, participants who took MgT experienced improved outcomes in both subjective and objective sleep metrics. Self-reports demonstrated how individuals felt more mentally alert and had better moods and improved postawakening behavior while taking 1 mg of MgT each day for 3 weeks. The authors theorize that MgT’s positive impact, compared with magnesium, could be due to the ease in which it crosses the blood-brain barrier.

Read the full article here.

2. Causal Relationship Unveiled Between Gut Microbiota and Sleep Characteristics

Investigating the components of the gut microbiome shed light on some of the influential factors in, for example, insomnia. Prior research has indicated one’s gut microbiome in insomnia, due to the influence of gut bacteria on certain brain functions. This investigation provided more novel insights into this relationship, as identified bacteria in patients were associated with differing degrees of insomnia. Results linked class Negativicutes and order Selenomonadales with more severe insomnia, as well as higher phylum Lentisphaerae levels with increased sleep duration.

Read the full article here.

1. Study Reinforces Link Between Mobile Phone Addiction and Insomnia

Results from this study evaluating mobile phone use in Chinese college students, supported prior findings linking insomnia with technological addictions. This investigation came in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed both the positive and negative effects of online platforms like social media. Phone addiction was associated with an uptick in social anxiety, which in turn was positively associated with insomnia, suggesting social anxiety was a mediator of these outcomes. Additional components of this study show the beneficial impact of physical activity for mitigating these consequences.

Read the full article here.