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National Sleep Foundation Sponsoring Mom 2.0 Summit

April 30, 2014  by in Industry, Special Events   

National Sleep Foundation spokeswoman Natalie Dautovich will present revolutionary research findings about the science of sleep and discuss the critical role sleep plays in health and wellness at the event, which will bring together more than 550 leading bloggers, women entrepreneurs, and marketers representing the parenting, entertainment, food, politics, technology, social change, business, travel, design and related categories.

Dr. Dautovich will address the Mom 2.0 Summit on Friday, May 2, 2-4 p.m., on “The Art of Sleeping: How To Turn Good Nights Into Great Days.”

“New findings in sleep science underscore the fact that sleep is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle and plays a critical role in our brain health,” said Dautovich, the National Sleep Foundation’s Environmental Scholar. “New research published this fall in the journal Science suggests that sleep may serve a vital ‘housekeeping’ role, giving the brain a daily ‘tune-up’ that flushes away the day’s waste during the night so you wake up refreshed.

“Recent research highlights the amazing benefits of sleep for our health,” Dautovich added. “The past year has seen exciting advances in sleep science, with dramatic new studies giving us an even greater understanding of both the function and benefits of sleep.”

Dautovich will discuss a number of highlights from recent sleep research during the Mom 2.0 Summit, including new findings that help to explain why humans devote roughly one-third of their lives to sleep. “For the first time, researchers at the University of Rochester have been able to demonstrate direct, experimental evidence of sleep’s most basic purpose, to ‘clean’ the brain of harmful toxins and restore proper cognitive functioning,” she explains. “The researchers centered on the role of microscopic, fluid-filled channels that clear toxins from the brain. The system, dubbed the ‘glymphatic system,’ works in a manner similar to the body’s lymphatic system, by removing waste-laden cerebrospinal fluid from the brain.”

According to Dautovich, researchers injected colored dye into the brains of mice and tracked the flow of cerebrospinal fluid when the mice were asleep and when they were awake. “Researchers found that channels carrying cerebrospinal fluid expanded by 60 percent when the mice were asleep compared to when they were awake, indicating a greater ‘cleaning’ effect during sleep. The results suggest that sleep may play an important housekeeping role by increasing our ability to clean the brain and restore its functioning. Without this cleaning, harmful toxins can accumulate which could have negative consequences for cognitive functioning.”

A second area of research that Dr. Dautovich will address at the Mom 2.0 Summit is the link between sleep and obesity. “Recent research highlights the amazing benefits of sleep to our health,” Dr. Dautovich points out. “Poor sleep continues to be tied to numerous negative mental and physical health outcomes, and evidence supports a link between sleep loss and obesity but until now, the mechanisms underlying the association have not been clear. A recent study suggests that a lack of proper sleep affects our ability to make healthy food choices. The results point to brain mechanisms by which insufficient sleep may lead to the development and maintenance of obesity.

“A third new area of research points to the value of sleep in maintaining our relationships, with insufficient sleep linked to decreased ability to resolve conflicts and accurately assess a partner’s emotions,” Dr. Dautovich continues. “Researchers found that a poor night’s sleep was associated with more relationship conflicts the following day.”

Recent findings from the National Sleep Foundation’s 2014 Sleep In America Poll highlight the importance of routine and prioritizing sleep for the modern family, according to Dr. Dautovich. “The 2014 Sleep In America Poll showed that there is a need to prioritize sleep in modern families and empower parents to promote sleep health in their homes,” she relates. “The Sleep In America Poll revealed that there is a need for parents to focus on sleep-related rules and set regular routines. A recent study demonstrated that seven-year-old children with more regular bedtimes performed better on cognitive tests. Furthermore, changing from non-regular to regular bedtimes was associated with decreased behavioral problems in seven-year-old children.”

Dautovich also will address the role of the bedroom environment in achieving deep, sound and restful sleep. “The recent advances in the science of sleep concerning brain functioning, body health, relationships and cognitive behavioral functioning in children underscore the value of creating a bedroom environment that promotes good sleep,” she comments. “More than ever, there is a need to ‘turn good nights into great days.’ A bedroom environment that is conducive to sleep by promoting relaxation and comfort aids these efforts."