Sleep restriction (SR) impairs cognitive performance and cerebral metabolism. Creatine supplementation may elicit a metabolic and cognitive benefit following sleep loss. A randomised, cross-over trial ([ACTRN12626000301369]; retrospectively registered) was conducted with 8 healthy adults (4 women, 4 men). Cognitive performance, mood, sleepiness, perceived workload and cerebral haemoglobin oxygenation were compared between a night of unrestricted sleep and a night restricted to 3 h time-in-bed (i.e. SR), separated by 7 days of unrestricted sleep and ingestion of either 20 g⋅day−1 creatine monohydrate or tapioca (placebo). At least a 5-week washout period separated trials. Data were analysed with linear mixed models, t-tests and equivalence tests. SR slowed mean reciprocal response time and mean fastest 10
SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric and sleep disturbances, including insomnia. However, few studies have clinically assessed restless legs syndrome (RLS) after COVID-19, and existing literature relies largely on questionnaire-based surveys. To determine the prevalence and correlates of clinically diagnosed RLS and insomnia among adults recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This cross-sectional multicentre study included adults aged 18–70 years with RT-PCR–confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and they were evaluated within one month of diagnosis. Individuals with neurological disorders, use of neuropsychotropic medications, malignancy, or substance dependence were excluded. RLS was diagnosed using IRLSSG clinical criteria, and insomnia was diagnosed using ICSD-3 criteria. Demographic and clinical data, including COVID-19 severity markers, were extracted from hospital records. Group comparisons were performed using chi-square test and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U or Kruskal–Wallis, as applicable). Among 224 participants (mean age 38.16 ± 15.05 years; 58.9
Sleep quality and stress levels can impact university professors’ physical and mental health. Indeed, high academic demands, multiple responsibilities, and strict deadlines contribute to the increase in perceived stress, which can affect sleep quality and cause excessive daytime sleepiness. This study investigated the relationship between sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and perceived stress in a sample of university professors (n = 59) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The results revealed that 74.58
Deprivation of sleep and prolonged insomnia are now acknowledged not only as lifestyle concerns but also as key biological determinants of neuroinflammation and neurocognitive decline. Sleep disruption provokes imbalance of the central nervous, endocrine, and immune systems through disrupted circadian rhythms, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Sleep deprivation interferes with higher-order function, long-term memory formation, and emotional regulation by decreasing the prefrontal cortex activity while increasing the activity of the amygdala. At the cellular level, low levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate diminish synaptic plasticity and long-term memory formation. Moreover, sleep loss disrupts the glymphatic clearance pathway, leading to the buildup of neurotoxic proteins—such as beta-amyloid, tau, and alpha-synuclein—commonly associated in conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Sleep quality examination should be coordinated as an established practice aspect of mental health preservation. Preventive, sleep-specific therapeutic approaches offer a beneficial target for reducing neuroinflammation and the long-term risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
To systematically evaluate and quantitatively synthesize the effects of non-pharmacological interventions on depression, quality of life (QoL), and sleep quality in adults with hypothyroidism. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251148807). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (2010–October 2025). Eligible studies included adults with clinically diagnosed hypothyroidism receiving non-pharmacological interventions such as aerobic exercise, resistance training, combined exercise, Pilates, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or relaxation training. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale, risk of bias using Cochrane RoB 2.0, and certainty of evidence using GRADE. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed for QoL outcomes. Eight RCTs involving 558 participants met the inclusion criteria. Interventions ranged from 4 to 24 weeks. Most studies demonstrated significant improvements in depression scores, sleep quality indices, and QoL domains following exercise-based, yoga, or CBT interventions. Only four studies were included in the meta-analysis as they are provided sufficiently comparable quantitative data. Meta-analysis of four trials showed a large but statistically non-significant pooled effect for QoL under the random-effects model (SMD = 1.561; 95
