Do you have trouble getting a good night's sleep? Then perhaps more exercise might help.

Researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have been looking at the effect of exercise on sleep. The results of the initial study found that: "Regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality".

The participants, sedentary adults aged 55 and older, exercised at 75% maximum heart rate for 16 weeks. This led to an improvement in self-reported sleep quality that was better than achieved by the group assigned non-physical activity.

Dr. Phyllis Zee of the Sleep Disorders Center at Feinberg University said:

Insomnia increases with age. Around middle age, sleep begins to change dramatically. It is essential that we identify behavioral ways to improve sleep. Now we have promising results showing aerobic exercise is a simple strategy to help people sleep better and feel more vigorous.

Always take expert advice before starting a significant exercise programme.

Memory foam specialist Sleep Innovations has announced a new variety of foam: gel infused memory foam.

The new foam includes special gel beads inside the foam. These beads give the foam additional support strength and improved airflow.

Mike Loomis of Sleep Innovations said of the new material:

Its advantages include better air flow for a cooler night's sleep, more balanced support resulting in less cradling, optimal pressure point relief for improved circulation and better spinal alignment. Sleep Innovations' new gel-infused memory foam technology offers the perfect balance between the comfort of traditional memory foam and the support of gel.

The new gel memory foam products are available to buy at leading retailers throughout the US and Canada.

Tempur-Pedic, one of the best known makes of memory foam, is rolling out a new weapon in the fight against cancer: cream coloured teddy bears!

The new bears will be appearing across retailers in the US and will be raising money for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Pancreatic cancer has a high mortality rate and is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the US.

Retailers will be able to sell the bears or give them away as buying incentives. Tempur-Pedic will be donating money to the charity for every bear sold.

The new cream coloured teddy bears replace a similar campaign run last year using brown bears.

We all know that light at night (LAN) can contribute to sleep deprivation. The really bad news is that too much of it might increase your risk of cancer.

Researchers from the Center for Interdisciplinary Chronobiological Research at the University of Haifa have been looking at the possible link between Light at Night (LAN) and cancer. The experiments, carried out on mice, support previous research suggesting that LAN light can increase the growth of cancerous cells.

The suggestion is that the suppression of melatonin due to nighttime light could be responsible for the increased cancer risk. The researchers said:

Exposure to LAN disrupts our biological clock and affects the cyclical rhythm that has developed over hundreds of millions of evolutionary years that were devoid of LAN. Light pollution as an environmental problem is gaining awareness around the world, and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has already classified working the night shift as a higher grade of cancer risk.

Earlier research at the University of Haifa suggests that light at night can increase the risk of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women.