Sleeping your way to better health

By Michael Lim


There are people who tell me that they make do with just four to five hours of sleep a day and don't feel fatigued. Then there are others who sleep more than 10 hours a day and yet continue to feel tired.

Many ask: "What duration of sleep is considered adequate sleep?" Is there an optimal number of hours that one should sleep? The answer, apparently, is yes, and sleep does appear to have a significant impact on health.

DNA blood tests can tell baby's sex at 7 weeks: Study

Tests that measure DNA in a pregnant woman's blood work well for telling the sex of a baby after seven weeks' gestation without posing danger to the foetus. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

WASHINGTON (AFP) - TESTS that measure DNA in a pregnant woman's blood work well for telling the sex of a baby after seven weeks' gestation without posing danger to the foetus, a US study said on Tuesday.

The meta-analysis of previous studies on the topic suggests that using cell-free foetal DNA from the mother's blood is more accurate than a urine test or sonogram and is safer than amniocentesis.

Childhood hardship linked to adult disease risk

NEW YORK - CHILDREN who are abused, lose a parent, or suffer other hardships may be at increased risk of chronic health conditions later in life, according to an international study.

Looking at over 18,000 adults from 10 countries, the study found that those who said they'd faced childhood adversities like abuse, the death of a parent, or a parent's alcohol or drug abuse, had higher risks of heart disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and other conditions. The same pattern was seen among people who said they'd suffered from depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions before the age of 21, the study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, said.