In 2022, sleep professionals around the world took to social media to discuss the latest research, advocate for policy changes, and build community. With a combined following of more than 60,000 accounts, the AASM’s social media posts reach a large global audience. From a viral tweet to what happens to the mind after midnight to a heated debate about daylight saving time, here are the hottest topics from social media this year.
1. A thought-provoking research hypothesis exploring how late-night wakefulness affects the brain, behavior, and decision-making garnered worldwide attention.
The “Mind After Midnight” hypothesis suggests that late-night wakefulness affects the brain, leading to changes that can make you more likely to view the world negatively, engage in harmful behaviors, and make impulsive decisions. https://t.co/1adrfRJdnU pic.twitter.com/0gKSuI008N
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) August 3, 2022
2. The Senate’s passage of the Sunshine Protection Act in March sparked a year-long debate about the merits of daylight saving time versus permanent standard time.
The AASM opposes the Sunshine Protection Act, which would establish permanent #DaylightSavingTime in the U.S. in November 2023. The AASM supports permanent standard time, which evidence has shown is the better option for the health of American citizens. https://t.co/C5umYCTdpM pic.twitter.com/PIypPOr4XC
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) May 23, 2022
3. Understanding the link between disrupted sleep and cancer risk fascinated our online community.
Does sleep disruption promote cancer or does cancer reciprocally disrupt sleep? A new review discusses existing evidence for both hypotheses and presents a framework into the link between #sleep and #cancer. Read: https://t.co/O3M3gf33MM pic.twitter.com/vKjpN4PH41
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) May 19, 2022
4. Sleep professionals were intrigued by research findings tying obstructive sleep apnea to cognitive decline.
Findings of a recent study suggest that obstructive #SleepApnea (OSA) contributes to the cognitive impairment in patients with minor ischemic #stroke. Hypoxemia may underline pathological and OSA-triggered cognition impairment. https://t.co/2mcRWNboyz pic.twitter.com/qRbqptvR5b
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) April 21, 2022
5. After a significant uptick in melatonin use in recent years, the AASM’s health advisory addressing the use of the supplement in children caught the eye of many followers.
Melatonin is the second-most popular “natural” product that parents give to their children, next to multivitamins. Read the AASM’s new health advisory regarding #melatonin use in children and teens. https://t.co/btiUPGr2Zm pic.twitter.com/aGKHkJF69S
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) September 21, 2022
6. A research study examining the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease garnered interest among sleep professionals.
Results of a new study demonstrated a close relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), leading researchers to recommend an OSA screening in patients with a GERD diagnosis. https://t.co/5rUAAwfDhe pic.twitter.com/4u403Z1lMu
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) March 8, 2022
7. As tech giant Apple released new sleep tracking features, our followers turned their attention to advancements in consumer sleep technology.
Apple announced watchOS 9 provides more #sleep insights with the introduction of sleep stages. With signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor, Apple Watch reportedly estimates when users are in REM, core, or deep sleep. https://t.co/jl822n1CR2 pic.twitter.com/OEyZMouopc
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) September 21, 2022
8. The AASM highlighted CBT-I as the recommended treatment for insomnia when pharmaceutical companies launched high-profile celebrity campaigns to promote medications.
If you’ve seen celebrity endorsements of #insomnia meds, keep this in mind: While medications are an important treatment option for chronic insomnia in adults, the AASM advises that patients with chronic insomnia should receive CBT-I as a primary therapy. https://t.co/M0ykz7ekL6 pic.twitter.com/KaC3cNG61c
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) May 20, 2022
9. An interesting survey highlighted shifting sleep behaviors as many Americans continued to work from home and devote more time to getting shut-eye.
Americans working from home have reclaimed 60 million hours that they used to spend commuting to an office each day. They’re now using that time to get more #sleep instead, according to data from the American Time Use Survey. https://t.co/rm4nPMw0Vu pic.twitter.com/Iw9a1fLVML
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) October 21, 2022
10. With about 85% of Americans consuming caffeine daily, a video exploring how the stimulant affects our bodies caught the eye of many followers.
“People don’t appreciate just how much of a hindrance [caffeine] can be towards a healthy night’s sleep.” This @JAMANetwork video explores how caffeine affects the body: https://t.co/vWcMzYESvJ pic.twitter.com/bxGUAelntK
— American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) February 25, 2022
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