Lisa Lewis Journalist Profile

Articles

Why Do We Sleep? The Two-Process Model Explained

Nov 26, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

Humans are hard-wired to need sleep. The countdown begins from the moment you open your eyes: The longer you’re awake, the sleepier you become until you reach the point where you’re ready to turn in for the night. That’s due to sleep pressure. But there’s a second major player: your internal clock, which is synchronized to the light-dark rhythms of a 24-hour day. Together, these form the two-process system.
The Key to Flourishing? Get Better Sleep

Nov 11, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

By now, you’ve probably heard that you should be logging seven to nine hours of sleep to feel and perform at your best. Getting enough sleep is important for everything from memory to immunity, and it’s also crucial for heart health and overall longevity. Even if you’re hitting the minimum, however, you still may not be getting enough sleep to provide the additional emotional boost that allows you to feel your best — a state of well-being known as flourishing.
What Is Blue Light and How Does It Affect Sleep?

Jun 28, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

Blue light gets a lot of attention, and for good reason. From the first rays of daylight to the televisions and smartphones we use before bed, blue light is everywhere, and it plays a key role in whether (and when) we feel alert. Here’s what to know about the highly talked about light color, including how it influences sleep. Blue light is part of the visible spectrum of light — the rainbow we see when sunlight is refracted through a prism or raindrops after a storm.
How a mom’s determination - and a UCLA transplant - saved her daughter’s life

May 9, 2024 | newsroom.ucla.edu | Lisa Lewis

It started with a bad cold. It was December 2022, and 4-year-old Raylee Osuna had a cough, stuffy nose and a slight fever. Even though she seemed better after a few days, her mom, Klarissa Hope, had a sense that something was still off. Several weeks later and despite several medical appointments, Raylee still hadn’t fully bounced back. On Christmas morning, she looked pale, and Hope brought her to urgent care near their home in Ontario to request that bloodwork and other tests be done.
Can Sleep Help Unlock Better Overall Health?

May 1, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

You’ve likely noticed that when you get a good night’s sleep, you feel better the next day. But the benefits are broader than that: Sleeping well can profoundly influence your health and well-being. Here’s an overview of some of the effects sleep can have on your health, as well as some of the ways a lack of quality sleep can affect your health. For starters, when you’ve gotten enough sleep, it’s reflected in your appearance.
What You Need to Know About Sleep and Memory

Apr 19, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

Learning doesn’t just happen during your waking hours . The time you spend sleeping is essential for your ability to remember and organize what you’ve learned, improve newly acquired skills, and forge new insights, as well as determine what to remember and what to forget. Understanding the precise nature of how sleep shapes our memories is complex and ongoing. Nevertheless, the research to date underscores that the hours we spend asleep are crucial for the dynamic process of learning and memory.
Why a healthy diet is crucial for reducing risk of colorectal cancer and improving results after diagnosis

Mar 20, 2024 | uclahealth.org | Lisa Lewis

Although rates overall have been declining thanks to increases in awareness and screening, colorectal cancer remains the fourth-most-common cause of cancer among U.S. adults. Paying attention to lifestyle and diet can help reduce risk and is critical for those who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Former U.S. Army medic brings military background to psychiatric nursing

Mar 7, 2024 | uclahealth.org | Lisa Lewis

Abraham Urias may be a relatively new registered nurse, but he isn’t new to health care. For Urias, who served in the U.S. Army from 2007 to 2014 as a combat medic, his military experience strongly shaped his approach to working with patients in the acute adult psychiatric inpatient unit at the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA Health.
Why Sleep Consistency Matters, and How To Get Better at It

Feb 27, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

It’s not just how much sleep you get – keeping a regular schedule matters, too. In fact, a growing body of research shows that the consistency of your sleep schedule may be even more important than the amount of sleep you get each night.
Being lonely can affect how well you sleep, and vice versa

Jan 29, 2024 | sleep.com | Lisa Lewis

The pandemic caused widespread feelings of loneliness and isolation across all demographics of the American population. Many Americans are still lonely, even post-pandemic, and for younger adults, that likelihood is even greater, recent research shows. In addition to affecting the quality of life and overall health, loneliness is often interrelated with sleep issues, with each exacerbating the other.