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takyon writes:

Rocking like a baby promotes better sleep in adults

We know babies benefit from being rocked to sleep - now a study suggests it helps adults sleep better too.

Researchers from the University of Geneva built a special bed that rocked gently throughout the night. They tested it on 18 young adults and found they woke up fewer times and slept more deeply than on a normal bed. Scientists said the rocking motion resulted in a longer period of slow brainwaves which caused deep sleep, and improved their memory.

The volunteers spent three nights at a sleep laboratory in Geneva: one to get them used to sleeping there, one on a rocking bed and the other on the same bed, but in a still position. Electrodes recorded their brainwaves, and found that the period of deep sleep was extended by rocking.

Also at Science News.

Whole-Night Continuous Rocking Entrains Spontaneous Neural Oscillations with Benefits for Sleep and Memory (open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.028) (DX)

Rocking Promotes Sleep in Mice through Rhythmic Stimulation of the Vestibular System (open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.007) (DX)

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