If you’re someone who thrives after dark - staying up late, feeling more alert in the evening - you might consider yourself a classic night owl. But new research suggests this natural tendency could come with a hidden cost: faster cognitive decline over time. A large, long-term study from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands has found that people with a night owl chronotype - meaning their internal body clock favours late nights and late mornings - may be more vulnerable to cognitive decline, especially when compared to early risers.
Sleep isn’t just a time of rest - it’s a highly active process that plays a critical role in cognitive function, especially in how we process memories and acquire new knowledge. Modern neuroscience has demonstrated that sleep supports two essential brain functions: consolidating memories from the past and preparing the brain to learn new information in the future.
For many Australian men, snoring is often brushed off as nothing more than an embarrassing quirk — a noisy inconvenience that annoys the person sleeping next to you. But what if that snoring is a sign of something much more serious?
ABC News recently published a powerful report highlighting what sleep experts have been warning about for years: sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are becoming a major public health issue in Australia. Millions of people may be unknowingly living with a serious condition that quietly puts their health—and lives—at risk.
Feeling constantly tired, foggy, or low on energy - even after what seems like a full night’s sleep? For many Australian men, the problem isn’t how long they’re sleeping — it’s how well.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious but underdiagnosed sleep disorder that affects around 1 in 4 men over the age of 30. Even more alarming, up to 80% of people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it.
Getting less than five hours of sleep a night? You could be lowering your testosterone levels without even realising it. Studies show that just one week of restricted sleep — under five hours per night — can cause a 10–15% drop in testosterone in healthy young men. And for many men, poor sleep isn’t just the occasional late night — it’s a nightly pattern, often driven by an underlying issue like obstructive sleep apnea.
Do you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all — even after a full eight hours in bed? Do you find yourself yawning through meetings, zoning out in conversations, or struggling to concentrate at work? If so, sleep apnea might be quietly draining your energy and focus — without you even realising it.
If you’re constantly feeling distracted, forgetful, or mentally flat, the problem may not be stress or lack of motivation — it might be your sleep. More specifically, it could be a condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which affects how your brain functions even while you’re awake.
We all know what it feels like to have a bad night’s sleep — groggy mornings, trouble focusing, and a short fuse. But if poor sleep becomes chronic, especially due to a condition like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it can quietly begin to affect your mental health in ways that go far beyond tiredness.
